JOHNNY EVERS

THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
 WORLD SERIES, GAME #4
Johnny Evers leads the Braves to the
World Series Championship

October 13, 1914 ... The Boston Braves defeated the Philadelphia Athletics at Fenway Park by a score of 3 to 1 and ending the World Series with four straight victories, which is unprecedented in baseball. Boston's National League Champions once more came into their own as the undisputed champions of the baseball world. It was by all odds the best victory ever attained on a baseball field, for the Braves went up against a wonderful combination of baseball players that were formerly the World Champions.

The Boston Braves' winning streak started in the middle of July, and it seemed to increase their intensity and smoothness as the season went on, reaching a climax this afternoon before an immense crowd of baseball enthusiasts. The Braves were victorious as a result of holding their nerve and fighting from the first inning to the last inning with their heads up, while her celebrated opponent from Philadelphia displayed very little fight either as a team or as individuals.

As the men squared away for what might be the last game of the series, it was safe to say that manager George Stallings was taking no chances with a youngster on the mound. Instead, he went to Dick Rudolph, one of the most efficient pitchers in the game today. Although he was hit quite easily in the first part of the game, he rose to the occasion and kept his opponents runs to just one, as he did in the first game he pitched in Philadelphia.

Connie Mack took a chance on Bob Shawkey, a second class pitcher, who lost out when it came down to a face-off between him and Johnny Evers. The Boston Captain took the fight out of Philadelphia with a sharp single to center, that sent home two runs in the fifth inning, with practically decided the result right then and there. There were two down this inning when Rudolph made his way to the plate and cracked the first ball he saw out into left field for a base hit. On the next ball pitched to Herbie Moran, he laced it to left-center for two bases. There was a short conference at the mound between Shawkey, Eddie Collins and Wally Schang and then Evers came to bat. He was down two strikes and three balls and it was a question whether to groove one over or past him or walk him and fill the bases. Shawkey took a chance with a fast one, waist high, and the ball went ringing off the bat and shot over second base, sending two runs over the plate as a mighty shout went up throughout the ball park.

The Boston players jumped around in the dugout and hugged each other, while across the field, in the Philadelphia dugout, the players looked brokenhearted. They clearly realized that they were in for beating the like of which they had never been able to hand out to an opponent in their long years of domination.

It was a glorious finish for the game in Boston and New England. It was the closing event and one that will delight the friends of the old National League, who had been so long trying to win a World Series. It closed a remarkable series of games in which men practically unknown to the baseball world a couple of months ago, have now become heroes, and where high-priced stars failed to show the skill and nerve that made them famous for so long.

The crowd practically filled the park and the day was cool and cloudy. While there was not the same amount of intense interest that was shown in the remarkable game of Monday, the clear vision of what a victory would mean, was in sight. While the followers of the Braves cheered and encouraged the youngsters, people from all over the country pulled hard for this unknown team. It was a group of young athletes that went fighting through four games and even in the face of defeat, never made one move to show that they did not belong on the big stage.

One play in the game was perhaps one of the finest ever executed in a World Series. With Jimmy Walsh on second and no one out in the seventh inning, when the Athletics were bound to put their hearts into a rally, Jack Barry struck out and Hank Gowdy shot the ball down to Johnny Evers, who tagged out Walsh for a doubleplay before he could get back to the base. This play showed the difference on the defense of the two teams. Hank Gowdy had it all over his counterpart, Wally Schang as far as accurately throwing to the bases. The Braves' keystone sack of Evers and Maranville outclassed that of Collins and Barry throughout the four games, both in the field and at the plate.

Johnny Evers was again the star of the game, as he scored the first run in the fourth inning and drove in the other two in the fifth inning. He also directed his team on the field, never overlooking any possibility of misplaying the Philadelphia batters. There was no unnecessary coaching from the dugout and to the credit of all concerned, the Athletics were great sportsman in defeat as they made their way off the field, shaking hands with many of the players on the Braves.

The Braves scored the first run when Evers drew a pass and made it home on a groundout by Joe Connolly and a single by Possum Whitted. The Athletics tied the score in the fifth on Jack Barry's only base hit of the whole series, which was followed by a two base shot by the pitcher Shawkey. That was all that Philadelphia would earn as they went out in order over the last four innings at the mercy of Dick Rudolph. Herb Pennock pitched the last three innings for the Athletics and gave up two hits but no runs. In fact he looked to be the most efficient pitcher that Connie Mack used throughout the series.

Before the game the Royal Rooters and their tireless band marched to their reserve seats on "Duffy's Cliff". From there they worked from start to finish, rooting hard for the Braves and after the game they marched across the field with ex-Mayor Fitzgerald and Congressman James Gallivan in the lead, giving three cheers to the Athletics players. The field was crowded with people who were soon drawn to the dugout where Mayor Curley made brief speech and introduced Manager Stallings, President Gaffney, and other members of the Braves, including Rabbit Maranville.

After the game Connie Mack said that the Boston team had played better baseball in the series than any he has ever faced in the postseason. He wished to congratulate the Boston players on their wonderful performance.

In Brooklyn, New York, on Montgomery Street, Red Smith, the injured Braves thirdbaseman got the word of the victory in his apartment, which overlooks Ebbets Field. He got out of St. Mary's Hospital about two hours before the game began today and a neighbor across the street worked the telephones during the game and kept him informed of every play. When the last out was made Red informed his wife that they were going out for a walk and no protesting would have done any good. He made slow but steady progress to the nearest drugstore and from there, telephoned two telegrams. One was sent to manager Stallings and the other two President Gaffney telling them how proud he was to be a member of the Boston Braves.

The Braves are not only the World Champions but they also made a new baseball record, for no other team has won a World Series in four straight victories. In 1884 the Providence Greys of the National League defeated the New York Metropolitans of the American Association in three straight games. In 1892 when the National League had 12 clubs, and the Boston Beaneaters played off with the Cleveland Spiders for the championship, Boston won five straight games after the first game resulted in a 0 to 0 tie after 11 innings. In the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers World Series of 1907, the first game was a 3 to 3 tie in 13 innings and then the Cubs won four straight games.

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