“You don’t get tired of Mail Pouch.” 1930 advertisement for Mail Pouch Tobacco featuring St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jesse Haines.
In 1927, on his way to his best season–24-10, 2.72 ERA–soon to be 33-years old-Haines won his first five decisions. Lynn Carlisle “L.C.” Davis, sports columnist and “resident bard” of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote “An Appreciation” to commemorate Haines’ fast start:
L.C. Davis
Old Jesse Haines is going great,
More honor to his name!
The grand old man has won five straight
And hasn’t lost a game.
That good old Jess can win em all,
The patrons don’t expect;
But with his famous knuckle ball
The batters can’t connect.
Whenever Jess is on the hill
Or so-called pitching mound,
In lieu of landing on the pill,
The air the batters pound.
In fact the Red Bird’s pitching staff
Is pretty hard to beat.
Into the foe they ease the gaff
In manner that is neat.
Baseball History Daily 
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