A LICKETY-SPLIT FAREWELL

August 23, 1924

CINCINNATI—One more game. One more game played in this sweltering city of hills and the Ohio River, of Carl Headhunter Mays and Eppa Rixey (I could say his name all day), of German speakeasies and crazy Over-the-Rhine Boys and a young fraulein named Ute I hope doesn't live here anymore.

Elected to get us out of town happy was Joe Oecshger, who went home to Chicago while the Black Phillies had his job and did nothing but sit by the lake and read fiction books for over a week, so he was good and rested. The Reds were in a real nasty mood after dropping the first two to us, and it seemed pretty clear that they let up a bit after finding out they didn't have to play those colored monsters.

Proving this in the 1st inning was their biggest star Edd Roush, who dropped Wrightstone's easy fly after Cy got us on the board with a scoring double, and it was 2-0 Phils right out of the gate. Oeschie was pitching like he was still in his beach seat, scattering a single, double and plunked batter through the first five innings. The crowd was getting as restless and angry as it's possible for an Ohio crowd to get, and after Wilson and Mokan doubled and their Cuban starter Luque botched a grounder to give us a 4-0 lead, the entire right bleacher section, filled with Over-the Rhine Boys, stood up together and razzed the field so loud that a flock of pigeons took off from under the grandstand roof and probably headed for Texas.

We all had grins on our faces when our boys took the field for the last of the 6th, but the bleacher cries were like electric shocks under the Reds players' rumps. Chick Shorten batted for Luque and doubled. Walker and Daubert singled. Bressler walked. Lefty Clarence Mitchell took the ball to get rid of Roush and Edd got rid of him with a mash of a triple over Cy's head and a sudden tie game. Steinder took over, Pinelli singled, and Redlands Field was a crazy-house as they took the lead without making an out!

Ray got out of the inning, but then Jakie May took the hill for Cincy and had worse luck than Luque could've dreamed of. Heinie walked to start the 7th, and Daubert muffed Holke's grounder to put two aboard. After a shallow Cy fly, Butch Henline hit for Wrightstone and got plunked. Jimmie Wilson, his head still swelled up after his history-making game with the coloreds in St. Louis, then ripped Jakie's first pitch high and deep and out of the park in left and Redlands Field was a funeral parlor all over again. A grand slam!! Wilson even took off my cap to mussy my hair when he crossed home plate. Daubert booted the very next pitch hit by Mokan and the sausage wrappers and pop bottles started flying.

Steinder pitched the last three innings lightning-quick to keep our outfielders from getting skulled, gave up no hits, and we were in and out of the showers and racing off to the train station even quicker. Benny and me kept our heads down so the batches of Over-the-Rhine idiots snooping around the train platforms wouldn't see us, and then the big rolling poker party headed off to Pittsburgh, where we even get a Sunday off tomorrow.

Lying up in my berth later with a head full of illegal gin and rocking back and forth I suddenly remembered we'd won nine games in a row, the last three with whites only. If that ain't a miracle than I don't know what is.

Good night, reader-people.
—Vinny

PHL 200 002 400 01 - 8 10 1
CIN 000 005 000 00 - 5 7 4

Other National League games today:

at PIRATES 9-13-1, BRAVES 4-12-0
Powell walks to start the Braves' 1st inning but McInnis pops into a double play and Sperber whiffs. Carey singles to start the Bucs' 1st inning then steals second, Grimm walks, Moore singles, Cuyler doubles home all three and Traynor hits a sacrifice fly. Need to know anything else?

at CUBS 12-13-0, ROBINS 5-7-4
A real bad time for Burleigh Grimes to dry up his spitball and break his four-game win streak. Aldridge throws great, but three doubles and three triples by his mates bury Brooklyn often and early.

GIANTS 17-22-0, at CARDINALS 6-9-3
That's 31 runs 34 hits in two days piled up by the Giants, who prove me wrong by winning two straight in a big way. Nehf goes all the way and even rookie Bill Terry gets in on the action with a big 3-run homer off Rhem to begin New York's seven-run 4th.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Saturday, August 23
Pittsburgh Pirates	77	42	.647	—
Brooklyn Robins	72	50	.590	6.5
Cincinnati Reds	70	52	.574	8.5
New York Giants	65	55	.542	12.5
Chicago Cubs	59	61	.492	18.5
St. Louis Cardinals	57	63	.475	20.5
Philadelphia Phillies	51	71	.418	27.5
Boston Braves	33	89	.270	46