in the season, he was pitching well, his ERA was 1.57 and he had a 2–1 win–loss record. He soon began to falter, giving up four earned runs in four innings against the Cubs on May 22 and losing consecutive starts against New York and Pittsburgh. Then in a start against Cincinnati, he surrendered 15 hits and seven earned runs; his ERA had now risen to 3.29. He had regained his form over the course of the months of July and August, lowering his ERA to 2.69 after his game on September 8. He lost much of his effectiveness later, however, allowing 14 hits and 10 earned runs against Boston on September 10, and three more runs against Brooklyn in five relief innings on September 13. After a short one-inning appearance on September 25, he started the game on October 3 against the Giants. He gave up five earned runs in five innings pitched and received the loss. It was his last major league appearance. In his one season with Philadelphia, he pitched in 28 games, and had a 6–8 record. His final career record was 63–76, with a 3.09 ERA and 547 strikeouts in 1,207 innings pitched. During the off-season, Philadelphia planned to trade or sell Lavender, even though he had earlier announced his retirement from the game. Philadelphia's asking price for his rights was $1,000, but they received no offers. Christy Mathewson, manager of the Reds, was reported to have had interest in Lavender, the pitcher's success against the Giants still fresh in Mathewson's mind. Though Philadelphia had a meeting with Cincinnati, Mathewson was unable to attend, and no trade discussions materialized. The San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League expressed interest in Lavender, but he stressed that he was retired and that he would only consider a trade to Atlanta of the Southern Association so that he could be near his farm in Montezuma. In 1922, it was reported that he signed with Atlanta after playing well for an independent team in Dawson, Georgia. Post-baseball life After his playing career ended, Lavender returned to Georgia and worked on his farm in Montezuma, Georgia. He died on January 12, 1960, at the age of 75, in Cartersville, Georgia, and is interred at Felton Cemetery in Montezuma. In popular culture Author Vincent Starrett, who penned The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, created a series of short stories featuring