RECENTLY, IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE: Bucs get a well-deserved rest and beat the Braves by 15 runs...Phils get battered and bruised...Eppa Rixey inflicts Ebbets Field...
June 17, 1924
What a game today! All the schools were out by now in Philadelphia, so Baker Bowl was flooded with kids, and me and Benny decided to stand in the grandstand area behind home plate so we wouldn't go deaf from all the screaming weemies.
It was a good idea, because the Cubs and Phils staged maybe the most exciting game of the year for us, like being on a carnival ride for almost two hours. Jimmy Ring was determined to get his second win but fell behind like he usually does on a Gabby (him again) Hartnett triple, Weis single and Friberg double in the 2nd. Chicago first baseman Ray Grimes butchered a Cy ball with one out in the 4th, and two singles and a walk followed for three Phillie runs. Cub starter Kauffman singled home the tie run in the 6th, but Ring hit a sacrifice pop to match that and we were up 4-3 going to the 7th.
Then things went nuts. Three walks and a double by Weis put the Cubs back in front 5-4 in the 7th. Holke slammed a deep homer to right after a Harper walk in the bottom of the 7th, and so many people stood up in front of us we couldn't even see where the ball landed. But who cared? We were back ahead 6-5!
Uh-oh. Here came a Ring slow-ball to Friberg to start the 8th and Bernie roped it for a double. Grantham hit with one out, everyone in the park afraid to look, and then we knew why. George lined it onto the rail tracks in three seconds flat and the Cubs were back ahead 7-6! Steineder came in to put Ring out of his misery and finish the inning.
With both our catchers hurt, third-stringer Lew Wendell had to play the game and singled to begin the Phillie 8th off Cub reliever Wheeler. Then Ford rapped into an easy double play and we all groaned again. Steindeder got out of the 9th without worry, and came up for our last three outs. Normally we would have sneaked down to great seats by now but no one in the park was leaving. Harper reached on a walk to begin, Holke fanned, and Cy rolled one to Grimes' right but he threw it away for his second horrible play of the game, putting men on second and third. Chicago brought all their infielders close, and when Wrightstone dribbled one between short and third, Harper had to hold at third base even though it was a single.
Mokan then grounded one but the Cubs couldn't make a double play and the game was tied again. Two outs now, Wendell cracked a ball into center, Williams ran home from third and we had the 8-7 win! Yahoo! Benny jumped around a few seconds, slapping my back and knocking my wind out.
Excuse me, reader-people, but us Phillie-stines have been wandering in the loser desert for a while. A happy good night!
—Vinny
Other National League games today:
PIRATES 7-11-1, at BRAVES 3-10-0
PIRATES 6-9-0, at BRAVES 4-10-0
The Braves score three runs on Morrison in the 1st with three doubles, a single and walk and a holiday is declared in Boston. By the time Pittsburgh has scored seven unanswered runs and gone ahead to stay on a 3-run Max Carey homer off Cooney, the parade is cancelled. In the second game, the Braves score three in the 1st once again to take a 3-2 lead, then get shut down by the horrible Jeff Pfeffer until the Bucs can score five unanswered runs. That's seven losses in a row for the mighty Braves, now 2-28 against the Pirates, Reds, Cards and Cubs.
CARDINALS 13-18-0, at GIANTS 5-9-1
A nice nightmare for New York's McQuillan: Two and a third innings pitched, 11 hits and 9 runs. The Giants close it to 9-4 in the 7th, only to have Wayland Dean hand the Cards four more runs in the 9th.
at ROBINS 5-14-1, REDS 2-10-0
Dazzy Vance finally gets a little help from his hitters, as Fournier and Brown knock in big runs early and late. Zack Wheat returns tomorrow, so that should help the Brooklyns keep it going.
| NATIONAL LEAGUE through Tuesday, June 17 | ||||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 38 | 20 | .655 | — |
| Cincinnati Reds | 37 | 24 | .607 | 2.5 |
| New York Giants | 34 | 25 | .576 | 4.5 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 34 | 28 | .548 | 6 |
| Brooklyn Robins | 31 | 27 | .534 | 7 |
| Chicago Cubs | 28 | 32 | .467 | 11 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 23 | 36 | .390 | 15.5 |
| Boston Braves | 13 | 46 | .220 | 25.5 |
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