May 18, 1969...GAME 34 (BOS 7, SEA 2)

Mike Marshall had nothing and by the 6th he was gone and the Pilots were facing down a 3 run deficit. Ray Culp also went 6, but he only yielded 2 runs en route to his 8th win on the season against zero losses. Marshall seemed ok until the 4th when the Bosox posted 5 runs. Both Mike Andrews and Reggie Smith hammered out 3 hits for the Sox. Steve Whitaker, in a rare start in right went 3 for 5 himself, but never touched home. Jack Aker came on in the 8th for mop up duty and yielded a run. His ERA is so high that 1 run in 1 2/3 innings actually helped lower it. Bouton got to thinking about God and sports today. Like many of us he begins to wonder about athletes who are interviewed and credit God or Jesus with their success. He even feels tempted to go out of his way to say "God didn't help me". Sometimes I wonder what happens to the losers ? Did God omit them from his success list today ? I respect everyone's right to believe in what they believe it, but come on guys it just might be your skill and maybe God has bigger things to worry about in this world than who wins a dumb kids game.