Baseball Season

National Catholic War Council Service Club
Philadelphia
April 23, 1919

Dear Father,

Today was the opening of the baseball season (naturally you know that), so Whiteside and I went out and saw the Phillies and the New York Giants play -- it was a good game even if the score was large. About the middle of the game Benny Kaufe proceeded to meet a fast one and over right field fence it went, for a home run.

The only punt playing that was pulled off was by Baird of the Phillies. On third he let in two runs by booting the ball around. Am going to see as many teams play as I can, but can only afford to go to see one game of a series, for 85 cents per game soon drains a gob's pocketbook. I told John today that if you were here, you would surely have been there with me.

Am doing rather well on the Blakeley team, especially batting. They asked me where I learned to play, and I told them I inherited it from my "Pa."

The whole camp is getting up a team, and the officer in charge came down the other day and said he wanted to see that white-headed fellow who played first base for the Blakeley. I came over and he said if I was going to be in the yard over a month, he would like for me to come out for the team, but I knew I wouldn't be so didn't go out. He had watched a game we played and evidently thought I could play better than I can.

We took another truck load of stores [Ed. note: Stores are ship's supplies] to Cramps today and thereby missed our noon chow, but luckily I wasn't hungry. I've got a pretty good drag with the cook, so he lets me come in the galley and cooks steak and eggs, so I've been faring better than most. Cooks eat almost as good a feed as officers because they cook themselves just what they feel like eating.

Every day there is a big Victory Loan parade here, with tanks and big guns and stuff on the street all the time. They had one this afternoon but I'd rather see one ball game than 19 parades.

Am going to sleep here at the service club tonight so I won't have to get up early in the morning. They give us beds with sheets and a blanket for 30 cents, so can well afford it.

Tell Ed I said that was a darn good piece of poetry he wrote. Meant to write him, but my business is so rushing this time of the season that I can't do all the things I mean to.

Will write again in a few days.

Lovingly,
Heywood

(Postmarked Philadelphia, April 24, 1919)