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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES July 31, 1914 ... Dick Rudolph did a masterful exhibition of pitching against the Cardinals at the South End Grounds today. From the opening of the game, until he brought into a close by striking out the last batter, Rudolph had St. Louis totally fooled. The score shows that two hits were made off him in the ninth-inning, but one of the calls at first base was questionable. Manager Huggins sent of Hub Perdue against his old teammates and Leslie Mann, Rabbit Maranville and Butch Schmidt were the only ones to hit safely off him, but these hits were enough to beat him. Mann got two singles and a double, the Rabbit got two singles and Schmidt knocked out a triple, while Rudolph might as easily had a hit on an error by Huggins. The Braves hit the ball very hard but many were right at the St. Louis outfielders who had 10 putouts between them. There was a good-sized crowd on hand and they saw a fine game. The Braves started off the scoring in the second inning. Schmidt led off with a hit to left and the ball took a bad hop, hitting Walton Cruise on the shoulder and bounding over towards center field, allowing Schmidt to get three bases. Zinn Beck took Charlie Deal's high foul ball off the top of low fence in front of the third-base bleachers for the first out. Mann then singled over second to score Schmidt, making it 1 to 0. In the third inning, with two out, Joe Connolly drew a pass and went to third on Maranville's single up against the right-field fence. Both runners were left on base as Schmidt ended the inning by flying out to Cruise in left field. The Cardinals were retired practically in order during the first three innings, but in the fourth it looked as if the Braves might give them a run. Schmidt fumbled Lee Magee's ground ball and then Rudolph, in trying to catch the runner napping at first, threw the ball away and Magee went down to second base. After Cruise struck out, Rudolph made a throw to try and pick Magee off second, but his throw went out into centerfield, letting Lee get to third. That was three errors on the same baserunner. Dots Miller then hit a grounder down the Maranville who threw the ball home, forcing Magee to return to third, eventually getting caught in the rundown. On the play Miller made it down the second base, but he was left there when Maranville made a fine stop on Wilson's ground ball and retired him at first but a third out. St. Louis was never dangerous after that. The Braves got their second run in the fourth inning when, with one out, Mann singled, stole second and went to third as Frank Snyder's throw, trying to get him at second, sailed into the outfield. He finally scored on a sacrifice fly by Hank Gowdy. That made it 2 to 0 and that was the score at the end of the game. Johnny Evers was again a spectator with a stiff neck still bothering him. The game at Fenway Park tomorrow will be "Springfield Day". 150 fans came in from the western part of the state and declared that 2000 more will arrive in three sections of a special train tomorrow morning. Included are about 200 from Windsor Locks, which is the hometown of Pat O'Connor, a catcher on the Cardinals. Mrs. O'Connor any O'Connor twins will be a part of that party. The Springfield fans wanted to bring a band with them, but the management of the Braves has arranged to have a troupe of vocal serenaders to be on hand for a concert before the game. Presents for the representatives of their towns on the two teams, Maranville and Mann of the Braves and O'Connor of the Cardinals will be handed out in a ceremony. |
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