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TOM HUGHES |
THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
The Braves win the National League Pennant
September 29, 1914
... The Boston Braves won the championship of the
National League by defeating the Chicago Cubs by a score of 3 to 2,
while the New York Giants were dropping a game to the Pittsburgh
Pirates. The game at Fenway Park was a very interesting contest, with
the home team winning out in the last ditch effort against Larry
Cheney of the Cubs. The Braves tried out
Tom Hughes, a new pitcher from Rochester, who turned in a good day's work, but
failed in comparison to the Cubs' ace. Chicago scored one run in the first
inning on a fumble by Rabbit Maranville and a three base drive by Heinie
Zimmerman, and scored their second run in the fourth inning on a single by Vic
Saier and a triple by Art Bues.
The Braves scored two runs in the fifth inning to
tie up the game. Cheney passed two men and catcher Jimmy Archer began to
question the calls of umpire Arthur O'Connor. Butch Schmidt came up and was
passed also to fill the bases. Red Smith drew a base on balls and one run came
in. The Rabbit then bunted for an out at first and Possum Whitted came home on
the play with the tying run.
The winning run in the ninth-inning came about on a
pass to Johnny Evers and a two base walk-off double by Whitted, who drove it to
the bank in left field past Frank Schulte, who knew was a game winner and never
went after it.
The game was far from an ideal exhibition, as the
Braves could negotiate only three hits off Cheney, who worked each batter and
used his spitball effectively. Hughes pitched a very good game and the Braves
had few difficult chances. Maranville and Evers had a few sharp plays that they
made. The Braves were far from the form that we have been accustomed to seeing.
They failed to hustle and won by waiting out the pitcher, who had grown annoyed
from questionable balls and strikes called by the umpire.
After the game the Braves left for New York. There
was a large crowd of fans at the Back Bay station to see the team leave on the 5
o'clock train. The players were in a happy frame of mind, as they had learned
that New York had lost the Pittsburgh and the pennant was theirs.
President Gaffney, Manager Stallings, Johnny Evers
and Rabbit Maranville were surrounded by fans and at least two dozen Royal
Rooters left on the train with them. Stallings said that he will rest several of
his players and remarked as the train was pulling out, that they will fight
every inch of the way and think they have an excellent chance to win it all. The
Braves have won about 60 of their last 75 games and they are sure that they are
not likely to let the Philadelphia Athletics get away without a good fight.
Gaffney will spend the night in New York and go to
Philadelphia in the morning to attend the meeting of the National Commission, to
complete the arrangements of the World Series which will be opened a week from
Friday. The prices of the seats will be determined by the National Commission
and undoubtedly will be the same as at the postseason series that the Red Sox
played with the Giants in 1912.
All seats thus far allotted to applicants for the
World Series games to be played in Boston have been placed on record with the
National League offices. The name of the applicant and his seat number has been
recorded and in this way it is absolutely certain that the seats purchase by
anyone may be referred to at a moments notice. |
