LOOKING BACK AT THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BOSTON BRAVES ...
THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN MLB HISTORY ... 110 YEARS AGO

Bert Whaling was from Los Angeles and began his pro-career with Portland of the Pacific Coast League in 1908. But he hit only .145 for the Beavers and was unable to stick with the club. He started the 1909 season with the Salt Lake Mormons of the Inter-Mountain League, but the league soon disbanded. After its demise, Bert caught on with the Seattle Turks of the Northwestern League and hit poorly at .158. At the end of the season he returned to Los Angeles and played for the Maier’s club in the semipro California Winter League.

Bert was out of pro baseball in 1910 and the early part of 1911, but he played in Montana for semipro teams in Hamilton and Anaconda or Butte.

In March 1912 Bert went to the Cleveland Naps’ training camp in Mobile, but was released in April. He returned to Seattle and started the season as the regular catcher for the Giants who had changed their name from the Turks. Bert hit a respectable .264, and in June his contract was purchased by the Boston Braves, but he finished the season with Seattle.

Bert made his major-league debut in 1913, as the Braves were losing a home game to the Brooklyn Dodgers. During the game he relieved starting catcher Bill Rariden and went hitless in one time at bat. He did not play much early in the season but for the later inthe season, split the catching duties.

Bert did become the first rookie catcher in major-league history to lead his league in fielding percentage at .990%. He excelled at throwing out baserunners with his strong right arm.

In 1914 Bert became the starter because Rariden had jumped over to the Federal League. However, he would fail to hit well enough to keep the job, and Hank Gowdy, who came up from the Buffalo Bisons of the International League, would become the starting catcher.

Bert would hit only .209 as the second-string catcher. Despite leading the league in throwing out would-be base stealers, he would spend more and more time on the bench as the season progressed. Unfortunately for him, he would never get into a single game in the World Series.

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Bert Whaling (pic)

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