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THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
Pittsburgh gets only two hits off Dick Rudolph
August 4, 1914 ... Dick
Rudolph pitched another two-hit shutout game today, it being the
second time that he has done so within five days, as the Pittsburgh
Pirates were beaten in the first game of the series 1 to 0. As with
the game on Friday, one of the two hits that was made off Rudolph,
came close to being an out, although the ball was hit hard to the
outfield. Honus Wagner sent a liner to short right field, which Josh
Devore made a shoestring catch on and then rolled over on his
shoulder. The umpire waved the batter
out, but when Devore finally got up apparently the ball had dropped out from
inside his shirt, and the runner was declared safe. The other hit, made by Zip
Collins was a clean single in the ninth-inning.
Rudolph was given great support, Rabbit Maranville
making several wonderful stops and one chain lightning play on a ball that hit
the umpire near second base. Johnny Evers, however, executed one of the greatest
plays seen all year. It came on a hard-hit ball by Max Carey, which took a high
hop behind second base. The play had to be made with lightning speed and had to
be done with one hand. Evers had to make a high jump into the air for it about 5
feet behind the bag and made what seemed an impossible play. He caught the ball
in such a way that his arm was extended so he could make the throw to first
without any backward motion. While still in the air, he let the ball go and it
was on its way to first before his feet touched the ground. The throw was a good
one and beat the runner by a step. The crowd went wild over the play and it is
doubtful that anyone had ever seen anything like it before. No one can handle
ball with one hand as well as Johnny Evers, and is highly unlikely that he has
ever handled one like this before.
Maranville had eight chances and handle them all.
Charlie Deal made a fine play on a force out at second and Butch Schmidt played
his usual great defense at first base.
Honus Wagner was given a cordial welcome from the
crowd when he came to bat for the first time. He did not have many chances in
the field but he took care of whatever was hit his way. The one busy player in
the Pirates infield was Jim Viox, who played a fast and sure game at second,
taking care of 11 balls that came to him.
The Braves one and only run came in the second
inning. Schmidt led off with a double and went to third on a sacrifice by Deal.
After Leslie Mann had been walked, Butch scored on Hank Gowdy's out at first
base.
Wagner was the only one of the Pirates to get as
far as second base and he did so with a hit and a sacrifice and then went to
third on an out at first. That was as close as the Pirates came to scoring in
the game. |
