THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
The Cardinals show up the Braves
on the hidden ball trick

May 26, 1914 ... The Braves were beaten by the Cardinals, 4 to 2 in the second game of their series at Robison Field in St. Louis. The game had just enough hitting it to be interesting. Each team made only one error, the one by the Braves allowing the Cardinals to score a run.

Willie Doak was the starter for the Cardinals and Otto Hess started for the Braves. Doak lasted until the eighth-inning when Slim Sailee came in to take his place. Rabbit Maranville was on base with one out and Joe Connolly was at the plate when manager Huggins decided to make the change. Manager Stallings decided to send up Wilson Collins to hit for Connolly at that point. The changes worked in favor of the Cardinals without any damage. Sailee disposed of every batter for the rest of the game.

St. Louis broke into the scoring column in the very first inning. Huggins led off with a single to right and took second on Lee Magee's sacrifice bunt. Cozy Dolan came up next and lined one to Larry Gilbert. Jack Miller was up and he singled to left, scoring Huggins and giving the Cardinals a quick 1 to 0 lead.

The Braves tied it up in the fourth inning and but for a doubleplay, might have chased more than one run across the plate. After Rabbit Maranville had been retired, Connolly doubled to right and continued to third on Gilbert's scratch hit. He scored on Butch Schmidt single to center to make it 1 to 1.

The Cardinals came right back by adding two in the bottom half of the fourth. McGee began with a hit by Jack Martin at third, but was then picked off first by Hess. Dolan got another base hit by Martin and then stole second. Chief Wilson lined one the left but Larry Gilbert fell down, while trying to make a shoestring catch. The ball rolled all the way to the left field fence allowing Wilson to come all the way around with Dolan scoring ahead of him. That made the score 3 to 1.

The Braves scored another run in the fifth inning as Jack Martin singled to center, and Hess hit one to right, that put Martin on third base. Martin was able to score when Doak threw a wild pitch to the backstop. Oscar Dugey came up to hit for Johnny Evers who had previously been thrown out of the game for disputing a call, and he worked a base on balls. Maranville then lifted a short liner to center field, and Hess, thinking the ball was going to land safely, was easily doubled up before he could get back to second base.

Boston might have scored one in the seventh but Martin got caught off first base. Thanks to the old hidden ball trick. Murray who batted for Whaling, singled to center but was forced at second base by Martin, as the pitcher Doak tossed over to Huggins at second base. Huggins never returned ball back to Doak who stuck it under his arm. Martin took his lead off first and Huggins tossed the ball over to his first baseman Dots Miller, who caught the surprised Jack Martin. Hess ended the inning by striking out.