Chicago, June 21.
Dear Al: Well Al I suppose you read in the paper the kind of luck I had yesterday but of course you can’t tell nothing from what them dam reporters write and if they know how to play ball why aint they playing it instead of trying to write funny stuff about the ball game but at that some of it is funny Al because its so rotten its good. For inst. one of them had it in the paper this morning that I flied out to Speaker in that seventh inning. Well listen Al I hit that ball right on the pick and it went past that shortstop so fast that he didn’t even have time to wave at it and if Speaker had of been playing where he belongs that ball would of went between he and Graney and bumped against the wall. But no. Speakers laying about ten feet back of second base and over to the left and of course the ball rides right to him and there was the whole ball game because that would of drove in 2 runs and made them play different then they did in the eigth. If a man is supposed to be playing center field why don’t he play center field and of course I thought he was where he ought to been or I would of swung different.
Well the eigth opened up with the score 1 and 1 and I get 2 of them out but I got so much stuff I can’t stick it just where I want to and I give Chapman a base on balls. At that the last one cut the heart of the plate but Evans called it a ball. Evans lives in Cleveland. Well I said “All right Bill you won’t have to go to war. You couldn’t pass the eye test.” So he says “You must of read that one in a book.” “No” I said “I didn’t read it in no book either.”
So up comes this Speaker and I says “What do you think you are going to do you lucky stiff?” So he says “I’m going to hit one where theys nobody standing in the way of it.” I said “Yes you are.” But I had to hold Chapman up at first base and Schalk made me waist 2 thinking Chapman was going and then of course I had to ease up and Speaker cracked one down the first base line but Gandil got his glove on it and if he hadn’t of messed it all up he could of beat Speaker to the bag himself but instead of that they all started to ball me out for not covering. I told them to shut their mouth. Then Roth come up and I took a half wind up because of course I didn’t think Chapman would be enough of a bone head to steal third with 2 out but him and Speaker pulled a double steal and then Rowland and all of them begin to yell at me and they got my mind off of what I was doing and then Schalk asked for a fast one though he said afterwards he didn’t but I would of made him let me curve the ball if they hadn’t got me all nervous yelling at me. So Roth hit one to left field that Jackson could of caught in his hip pocket if he had been playing right. So 2 runs come in and then Rowland takes me out and I would of busted him only for makeing a seen on the field.
I said to him “How can you expect a man to be at his best when I have not worked for a month?” So he said “Well it will be more than a month before you will work for me again.” “Yes” I said “because I am going to work for Uncle Sam and join the army.” “Well,” he says “you won’t need no steel helmet.” “No” I said “and you wouldn’t either.” Then he says “I’m afraid you won’t last long over there because the first time they give you a hand grenade to throw you will take your wind up and loose a hand.” So I said “If Chapman is a smart ball player why and the hell did he steal third base with 2 out?” He couldn’t answer that but he says “What was you doing all alone out in No Mans Land on that ball of Speakers to Gandil?” So I told him to shut up and I went in the club house and when he come in I didn’t speak to him or to none of the rest of them either.
Well Al I would quit right now and go up to Fort Sheridan and try for a captain only for Florrie and little Al and of course if it come to a show down Comiskey would ask me to stick on acct. of the club being in the race and it wouldn’t be the square thing for me to walk out on him when he has got his heart set on the pennant.
Chicago, July 5.
Friend Al: Just a few lines Al to tell you how Florrie is getting along and I bet you will be surprised to hear about it. Well Al she paid me back my $100.00 day before yesterday and she showed me their figures for the month of June and I don’t know if you will beleive it or not but she and Miss Nevins cleared $400.00 for the month or $200.00 a peace over and above all expenses and
