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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES September 10, 1914 ... Running as smoothly as a well lubricated machine, the Braves cut down the Phillies in the doubleheader today at Fenway Park, while the New York Giants were breaking even in a doubleheader with Brooklyn. They thereby gained a full game and rest easy at the end of the day with a lead of 2 1/2 games over the New Yorkers. The first game went to the Braves by a score of 3 to 0, with the runs coming in the eighth inning after running along for seven innings on an even keel. The second game was won by a score of 7 to 3, with the Phillies bringing in their two runs in the third inning, while the Braves failed to get under way until the sixth, when they sent up their heavy lumber after two were out and the fireworks were good for four runs. There were some great differences between the teams. Philadelphia was short of class, and were slow and deliberate, while the Braves displayed rare form and looked by all odds be the class combination in the National League. Dick Rudolph worked the first game and was hit easily, but he used his head, and always worked the corners in preference to the heart of the plate. The hitters hit him but usually at a fielder, and he never issued a pass. Bill James pitched the second game and showed off his great stuff as well as excellent command, and had very little difficulty with the big Philly bats after the third inning. The star of the games was Rabbit Maranville at shortstop, who accepted 17 chances, made 9 assists in the first game and 4 in the second game. He made difficult bounders look easy and apparently had no trouble in handling anything that came his way. He always got the jump on the ball and nothing could be smoother than the work of this wonderfully naturally gifted shortstop. The Braves never displayed any doubt of the result. They were cool at all times in taking advantage of the mistakes of their opponents, and they were there when needed to deliver the winning punch. . Red Smith played a smooth game at third, produced the winning run in the second game. With two men on and two out, he met the ball dead center and shot it against the left bank going up against the wall. The game was won right there because the Phillies were short of the stuff that makes comebacks. While everybody in the ballpark was filled with the knowledge that the Giants were losing, they felt like prizewinners. The first game was scoreless going into the bottom half of the eighth-inning. Herbie Moran led off with a single and Leslie Mann who ran for him, scored when Rube Marshall threw Josh Devore's sacrifice bunt against the bleacher fence. He then passed Joe Connolly and Possum Whitted flied out to Beals Becker to score Devore. Connolly was knocked in on a single by Butch Schmidt to give the Braves a 3 to 0 lead. Rudolph retired the Phillies easily in the ninth to preserve his 3 to 0 shutout and game his 20th win of the season. In the second inning of the second game the Braves scored their first run. Schmidt reached first on a fierce line drive and Smith drew a pass. Mann sent Schmidt home with a single and then was run down between the bases. Philadelphia came back and scored two runs in the third on a single by Hans Lobert, a double by Beals Becker and a single by Sherry Magee to make the score 2 to 1 in their favor. In the Braves half of the inning Ted Cather hit the left-field cliff for three bases with two outs, only to be left there when Maranville was thrown out at first. In the sixth inning the Braves got busy and scored four runs. With two down, Cather and Schmidt both knocked out singles and a fine double to the bank was hit by Smith. Mann, Gowdy and James then all singled in succession to make the score 5 to 2. In the seventh the Braves scored one on a hit by Whitted and a double by Maranville. They then scored the last run in the eighth on a single by Mann, a groundout and a wild throw by the pitcher. President Gaffney sat on the back of the Braves bench, thinking every minute how we can cooperate with Manager Stallings in surrounding the Braves with every safeguard to maintain their edge on the Giants. Several of the long hits knocked out by the Braves today would've been home runs at the South End Grounds, but the Braves will find it to their advantage to play their final games at Fenway Park. Johnny Evers did not have the pleasure of playing in the second game, as he had a difference of opinion with umpire Mal Eason in the first game and was told to stay off the field for the day. |
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