June 24, 1924
I should've known yesterday was an extra special day, like finding a gold dubloon in a gutter, because today was just plain dismal. You have to expect this to happen when your record is 25-40, but it still isn't much fun when it happens.Joe Oescheger threw for us, showing off his usual nothing, and after four innings the lousy Braves had seven hits, a walk and four runs on the board. The Boston pitcher was Johnny Cooney, a tough lefty who sometimes plays the outfield and had a 2-9 record when the game started because his team never hits for him. Well, he couldn't use that excuse in this one.
The truth was that he looked like Mathewson out there, giving up nothing but a Hod Ford double in the first six and two-third innings, and the Baker Bowl crowd was so quiet you could hear the clouds roll by. Oescheger calmed down pretty well for him, and when Mitchell relieved him to face lefty Stengel with the sacks stuffed and two outs in the 9th, pinch-hitter Les Mann popped up to the catcher to get us out of it.
Benny had gone off to gamble in the grandstand with Rollo after the 6th inning, and I hope he was watching the last of the 9th, because that's when our only fun of the day began. Cooney walked Parkinson and Holke on eight pitches, and Cy Williams roped a single to load the bases. After Wilson singled in our first run, Skinny Graham ran in to take Cooney's place, and whiffed Mokan right off the bat. But Hod Ford rammed his second double down the line in left, two runs scored, and it was 4-3!
I thought about making my way from the bleachers over to Benny in the stands, but was afraid I wouldn't make it in time. I'm also superstitious like you wouldn't believe, and because I was opening a peanut with one foot on my seat when Ford doubled, I had to keep that foot right where it was and get another peanut ready. So why did Heinie Sand then ground out and keep Ford at second? And why did Wrightstone then pinch-hit a weak fly to right to end the stupid game?
I guess when your record is 25-41 and you can't even beat the Braves, you don't really have to ask questions like that.
It's a real battle of the champions tomorrow, with the 2-8 Benton facing our 1-10 Jimmy Ring. At least it'll be Ladies' Day. Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny
BOS 100 300 000 - 4 11 0
PHL 000 000 003 - 3 7 0
Other National League games today:
at REDS 6-12-2, PIRATES 4-9-0
Wire the reporters! The Bucs lose a baseball game, even though they still make life impossible for Eppa Rixey as they do so. After a quick 1-0 lead for Cincy, Max Carey ties it up with a homer. Grimm's single gives Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead in the 3rd, but four Red singles put them back up 3-2. A Bressler 2-run triple off Meadows makes it 5-2 but a second Carey homer and very damaging error by Babe Pinelli cuts that to 5-4 in no time. But three straight singles off Arnie Stone in the 7th finish the scoring, give the Reds their 40th win and get them to four games from the top.
at ROBINS 3-6-1, GIANTS 2-6-1 (11 innings)
Wasn't this the same result as yesterday? Hold on, I'll check my typewriter pages over here...Yup, sure was, except this time they go extra innings because Nehf gives up a 2-1 New York lead in the 9th on a walk, wild pitch and Eddie Brown single. Meanwhile the Giants are starved for runs once again, as Doak, Ehrhardt and Decatur keep them asleep until a walk, bunt, and singles by Wheat and Fournier give Brooklyn the win and tie them with New York for third place!
The Cardinals and Cubs had another day off. You explain it.
| NATIONAL LEAGUE through Tuesday, June 24 | ||||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 42 | 22 | .656 | — |
| Cincinnati Reds | 40 | 28 | .588 | 4 |
| Brooklyn Robins | 36 | 29 | .554 | 6.5 |
| New York Giants | 36 | 29 | .554 | 6.5 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 35 | 30 | .538 | 7.5 |
| Chicago Cubs | 31 | 33 | .484 | 11 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 25 | 41 | .379 | 18 |
| Boston Braves | 16 | 49 | .246 | 26.5 |
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