 |
|
BILL JAMES |
THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
Bill James
baffles the Cubs, 3-1
July 9, 1914
... Boston Braves took the measure of another top
pitcher on the Cubs pitching staff by trimming Chicago by a score of
3 to 1. Hippo Vaughn was sent to the mound by the Cubs and the victim
of the Braves. Opposing the big Cubs pitcher was Bill James, who held
the locals to six widely scattered hits, and with the exception of
the seventh and ninth innings, not a Chicago-base runner got past
second base. Rabbit Maranville opened the
second inning by beating out a bunt to Red Corriden and Butch Schmidt popped out
to Bill Sweeney. Maranville successfully stole second base and then took a big
lead off the bag. Vaughn turned and tried to nail him, but threw wildly into
center and the Rabbit made it to third. Centerfielder Tommy Leach then fumbled
the ball and Maranville took off for home, making it 1 to 0.
The Cubs got men as far as second base in both the
second inning and third inning, but both times James struck out a man for the
third out.
In the fourth inning Jim Murray cut loose with a
single to center and Maranville singled to right sending Murray to third.
Schmidt then hit a ground ball to shortstop Chick Keating who threw out Murray
at the plate. With Maranville on second, Charlie Deal smacked a double down the
left-field foul line, which sent Maranville in to score and Schmidt over to
third. Leslie Mann came up next and beat out a bounder along the third-base line
which allowed Schmidt to also score. That made the score 3 to 0. After Mann
stole second base, Hank Gowdy was hit by a pitch to load them up. But James was
fanned and that ended the inning.
In the Cubs seventh-inning, Keating was given a
base on balls to start it out. He took second on Vaughn's ground out to Johnny
Evers, and Tommy Leach flew out to Mann. Wilbur Good lined a single to center
that scored Keating from second. Vic Saier was also passed, but Roger Bresnahan
ended the inning with a fly ball out to centerfield. That made the score 3 to 1.
The Braves collected two more hits in the ninth,
but were unable to score. Maranville singled to start and was forced out by
Schmidt. Deal singled and went to second on a wild pitch, but Mann ended the
inning by grounding out to Keating.
In the Cubs half of the ninth, Leach walked and
stole second. After Good struck out, Saier's single sent Leach to third.
Bresnahan ended the game by hitting into a double play, Maranville to Evers to
Schmidt. |
