A FAREWELL TO MAY

May 31, 1924

I promised Mama I would catch up with my lessons in the next two days, because the Phillies go up to Brooklyn for a single Sunday game, and that's the last thing I want to do even if it would mean maybe seeing Rachel. Her team has been in the dumps lately, as you'll soon read about, so it might not be the best time to invade her life again. On Monday the Phillies have a day off before St. Louis comes to town, so I guess I'll spend the whole day in school for a change.

The Phillies might have to go back to winning school, though, because they seem to have forgot everything they learned on their western trip. The Giants knocked Oeschie around today for four runs in the 2nd inning, helped by Parkinson murdering a ball at third base, and we were behind early again. We actually hit the ball well off Art Nehf, getting 14 hits which was two more than they had, but we didn't walk once and couldn't stick any of those hits together.

The Phils did make it close with three runs in the 6th, but all that did was wake up the Giants again, and they put three more across in the 7th with big hits from Youngs and Kelly. Cy hit his 8th homer over the right fence to lead our 7th, but that finished all the scoring on this boiling afternoon.

Benny never showed up at all. I guess he was too blue after the Miss Philadelphia disaster, and didn't want the Phillies to make him any bluer. I'm the opposite. I use baseball games to get me out of bad moods, no matter what happens. What else can beat sitting in the hot sun with a cold pop at a big green ball field?

I got down to Mort's real fast after the game, because he always has the latest printed league leader reports at the end of each month, and I wanted to include it for all of you down below. Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

NYG 040 000 300 - 7 12 0
PHL 000 003 100 - 4 14 2


Other National League games today:

BRAVES 4-9-0, at ROBINS 2-7-3
I might have to pray for Rachel in church tomorrow, even though she's Jewish, because Brooklyn's in as big a slump as I've seen. Today Grimes goes up against Larry Benton, who is 0-6 with a 10.31 earned run average going in, and the Robins make three errors, stink up Ebbets Field two out of three times to the worst team on earth, and are now in the lower division.

CARDINALS 7-14-1, at PIRATES 6-8-0
Look at this! The Bucs grab two runs in the 1st off Haines, then watch the Cards boot their behinds with 14 hits, including a big Hornsby double in the 3rd to give them the lead for good. It seems like an easy win but Fowler relieves and almost gives up the farm, giving Pittsburgh a triple, walk and single with two outs in the 9th.

REDS 4-18-1, at CUBS 2-9-0 (15 innings)
Pedro Dibut throws seven masterful innings of shutout relief and Al Wingo singles in the winner off Kaufmann as Cincy pulls it out despite their horrible hit usage and Boob Fowler getting hurt for five games. They have four regulars injured now but that hasn't stopped them from winning all year.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Saturday, May 31
Pittsburgh Pirates	29	13	.690	—
New York Giants	26	18	.591	4
Cincinnati Reds	26	20	.565	5
St. Louis Cardinals	24	22	.522	7
Brooklyn Robins	22	21	.512	7.5
Chicago Cubs	20	26	.435	11
Philadelphia Phillies	19	26	.422	11.5
Boston Braves	12	32	.273	18

NATIONAL LEAGUE STATISTICAL COMPENDIUM

RECORD IN MAY
19-8 Pittsburgh, 19-10 New York, 18-13 Cincinnati, 17-13 St. Louis
14-14 Brooklyn, 14-16 Chicago, 12-18 Philadelphia, 5-24 Boston

RECORD AT HOME
Pittsburgh 19-7, Brooklyn 11-4, Cincinnati 17-13, New York 8-7
St. Louis 15-16, Boston 6-7, Philadelphia 5-9, Chicago 15-20

RECORD ON ROAD
New York 18-11, Pittsburgh 10-6, St. Louis 9-6, Cincinnati 9-7
Chicago 5-6, Philadelphia 14-17, Brooklyn 11-17, Boston 6-25

ONE-RUN CONTESTS
St. Louis 11-6, Pittsburgh 8-5, New York 6-4, Chicago 7-5
Cincinnati 7-8, Brooklyn 5-7, Boston 6-9, Philadelphia 3-9

ADDITIONAL INNINGS
Boston 4-2, Pittsburgh 4-2, St. Louis 6-4, New York 3-2
Cincinnati 5-5, Philadelphia 3-4m Chicago 2-5, Brooklyn 0-4

COMEBACK VICTORIES/RUINED ADVANTAGES
St. Louis 18/11, New York 12/6, Pittsburgh 11/7, Cincinnati 13/13
Philadelphia 9/9, Chicago 11/12, Brooklyn 6/11, Boston 5/15

BATTING AVERAGE
Cincinnati .302, St. Louis .301, Pittsburgh .294, Brooklyn .287
New York .285, Chicago .282, Philadelphia .277, Boston .259

RUNS SCORED
St. Louis 276, New York 255, Chicago 251, Pittsburgh 244
Cincinnati 237, Brooklyn 231, Philadelphia 216, Boston 176

TRIPLES
Cincinnati 46, Pittsburgh 42, Chicago 40, New York 33,
St. Louis 24, Brooklyn 19, Philadelphia 18, Boston 14

HOME RUNS
Philadelphia 37, Chicago 30, Brooklyn 27, New York 20
St. Louis 17, Cincinnati 16, Pittsburgh 13, Boston 7

DOUBLE PLAYS GROUNDED INTO
Pittsburgh 36, Philadelphia 39, New York 40, Chicago 45
Cincinnati 45, Brooklyn 50, St. Louis 51, Boston 58

RUNNERS LEFT ADRIFT
Pittsburgh 330, Brooklyn 344, Boston 361, Philadelphia 364
New York 375, Chicago 381, St. Louis 409, Cincinnati 422

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
Cincinnati 3.06, Pittsburgh 3.48, Brooklyn 3.67, New York 4.34
Chicago 5.09, Philadelphia 5.10, St. Louis 5.59, Boston 5.87

ERRORS
Philadelphia 37, Pittsburgh 39, Boston 48, Brooklyn 50
New York 52, Cincinnati 62, St. Louis 64, Chicago 65

DOUBLE PLAYS EXECUTED
Brooklyn 52, Cincinnati 49, New York 46, St. Louis 44
Chicago 43, Philadelphia 42, Boston 36, Pittsburgh 36

HOME RUNS ALLOWED
Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 12, Philadelphia 15, Brooklyn 21
Boston 22, St, Louis 27, Chicago 31, New York 32

BATTING AVG. LEADERS
.450 Hornsby, STL
.413 Youngs, NYG
.382 Wheat, BRK
.366 Brown, BRK
.347 Frisch, NYG
.342 Fournier, BRK

HOME RUN LEADERS
12 Fournier, BRK
10 Hartnett, CHC
8 Williams, PHL
8 Hornsby, STL

RUNS BATTED IN LEADERS
53 Hornsby, STL
46 Forunier, BRK
39 Cuyler, PIT
37 Blades, CHC
36 Hartnett, CHC

WINS LEADERS
6-2 Hubbell, PHL
6-3 Alexander, CHC
5-1 Morrison, PIT

E.R.A. LEADERS
1.89 Morrison, PIT
1.95 Mays, CIN
2.28 Doak, BRK
2.33 Vance, BRK
2.37 Carlson, PHL

SAVED GAMES LEADERS
6 Adams, PIT
4 Jonnard, NYG
4 Betts, PHL