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JOHNNY EVERS |
THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
Johnny Evers helps the Braves beat the Cubs
May 21, 1914 ... Johnny Evers, the former manager of the Chicago Cubs, played a big part in their defeat by the Boston Braves at the West Side Grounds, by a score of 3 to 1. He paved the
way for the first run when he waited for a base on balls in the first inning, and later crossed the plate on Rabbit Maranville's three bagger. In the fifth, a long fly from Johnny's bat sent Hank Gowdy across with the third Braves' run.
Many of the Evers' admirers, who had taken a pledge not to attend any more games at the Chicago ballpark, turned out to welcome their former second baseman, and today was made a special occasion by their group.
Manager Stallings sent Lefty Tyler to work against the Cubs. Tyler held his opponents to seven hits, and in only one inning did they manage to get one hit. This happened in the third, when Vic Saier and Heinie Zimmerman each peeled off a single without getting a run across. It was through
Cubs starter, Larry Cheney's efforts, that the Cubs scored their one run in the fourth inning. Tyler passed Roger Bresnahan with two outs, after which Cheney surprised everyone by connecting for a triple.
Evers was accorded a rousing reception when he came to bat in the first inning. He waited on four pitches that were wide of the plate. Then Maranville stepped into the first pitch he saw and drove it to left field for three bases, scoring Evers. Bresnahan then threw the ball to Zimmerman in
an effort to catch Maranville off third, but Zimmerman muffed the ball allowing the Braves shortstop to scoot home. Larry Gilbert followed by beating out a hit but was caught off first after taking too big a lead. Butch Schmidt drove centerfielder Tommy Leach to the fence on a fly ball, and
Jack Martin grounded out to end the inning.
Gowdy opened the fifth inning with a double to left and Leslie Mann sent an easy roller back to Cheney, but Tyler laced a single to left field, sending the catcher to third base. Evers' long fly ball scored Gowdy to make the score 3 to 1.
Zimmerman made it around to third base on a single and Mann's fumble in the eighth-inning but could not score. Tyler held the Cubs down and the game belonged to the Braves. |
