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DICK RUDOLPH |
THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
Dick Rudolph pitches his second shutout in two days
September 25, 1914
... Four hours of aggressive ball playing at Fenway
Park today produced a double victory for the Boston Braves over the
Cincinnati Reds. The opening game went to Boston by a 2 to 0 score
with Dick Rudolph turning in his second shutout in just two days.
With so many good pitchers in reserve, it looked like a foolish idea
to overwork the ace of the Boston pitching staff, but there was no
evidence that today's work was in any way injurious to him. It was no
doubt that Manager Stallings figured on making a sure thing of the
games with Cincinnati, thereby pressing both Rudolph and Bill James
into service. James was used in the second game without the usual
rest, but he also pushed through in grand style and the result of the
two games answers any of the questions of the decision of the Boston
manager. At the plate, the Braves failed to hit up
to their best, and in fact it looked as if they were underrating their opponents
and taking things a bit easy, with their extreme confidence to pull it out at
almost any time, because of their two most reliable pitchers on the mound. The
smoothness of the Braves infield was a great part of the game and while the
outfielders played acceptable ball, they were not given opportunities to show
their skills, although Possum Whitted made what chances he was given, look much
harder than they really were. Behind the plate, Hank Gowdy did splendid work in
both games.
The day was an ideal one for baseball and a fine crowd was
out to cheer on the Braves, as they seem to go day after day without any bad
breaks, and simply playing better than their opponents in the small points of
the game. It is evident that Manager Stallings is not going throw away one
chance, until he has clinched the pennant and then he will allow his boys a few
days let up before turning them loose on Connie Mack's great baseball machine
from Philadelphia.
In the first game the Braves scored a run in the second
inning and another in the seventh. Butch Schmidt doubled in the second inning
and scored on a sharp single by Rabbit Maranville. Then in the seventh
Maranville singled and stole second. The next two men flied out to Doc Miller
and then Leslie Mann drew a pass and stole second. Then Mike Gonzalez threw the
ball 10 feet over Mann's head into centerfield, allowing Maranville to score on
the stolen base, making it 2 to 0. Cincinnati was kept from scoring by good ball
playing in the third and eighth-inning. A great throw by Hank Gowdy got Bert
Daniels trying for second in the third, cutting off one run because Red Killifer
followed with a two base double.
The second game found Cincinnati trailing for the whole game,
as the Braves scored three runs in the second inning primarily through the weak
fielding of Miller in left. Butch Schmidt started off with a single and scored
on a double to left by Red Smith. He scored on a single by Maranville who made
it to second on a wild throw by the firstbaseman Tiny Graham. After Gowdy flied
out to center, James bounced a line drive off Miller's glove and the shortstop
Marty Berghammer retrieved the ball and made a wild throw to first, allowing
Maranville to score and James to go to second. After Cincinnati scored in the
third inning, the fourth Boston run was made on a double by Smith on a fumble
ball by Heinie Groh in the fourth.
Cincinnati got to James for two more runs, making it 4 to 3.
It all came down to the ninth-inning and Berghammer opened with a single, but he
was caught napping at first and thrown out by Gowdy. Graham followed with a
single but was doubled up by pinch-hitter Bill Holden who hit into a doubleplay
to end the game.
As the New York Giants also won their game, the Braves were
able to gain only a half game in the standings, giving them a lead of 7 1/2
games with only 10 games left in the season. The Giants beat St. Louis in a 3 to
1 game on a gift play by Cardinals catcher Ivy Wingo. With the score tied in the
eighth-inning, the Giants fill the bases and Dan Griner struck out Fred Merkle,
but Wingo dropped the third strike and then threw wild to Griner who was
covering the plate, allowing both Merkle and Fred Snodgrass to score the winning
runs.
Dick Rudolph's success in pitching to shutout games in two
successive days is not far from the record. After the game he left for his home
in New York to rest for the game with the Giants next Wednesday.
The Braves management started to get ready for the postseason
series. The World Series will start on October 9th. This was officially
announced by President Ban Johnson of the American League, following a long
distance telephone conversation with August Hermann of the National Commission.
There will be two games played in each city and then alternate games will be
played in each city until the title is won. The commission will meet next
Wednesday in Philadelphia to decide which city will play the first two games,
resulting from a coin flip. |
