Ring Lardner Tonight: "You Know Me Al" II, Part 2 -- Big news for Al

Yes, tonight Jack shares big news with his friend Al.

"Up to a week ago Sunday I had won eleven straight. I have lost a couple since then, but one day I wasn't feeling good and the other time they kicked it away behind me."

-- Jack Keefe, in his letter of July 20

by Ken

In my post earlier tonight I wrote a bit about the comical cluelessness of our "hero," Jack Keefe, writing among other things: "When he pitches, of all the games he loses -- and he loses a lot -- none are ever his fault. It's the fielders behind him, or the hitters' lack of production, or the umpires, or in extreme cases his not being his usual self (which of course happens to pitchers, but they have to go out and keep their team in the game anyway)."

As I mentioned last night, there is a two-month gap between Jack's last letter, dated May 20, and tonight's letter, dated July 20. I also mentioned that in tonight's letter Jack has big news to pass on to his friend Al.


TO READ JACK'S BIG NEWS, CLICK HERE

YOU KNOW ME AL: Our story to date

John Lardner's Introduction (1958): Part 1 and Part 2
Chapter I: A Busher's Letters Home --
Part 1, Preface and Jack's letters of Sept. 6 and Dec. 14 and 16
Part 2, The busher reaches the bigs -- March 2, 7, 9, and 16
Part 3: Countdown to Opening Day -- March 26 and April 1, 4, 7, and 10
Part 4: The busher makes his big-league debut -- April 11 and 15
Part 5: A major development for Jack -- April 19, 25, and 29
Chapter II: The Busher Comes Back
Part 1, The busher comes back -- May 13 and 20

THURBER TONIGHT (including BENCHLEY, BOB AND RAY, WILL CUPPY, WOLCOTT GIBBS, RING LARDNER, PERELMAN, JEAN SHEPHERD, and E. B. WHITE TONIGHT): Check out the series to date

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