The Busher Pulls a Mays
Friend Al: Well old pal here we are on the gay white way but they don’t nobody on this ball club feel gay and no wonder. In the 1st place to look at our club you would think we had just came back from the Marne as Gandil was left home in a hospital with appendix and Felsch is so lame that he can’t cover no more ground then where his dogs is parked and Cracker Schalk has to be wheeled up to the plate and back you might say and to cap off the climax I got stomach trouble from something I eat or something and wile I don’t pitch with my stomach a man can’t do themself justice when the old feed bag acts up.
To make it worse Detroit has got a hold of a couple pitchers that can do something besides make 9 men on the field and Jennings club is comeing like a house on fire and all and all it looks like we was a bad bet and will be mighty lucky to get back off of this trip in 1st place. For inst. Cicotte pitched a nice game today and lose it because they was a couple fly balls hit to center field that Felsch only had to take 3 or 4 steps to get under them but his sick dog layed down on him and wouldn’t buge and zowey they went for 3 base hits. So as I say they can call this the gay white way but they can’t hardily call us the gay White Sox eh Al.
Well I suppose you seen in the paper what Carl Mays the Boston pitcher pulled off and you will half to hand it to him. He walked out on the Boston club wile they was playing us out in Chi and said he wouldn’t pitch no more baseball for them and of course they was out of the race for the pennant though when the season opened up and they had all their men back from the service we all of us thought they would be the club we would half to beat as they had 2 stars for every position you might say and they could stick 1 club in the field 1 day and a whole different club the next day and 1 of them as good is the other but any way they blowed up like Willard and it got so as they felt cocky when they only lose 1 game per day so Mays said he was through and instead of the club suspending him why they pretty near kissed him you might say and all the other clubs in the league begun biding for him.
Well we would of had him only I guess the Boston club insisted on Gleason giveing them Cocky Collins or Schalk or myself or somebody so of course Gleason give them the razz and finely Huggins got him for the N.Y. club for 4 or 5 ball players and the liberty loan and now Mr. Mays is with a club that has got a chance to get in the world serious and it shows what a sucker a ball player is to stick with a club where you can’t get nothing only the worst of it.
Well Al I guess if I was to have a run in now with Gleason or something I will know what to do as the minute he looks X eyed at me I will Mays him and I guess they wouldn’t some clubs jump at the chance to get a hold of me and specially Detroit as Jennings is makeing a great fight for the old rag without hardily any pitching at all you might say and what would he do with a man like I on the club to go in there every 3rd day and take my own turn besides helping the other birds out when they begin to weaken.
Well old N.Y. is some dry town since the 1 of July and the only way a man can get a drink here is go in a saloon and the only differents between old times is what they soak you for it now which is plenty but when a man has got to have it he has got to have like today after the game for inst. my old stomach was freting pretty bad and I got myself 6 high balls on the way back from the pk. and it set me back $2.40 but as I say what is $2.40 compared to a man’s health.
Friend Al: Well Al we are haveing a fine trip and the way we been going you would think we must of clumb in to 1st place some night after dark but we won’t be there long if Gleason don’t wake up and use his pitchers right. He acts like Cicotte and Williams was Adam and Eve and they wasn’t nobody else in the world and he keeps yelping about what tough shape he is in on acct. of not only haveing 2 pitchers and as far is the rest of us is conserned we might as well be takeing tickets.
Well a man can’t hardily blame him for going slow with birds like Kerr and Faber and Lowdermilk that when they do throw a ball somewheres close to the plate somebody’s bat gets in the way but just because I lose them games to the St. Louis and N.Y. clubs in Chi with my stomach why that isn’t no reason I should spend August with my feet on the water cooler and as I said to Gleason today he might as well of left me home and he says yes and the rest of the club to.
Well you don’t see Jennings trying to cop the old rag with 2 pitchers but he works his staff in turn like a mgr. should and some a.m. we will wake up and find ourself a few laps behind Detroit instead of leading them and all because Jennings gives his pitchers a chance but instead of Gleason giveing me a chance he sets around and mones about what tough shape we are in and if he could only get a hold of some pitcher like Page with the Phila. club but it looks to me like if Page was so dam good the Athaletics would get rid of him. We have all ready signed up Pat Ragan that every club in the National League tried him and I don’t know what and the he‑ll they can expect him to do here where a man has got to have something besides acquaintences in all the big citys and it looks to me like Gleason has went plain cuckoo and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him bark like a dog.
Well I suppose you seen where Ban Johnson stepped in and suspend it Mays after it come out that the N.Y. club had boughten him and I don’t see what Ban has got to say about it now and I suppose we will be reading pretty soon where he has plastered a $5.00 fine on Hap Felsch for limping.
Ban said a few yrs. ago that Ty Cobb wouldn’t never play another game in this league but the last time we played the Detroit club they had somebody in center field that looked a whole lot like Cobb and Jennings and the rest of the boys called him Ty.
Well this old burg isn’t running as wide open as N.Y. and if a man wants a little refreshmunts they have got to go out and hunt for it like tonight I and 1 of the boys thought we better lay in a qt. to last over the sabath and 1 of the boys on the Boston club told us where to go get it so we got a qt. of it and it cost $7.00 and that means $7.00 a drink as they couldn’t nobody in the world take more then 1 swallow and I wouldn’t be surprised if that is what ails the Boston club. They are poisoned. Well the qt. all but 2 drinks is standing on my burro and that is where it is going to spend the sabath and when we leave here I will give it to the chamber horse for a tip and tell her what it cost and she will know she died a high price death. In the old days when we was here on a Sunday they closed up the bars but you could walk in the hotel cafe and order up a drink as long is you ordered sandwichs with it and if they knowed you they would bring you the same sandwichs every trip.
Well 1 more game here Monday and then we go to Philly and maybe we will win 1 there as we have got 4 to play and if Mack ever win 4 in a row he would put on a auction sale.
Friend Al: Well Al just a line to let you know I am here in Philly and the club still up in Boston yet and don’t get here till tomorrow. Well that means that I am going to take my regular turn from now on and will start against this club either tomorrow or the next day and Gleason sent me on ahead to rest up along with Cicotte. You see in the old days the ball clubs use to get a party rate on the R.R. and it saved them money to all travel together from town to town but now everybody has got to pay full fare so if a mgr. wants to send a couple of his star pitchers a day or 2 ahead to the next town to rest them up why it don’t cost nothing so that is how it come that I and Cicotte is here in Phila.
I didn’t have no idear I was comeing on ahead till yesterday a.m. when I run in to Gleason in the hotel dinning rm. up in Boston and he motioned me to come and set down with him. Well he said how is your heart so I asked him what did he mean. “Well” he says “in them last 2 games you pitched vs. St. Louis and N.Y. out in Chi it looked to me like you was missing.” So I said I guest my heart was OK but my stomach had been freting me on acct. of something I eat. I said “I would of made them 2 clubs look like a bum only a man can’t work when your stomach aint right.” “No” he says “and your stomach won’t never get right on that liquid diet.” So I asked him what he meant and he says you know what I mean and I should think you would get wise to yourself. So I says I guest I was wise enough so he says “Well if your wise you will cut out the rough stuff and get to work.” So I asked him how could I get to work when he wouldn’t give me no chance and he said “I will tell you what I will do with you. Cicotte is going over to Phila. tonight to rest up and you can go along with him and rest up includeing your stomach and if you aint in shape to pitch when I call on you it won’t be nobody’s fault only your own. And remember they won’t be nobody over there watching you and you can behave yourself or not just as you feel like but when I get there I will know if you been behaveing.”
So he had Joe O’Neill buy me a ticket and birth and I and Cicotte got here this a.m. and have the whole day to ourself and maybe we will go out this p.m. and see the game as the St. Louis club is playing here and besides we will have a chance to study Mack’s batters. They are some study Al but maybe we can set where we can watch foxy Connie waggle his score card and maybe get his signs though it looks to me like he would do a whole lot better if he give up his score card long enough to have a few good ball players names printed on it.
Well 1 of the waiters here in the hotel tells me a man can get all they want to drink here in Phila. if they go at it right but nothing doing Al as I am going to be in shape to give Gleason the best I got though 3 or 4 wouldn’t hurt me and what Gleason don’t know won’t hurt him.
Friend Al: Well Al I guess they’s no use of a man trying to go along with a mgr. that has went cuckoo and if it wasn’t for the rest of the boys on the club I would pull a Mays and walk out on the club and go to some club where a man can get a square deal but if I done that it might maybe cost this club the pennant and it wouldn’t be the right thing towards the rest of the boys.
Well I guess I told you that I and Cicotte was sent on here ahead of the rest of the club to rest up so as we would be in good shape for the serious here and we layed around the hotel here all Monday a.m. and after lunch Eddie said he was going out to the ball pk. and did I want to go along. Well I said I guest I seen enough of baseball without spending a p.m. looking at a couple clubs like Burke and Mack has got a hold of and the more a man seen of Mack’s club why the lest he would know about how to pitch to them and besides the best thing for me would be to get my mind off of baseball. So Eddie went out to the game and pretty soon I got kind of lonesome so I called up a friend of mine that is quite a fan and we found a place where you can still get it and we histed a few and then he said how about running down to Atlantic City.
Well Al we went down there and seen the sights and took a dip and my friend says he wondered why all the queens was giveing us the double O as they didn’t never pay no tension to him when he was alone so I just laughed and didn’t say nothing and didn’t even look X eyed at 1 of them as I leave the flirting game to birds that hasn’t no wife or no respect for the ones they have got so we got a dinj to dig us up a qt. and we was comeing back here at 11 p.m. but they must of been sleeping powders or something in that stuff we got and any way we layed down on the beach to rest for a few minutes after supper and the both of us overslept ourselfs and missed the train. Well Al we finely got back here at 9 o’clock yesterday a.m. and the club was all ready here and Gleason was setting in the lobby when I come in. Well he said where have you been. So I told him I had been out for a walk and he didn’t say nothing so I come up to my rm. and layed down
Well when we got out to the ball pk. he had both Cicotte and I take our turn in batting practice and when it come time to warm up he said it would be me. Well I didn’t feel any to good but I warmed up pretty good and finely the game started and I hadn’t pitched for pretty near 2 wks. and no wonder I couldn’t start right out as good as ever but instead of giveing me a chance to get started he halls me out of there after I walked the 1st 2 men. Well Cicotte went in and I come in to the bench and Gleason begin to rave and I said how can a man pitch when you don’t even leave him get started. “Well” he says “you was out for 1 walk this morning and you was out for 2 walks this afternoon and I thought 3 walks a day would be enough for you.” “Where was you last night?” he says and I told him nowheres. So he said “Yes you was. You was out for a board walk down to Atlantic City and I have got a notion to board walk you 1 in the jaw.”
Well Al I don’t know how he could of knew where I had been but I am not the kind that trys to lie out of something so I says yes I went down to Atlantic City and took a dip. So he says you mean you took a dipper. Well they’s no use argueing with a crazy man Al so all as I could do was walk away from him before my temper got the best of me so I went in the club house and dressed and went up in the stand and watched the rest of the game. Well they didn’t score off of Cicotte and we got 1 run in the 11th off of Page and beat them 1 to 0 but I might of shut them out just the way Cicotte done if he had of left me in there but he has went cuckoo Al and to show you how bad he is he has signed up Mayer that has been in the National League 20 or 30 yrs. and the next thing you know he will be sending for Geo. Van Haltren or somebody. Well I only wished I was off this club and I would walk out on them in a minute only for the rest of the boys that has got their heart set on winning.
Friend Al: Well old pal don’t be surprised if you pick up a paper some a.m. and see where I have walked out on this bunch of cuckoos and pulled a Mays on them only it won’t be no 2 or 3 wks. before I land somewheres else as they’s a certain club in this league that would give their eye to get a hold of me as it would mean the pennant. Don’t think I am bosting Al as I am just giveing you the facts and when I tell you what come off yesterday you will know who I refer. Even if the deal don’t come off I can give Gleason a good scare and maybe come to some kind of a understanding with him.
Well yesterday was our last day in Philly and the Detroit club had finished up their serious in Washington the day before and their whole bunch was over in Philly yesterday and out to see our game. Well afterwards we seen the whole bunch of them and Jennings kind of smiled at me like he wanted to see me alone so I give him the chance and he says what was on my mind. So I seen he was trying to give me a opening so I said I was tired of pitching for Gleason. So he says “Well I been watching the box scores where you pitched and it didn’t look to me like you was pitching for Gleason.” He is a great kidder Al but that is just his way.
Well he humed and haud and finely he says they was no use him talking to me as Gleason wouldn’t trade no pitcher to a club that was fighting him for the pennant. So I said maybe he wouldn’t trade me but suppose I walked out on him like Mays done on Boston why then maybe he would give me to the club that made the best offer.
So Jennings said “Yes but we tried to get Mays but all as we could offer for him was jack and we couldn’t offer nothing else for you and when a club offers money to Comiskey why it is like takeing coal to a castle.”
So I said “Well it looks to me like it would be to your int. to offer something besides jack as Gleason could use a couple of your ball players.” Yes said Jennings but when you begin talking trade to Gleason he can’t only talk in words of 1 sylable Cobb and Bush. Well I said if I make up my mind to walk out on him Cleveland or N.Y. will get me either 1 and you know what that means. So he says “I guess you won’t go to neither 1 of them clubs.” That is what he said Al and they’s only 1 way to take it but at that it wasn’t so much what he said as how he looked when he said it. He kind of half smiled and give me a kind of a wink and walked away from me and besides he was scared to make it to strong as a mgr. of a club is not supposed to temper with a player on another club. But last night just before we left for here I seen Bush of the Detroit club and I told him what had came off and he says why didn’t I go ahead and pull a Mays and see what happened. He says “We are going to win the pennant any way so you better take a chance of getting on a live 1.”
Well old pal I am not going to do nothing I will be sorry for and if our club wakes up and begins to show something I won’t leave them in the lerch but Gleason better get help to himself or he will wake up some a.m. and I won’t be around for him to snarl at me.
Well comeing over on the train I set with 1 of the reporters that travels with the club and he told me that Gleason had been trying to get this here Page that pitched the 11 inning game vs. Cicotte and Gleason wanted to pay cash for him but Mack must of been unconsious or something and any way he turned it down so it looks like Gleason would half to struggle along without Mr. Page and I guess we will get along just as good without him as from what I seen of him you could write up the game on his fast ball wile its comeing up there but maybe he would bring us luck as a bird that can make us go 11 innings for 1 run must have god with him.
Well I asked this reporter if Gleason had said anything about me lately and he said nothing that could be printed so I said well maybe I will have a story for you 1 of these mornings so he asked me what I meant and I said well if Gleason didn’t give me a square deal I would maybe pull a Mays on him and go to some club where I can get fair treatmunt. “Well” he says “if I was you I would cut out that line of talk as it may get back to Gleason and he will beat you to it.” Well Al I should worry if it gets back to Gleason or not as it might give him a scare but I don’t want him to know nothing about it yet a wile till I see how things comes along so I haven’t told nobody about my plans only a couple of the boys on the club that knows enough to keep their mouth shut and in the mean wile mum is the word till we see how matters comes along.
Friend Al: Well old pal we are on our way back to old Chi and everybody is happy even the Washington club though we took 2 out of 3 from them but they made more jack out of our serious then they ever seen before and what is 2 or 3 ball games to them you might say. Well Gleason didn’t start me but you notice he stuck me in there yesterday in the 8th inning when Lefty Williams begin to wilt and put the brakes on them and that ball Judge hit would have been nuts for Gandil only for him being weak on acct. of his appendix.
Well when Gleason 1st told me to go in there I had a notion to go in there and dink the ball up there and let the Washington boys get their name in the averages for once in their life and show Gleason I didn’t give a dam but then I thought of the rest of the boys and it wasn’t square to them to not give them the best I got so I cut loose and you see what happened.
Well Gleason patted me on the back when it was over and tried to give me the old oil but I just kind of smiled and pertended like I fell for it but that is the way he is Al when you win you are aces but when you have a bad day your as welcome is a gangrene.
Well it looks now like we would go right through and win the old rag as everybody has got so as they can waggle their legs without groaning and Gandil will soon have his strength back and then look out as about all as we half to do is break even and Detroit will have 1 he‑ll of a time catching up with us so it looks like your old pal will get in once on the world serious dough and about time after all I have did for this club and would of been in on it in 1917 only I give up everything for my country wile the rest of the boys stayed home and made nasty remarks about the Kaiser.
Speaking about the world serious Al it looks now like Cincinnati would give the Giants some battle in the other league and if Moran can keep his club going they have got a good chance and I guess that old burg wouldn’t go cuckoo if they win a championship. Well I guess the ball pk. down there can’t handle the crowd that we would draw in the Polo Grounds but even if we can’t make as much jack out of a serious down there all the boys on our club would about as leaf play them as it would save us time as we can get it over in 4 days if we play them where it would probably take 5 days vs. N.Y. on acct. of 1 day to make the jump. The boys was talking this a.m. about what Cicotte and Williams should ought to do to Moran’s club and they would make a bum out of them and etc. but I guess after what I showed in Washington Gleason can’t do no lest then start me in 1 game at the outside and then we will see if Roush and Groh is such wales when they get up vs. real pitching after the dead arm Dicks they been looking at all season.
Well old pal it is pretty near time to stick the old nose in the old feed bag and we land in old Chi this p.m. and no game tomorrow but Thursday we open up vs. Boston and I suppose it will be Cicotte as Gleason sent him on ahead to get ready. Well if he can’t cut her they’s others on the old pitching staff that can and 1 of them is
Friend Al: Well Al I suppose you seen what the Boston club done to Cicotte yesterday and Gleason had to take him out so as Felsch and Liebold could stand still and rest a minute but when he come in to the bench all as Gleason said to him was better luck next time Ed instead of fuming at the mouth like he done to me in Philly. So I said to Gleason I says “You send this bird on ahead of the club to be ready for this game and they make a bum out of him and all as you say to him is better luck next time Ed and the same thing came off in Philly the day I started and you went cuckoo and barked like a dog.” So Gleason says “Yes you big stiff but the reason they got to Eddie was because he didn’t have no stuff when he got in there but your trouble was that you had to much stuff before you ever went in.” So I just laughed at him.
Well it looks more then ever like Pat Moran was going to cop in the other league the way his club made a bum out of the Giants in the serious down there and I was just thinking tonight if the big show comes off in Cincinnati why couldn’t you hop on a train and breeze down there for the 1st game that is scheduled down there and maybe that will be the game I pitch or 1 of them and it would tickle me to death to know my old pal was up there in the stand pulling for me and I promise you won’t be ashamed of saying your my friend when you see me out there. It wouldn’t only cost you about $6.00 or $7.00 R.R. fare and you wouldn’t half to bother about no ticket to the game as the boys on our club can get 2 of them a peace to every game at the regular prices and I would leave you use 1 of mine 1 day and it wouldn’t only cost you $2.00 or $3.00 and after the game we could go somewheres and hist a few as its a cinch they have still got some tucked away somewheres in that old burg as even the babys would die down there without their beer.
Maybe you will think you shouldn’t ought to take no trip like that and leave Bertha home but between you and I Al the ladys is a nusance when it comes to a trip like that and besides no matter how good a man and their wife gets along when you have lived with them a few yrs. its like a sweet dream to be away from them a day or 2. Think it over Al and leave me know how you feel about it and I would say come up to 1 of the games here only what with the Swede and the 2 kids we wouldn’t have no place to park you and besides we could have a better time somewheres where Florrie wasn’t folling us around all the wile like a caboose.
Speaking about Florrie we had a long talk last night and it seems like she is about ready to sell out her share in the beauty parlor as she don’t get along very good with the Dumonts and besides as I always say a womans place is home so I guess she is about through pairing finger nails and etc. and I am glad of it as with my salery and what I pick up in the world serious and etc. I guess they won’t be no over the hills to the poor house for Mr. and Mrs. Keefe yet a wile.
Friend Al: Well Al I and Gleason had some words today and I guess he knows now where I stand and if he don’t why it is his own look out. We was playing the Washington club and Nick Altrock was out on the coaching line and I begin to kid him from the bench and I hollered hello handsome at him. So he turned around and hollered why hello Carl I didn’t know you was still with us. So Gleason says why is he calling you Carl and I said I didn’t know so Gleason says “Yes you do he is calling you Carl after Carl Mays because you told some of the boys you was going to Mays me and walk out on the club and Nick has heard about it.” So I said “Well maybe I did say that in a jokeing way.” So Gleason says “What was the joke.” So I said “Well maybe they wasn’t no joke but I just made the remark to some of the boys that I liked to pitch and it looked like they wasn’t no chance for me to pitch here so I wished I was somewheres where I could pitch.” So Gleason said “Well I will send you somewheres where you can pitch.” So I said “I can pitch here if you will give me a chance.” “Well” Gleason says “I am not running this club to muse you but I am trying to win a pennant and I can’t take no chances with a bird that has only turned out 2 good innings for me in a month.” So I said “Well I can’t turn out no more good innings till you stick me in there.” So Gleason said “Well I will stick you in there when I get good in ready and if you want to walk out on me why walk as far is you like.” So I says “I don’t half to walk as the Michigan Central will take me as far is I want to go.” So that shut him up Al as he knows now that if I jumped I would have a place to light and he can’t afford to strengthen a club that is right on our tail you might say.
You have got to hand it to Jennings for the race they are makeing Al though we been going good to thanks to a whole lot of luck like today for inst. Cicotte was in there against a Swede name Erickson that the Washington club got from Detroit and the boys went out and got 10 runs for Eddie and a man that can’t win with 10 runs better study for a janitor or something and a specially vs. the Washington club that if they ever scored 10 runs in 1 day the other clubs would ask for a recount. Well this Erickson certainly was good and the only boys on our club that could hit him was those that batted against him. Well Al you never see them pile up 10 runs behind me when I am in there pitching and about the only way as we can score at all with me in there is 3 bases on balls and a balk.
Well Al Florrie told the Dumonts today that she was going to quit them and sell out her share of the business and they wasn’t no tears shed on neither side. She hasn’t only payed in about $250.00 for the stock they was going to sell her so she will have that comeing besides a few dollars salery as she had drew ahead. Any way I am glad she is out of it and can stay home and pay a little tension to the kiddies and we are going to throw a party Sat. night to celebrate and as long is you can’t be here Al why I suppose I will half to hist a couple for you.
Friend Al: Well Al I am through. Not through with pitching baseball but through working for a cuckoo that treats a man like a dog. They’s only 1 condition that I will go back to him Al and that is a contract calling for more money or a bonus or something and he has got to understand that I work in my regular turn which is the only way a pitcher can do themself justice. But he won’t agree to my turns Al as trying to manage a ball club has went to his head and his brains has been AWOL for the last 2 mos. you might say. So its going to be moveing day pretty soon for your old pal and I guess you know where I am going to move without me telling you. I have all ready wired a telegram to Jennings telling him what come off and things ought to begin to pop by tomorrow at lease.
Well Al I will tell you what come off and you can judge for yourself what kind of a cuckoo this bird is. Well the last half of last wk. he had me down in the bull pen every day warming up though he didn’t have no intentions of sticking me in there and God knows I was warm enough without going out and looking for it but every time I would ease up a little and try and rest he would look down there from the bench and motion to me to get busy and by the time the game was over Sat. p.m. my old souper squeeked like a rat every time I throwed a ball.
Well Sat. night we throwed a party over to the house in honor of Florrie retireing from business and I had 4 qts. of the old hard stuff layed away and I and a couple of Florrie’s friends husbands finished 1 of them before supper and after supper we turned on the jazz and triped the life fantastic and I half to be oiled or I can’t dance so by 11 o’clock the serch and sieze her birds could of had the run of the house and welcome. Well 1 of the husbands said he knowed a place where they had escaped from the epidemic so we went down there and they served us rat poison in tea cups and I only histed a couple to be polite but I eat something that didn’t set right and when I finely got home and put on my night gown I wished it was a sroud.
Well Al I couldn’t eat nothing when I got up and whatever it was I had eat the night before had gave me a fever and Florrie wanted I should call up the ball pk. and tell them I was sick but it was Williams’s turn to pitch and I thought all as I would half to do would be get down in the bull pen and go through the motions but when I get to the pk. what does this cuckoo do but tell me to take my turn in the batting practice as I am going to work. So I asked him what was the matter with Williams and Gleason said he don’t feel good. “Well” I said “if he felt like I do his family would be out shopping for 1 left handed casket.” So Gleason said what and the he‑ll is the matter with you now. So I told him my stomach. “Well” said Gleason “get in there and give them your fast one and curve and I will tell Schalk not to sign for your stomach.” So that was all as I could get out of him Al and they wasn’t nothing to do only grip my teeth and try and make the best of it.
Well Al to make a short story out of it I went in there so dizzy that Vick of the N.Y. club looked like he was hitting from both sides of the plate and I tried to throw a ball between him. Well I seen him fall over but he couldn’t get out of the way as I catched him right over the ear and if I had of had my regular stuff on the ball they would of been brains splashing clear up in the grand stand. Well I got 1 over for Peck and he past it up and then Schalk thought they was going to hit and run so he signed me to waist 1 and I waisted 4 and then up come Baker and I had 2 balls and nothing on him and I looked in to the bench but Gleason wasn’t looking at me and I looked out to the bull pen and they wasn’t nobody warming up so I pitched again and got 1 over the plate. Well I don’t know what kind of baseball it is for a man to hit with 2 and 0 with birds on 1st and 2nd and nobody out and the pitcher hog wild but that is what this bird done Al is take a lunge at the ball and Liebold couldn’t of catched it without a pass out check.
Well I looked in to the bench again and Gleason didn’t say I yes or no but I wasn’t going to stay out there and faint away for him or no other cuckoo. So I walked in to the dugout and said I’m through. “Through with what” Gleason says. “Through with a mgr. like you that makes a man go in there and try to pitch when I am so sick I don’t know what I am doing.” So Gleason said “That is the way you have always pitched.” So I said “Well I am not going to pitch that way or no other way for you no more but I am going to pitch for a mgr. that don’t ask a man to work when he is only 2 laps this side of a corps.” Who are you going to pitch for? I am going to pitch for Detroit. “Well” says Gleason “that puts them out of the race as Jennings is so crazy now that he eats grass and when you get there he will start in on his ball club.” Well I said something back to him and went in the club house.
That is what come off Al and I will leave it to you if I didn’t do right as how can a man work for a cuckoo that makes a bench lizard out of you for a mo. and then pitchs you 64 innings in 3 days in the bull pen and then when your sick and wore out and your souper whines every time you raise it.
Well he as much is said he wished I would go to Detroit so he can’t go back on that Al or try and block the deal so as I say I wired a telegram to Jennings that I am through here and for him to hurry up with his offer.
Well Gleason and the club leaves tonight for St. Louis and I have been kind of expecting that he would call up and try and square things with me but not a peep out of him and as I say he is so cuckoo that he probably won’t come down off of his horse. But I should worry Al as I will soon be with a club that can win the pennant with a little help and I am the bird that can give them the kind of help they need.
I will keep you posted Al and let you know the minute I hear news. In the mean wile come on you Tigers.
Friend Al: Well Al no news yet and I called up the ball pk. today to see if maybe they wasn’t a telegram there for me though I wired Jennings my home address. They wasn’t no telegram there and I don’t know what to think only it may be that Jennings is wireing back and 4th to Gleason trying to make the trade and they can’t agree on turns. Well Gleason is not a sucker enough to not make some kind of a deal when he knows that I won’t never work for him again but or course its natural for him to hold out for the best man he can get and its natural for Jennings to not give more for me than he has to. But if it comes to a show down you can bet that Jennings will give up anybody he has to outside of Cobb or maybe Bush and I wouldn’t be surprised if the final deal was me for Bob Veach and no money on the side. The White Sox has got room for another outfielder God knows wile on the other hand Veach’s strength is hitting which is waisted in Detroit as they can all hit up there but dam few of them can pitch.
Of course Veach is in the game every day where most pitchers don’t only work about every 4th day but for a man like Jennings I would go in there every day the rest of the season if he asked me and work my head off to bring the old flag home to Detroit.
In the mean wile I should worry as news is sure to come sooner or later and I and Florrie is enjoying ourselfs and getting acquainted with the kiddies and still got enough jack to keep the wolfs from the door a couple of wks. at the outside.
Friend Al: Well Al I suppose you seen the news in the paper Sat. and I am leaveing for the east tonight to join my new pals. Don’t never get it in your head Al that I am not tickled to death to play for Connie Mack as he has always had my respect even if the Athaletics has been tail enders for the last few yrs. He has got the right idear Al and that is to build up a young ball club and learn them the game and by the time they are ready they are still young enough to play their best baseball and when they get good they don’t win 1 championship and then crall back in their hole to die but they win 3 or 4 in a row and get enough jack to live in ease and luxery the rest of their life. Besides Al a man that plays ball for Mack knows that he will be treated like a gentleman and not barked at like a dog when things goes wrong.
Well Al the news come to me in a funny way. I was out late Friday night and overslept myself and when I woke up Florrie was up and dressed and I heard her in the next rm. and it sounded like she was sobing. Well I couldn’t figure what and the he‑ll she had to whine about so I hollered to her and she come in with the morning paper in 1 hand and her nose in the other. “Oh Jack” she says “its in the paper.” So I said what was in the paper and she says “They have traded you to Philadelphia you and $5,000.00 for Page.”
Well for a minute I felt kind of stuned and then I snatched the paper out of her hand and read it over and over again and finely I got it through my head that it was true and Florrie was still snuffleing and I guess maybe I snuffled a little to.
Well finely I seen they wasn’t no use makeing a baby out of ourselfs so I griped my teeth and I says “Well lets cut out the sob stuff as this here story don’t mean nothing in our young life. They can trade me to Philadelphia for all the Pages in the book but I won’t go.” So Florrie spruced up to and she says “That’s right you just tell them they can either send you to some decent club or you will quit the game for good.”
So for a wile we talked along that line Al but Sat. p.m. I said something about going down town for supper and take in a picture show and Florrie begin to snuffle again. We can’t afford no partys now she said. She says “You haven’t no job and I haven’t and we have got less then $200.00 to our name and what is going to become of us.”
Well we stayed home and we talked things over and to make a short story out of it we seen where we was makeing a sucker out of ourselfs as when you come to think of it they’s no better town in the league to live in then Phila. and its near Atlantic City so as Florrie and the kids can be down there all summer you might say and I can go down nights when the club is playing at home and Florrie thinks maybe she can get in a beauty parlor there and make enough jack to help out this winter.
So all and all Al I am tickled to death the way things has came along and wile I won’t get in the world serious this yr. its the long run that counts after all and when we do get going in Philly it will still be a young ball club yet that can stand the pace and cop the old rag 2 or 3 seasons in a row. And about that time Gleason’s club and Jennings’s to will be in the old folks home lapping up gruel.
Well I have looked up the schedule and Detroit comes to Philly the 9 of Sept. and the White Sox the 13 and I am going to ask Connie to let me work twice against the both of them and then I will show Gleason and Jennings what a fool they made out of themself and what kind of a pitcher old Jack Keefe is when I am working for a man that can talk to you without barking like a dog.