TAKING CARE OF DREAM BUSINESS

AUTHOR'S NOTE: With his beloved Phillies reaching the World Series again in the modern age, our young diary-keeper Vinny will be penning his mischievous quips throughout each game on that newfangled Interweb contraption called Twitter. Check in and enjoy them right here.

July 27, 1924

Dear Roy:

Hello again. Is it still swelteringly hot out in St. Louis? It's real nice to be back here and only having to change shirts once each day instead of three times.

Is my friend Benny still there? He said you and him and maybe your brother in Chicago were going to try and get some money from business people or whoever to help stage some exhibition ball between some white major league players and a bunch of colored ones, but I haven't heard from him since I left on the Phillies train so I was just wondering.

I still think it's a great idea, though as you could tell when you stepped into our club house out there, it's going to take some convincing of most of these players to look at you people as their equals, even as athletic types. I have gotten to know some of the Phillies well, but none of the ones who seem to hate black people, so I hope you guys can raise enough money to pay them well and shut their traps.

Anyway, if Benny is with you or you can reach him, tell him to write or telegram me. Thanks!

Vinny S.



Dear Rachel:

I had this weird dream the other night that the Phillies were playing in a future World Series against the Yankees and I was around 100 years old and you were sitting with me at a ball field where they were actually playing at night. It all seemed so real and amazing that I think I'll go to sleep early for a few days and try to get back there...

So I just returned from my first batboy road trip, and I guess I survived or I wouldn't be writing this. The Phillies are off today for church reasons again, which is too bad because we finally won a game yesterday with a whole bunch of home runs and it's not a good thing to take a break when you're just starting to play well.

Not that it matters. We're stuck like glue in seventh place now, probably for the rest of the year unless the Cubs break their legs or the Braves grow some arms. At least your Robins are still fighting for something, which makes going to Ebbets more than just a day in the sunshine for you. Hopefully I'll be able to join you for another game there soon.

Which brings me to more romantic things. Even though you haven't seen me in a while, I do hope our secret engagement is still a real thing, and that you still think of me as warmly as I do to you. There were many times on our road trip when I could have enjoyed an illegal drink with a local miss, but purposely did not. You would have liked riding the train around with us, though it probably would have been too cramped in my sleeping berth for two of us.

I know I still haven't talked to your father about our marriage plans, but I promise I'll do that in person as soon as possible so we can start talking about planning what we will do.

Write back to me please, so I can cherish the words.

With love and all that,

Vinny


WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM
To: SAUL STONE
From: VINNY SPANELLI

DEAR MR. STONE:

AM BACK FROM FIRST BATBOY TRIP. WOULD LIKE TO HAVE PERSONAL TALK WITH YOU BUT CAN"T GET AWAY UNTIL HOME STAND WITH WEST TEAMS IS OVER. SUGGEST WEDNESDAY AUGUST 13. I WILL BUY YOU LUNCH.

SINCERELY,
VINNY S.

Only National League games today:

at ROBINS 9-8-2, REDS 8-12-2
Fournier clubs homer no. 22 in the 1st for three runs, but the Reds fight back with four off Decatur in the 2nd. With the Bucs off, Cincy has a chance to get closer than five games for the first time in weeks. Why does anybody even think this will happen? Fournier hits a grand slam homer in the next inning off Sheehan for seven runs batted in on the day and Brooklyn holds them off.

at GIANTS 7-14-0, CARDINALS 6-14-3 (12 innings)
Thrilling back and forth party at the Polo Grounds, won in extras on a Frisch triple and Hack Wilson single. The Hackman smacks a 3-run homer in the 1st off Sherdel to get things rolling, as the Giants and Robins both pick up smidgens of ground on Pittsburgh.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Sunday, July 27
Pittsburgh Pirates	61	33	.649	—
Cincinnati Reds	58	41	.586	5.5
New York Giants	56	40	.583	6
Brooklyn Robins	56	43	.566	7.5
St. Louis Cardinals	50	47	.515	12.5
Chicago Cubs	44	52	.458	18
Philadelphia Phillies	37	61	.378	26
Boston Braves	26	71	.268	36.5