WAY TOO MUCH GABBING FOR MY TASTE

RECENTLY, IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cards avoid 4-game sweep at Ebbets...Vinny writes Rachel a letter while sitting in church, tries to use his magic literary powers to talk her into inviting him up to New York...

June 16, 1924

Well, we had to like our chances against the Cubs today. We took three out of four from them out at Cubs Park, our biggest winner Bill Hubbell with his six wins was pitching, and their guy Vic Keen's record was a crummy 2-8 going in.

So Heathcote doubled to start the game. Grantham tripled with one out, Gabby Hartnett singled, Butch Weis doubled, Friberg walked, Hollocher singled and they were up 3-0 before I tasted even one onion on top of my hot dog. Then with two outs in the 2nd, Grantham singled and Gabby smoked one deep into the bleachers to make it 5-0.

This Hartnett guy is one of the best young backstops to ever come along. Last year he only hit .268 with eight homers but already has 13 knocks this season and might get 100 runs batted in at this rate. They call him Gabby because he's always talking to the hitters and bothering them, and if he wasn't such a jolly dope he probably would have had a bat planted in his head by now. Anyway after Mokan homered for one run and doubled in another to make it 5-2 going to the 7th, Hartnett started another Cub rally with a double of his own. A Wrightstone single made it 6-3 them into the 8th, but that's when Hubbell lost his marbles.

A walk and three straight singles—the last by Gabby, of course, for his fifth run batted in–brought on Huck Betts, and he should have stayed home in bed. Friberg singled and Hooks Cotter walked with two out, and then Hollocher, one of the weakest shortstops around, blasted one over the right fence for a grand slam homer! Glazner mopped up the mess but we were deep in our caskets by then. Our home record now is a sickening 7-19, and we all know the only other team with a worse one.

Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny


CHC 320 000 170 - 13 17 0
PHL 010 001 10x - 3 11 0

Other National League games today:

PIRATES 17-17-2, at BRAVES 2-9-4
Marquard actually threw a shutout against St. Louis his last time out. It was the last time Boston won and it might have been the last game they win all year. The usual Pirate menu of three triples, three doubles and a Pie Traynor homer feeds the onslaught. The Braves are now 2-26 against the four western clubs, and lucky for them get to play two with the Bucs tomorrow.

REDS 3-12-2, at ROBINS 1-7-1
Brooklyn is infected with the usual serious case of Eppa Rixey. With Zack Wheat out of the lineup, they never have a chance against the lefty. Dazzy Vance will try to get the Robins back on track tomorrow against Donohue.

CARDINALS 13-15-0, at GIANTS 7-11-4
Rhem and Barnes are tied at 2-2 into the 7th when St. Louis sends 16 men to the plate and score 11 of them. Hornsby gets five singles in six times up, boosting his average to .449. It's tough to bat .500 for an entire season but he's certainly going to give it a try.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Monday, June 16
Pittsburgh Pirates	36	20	.643	—
Cincinnati Reds	37	23	.617	1
New York Giants	34	24	.586	3
St. Louis Cardinals	33	28	.541	5.5
Brooklyn Robins	30	27	.526	6.5
Chicago Cubs	28	31	.475	9.5
Philadelphia Phillies	22	36	.379	15
Boston Braves	13	44	.228	23.5