Evening journal., 1914-08-19
BRAVES
AFTER DIVIDENDS
Travelled From Cellar to
Second Pace in Less Than
One Month
ALREADY LOOKING TO
FIRST PLACE MONEY

In their record advance from tail +
end to second place in less than a
month the Boston Braves won 20 out I
Of twenty-three games up TO yester- /
Gay, and tied another in thirteen in
nings. Under George 7. Stallings. /
the miracle man. OF modern base
ball. the Braves have climbed to the
| heels of the Giants 10y one of the most
/ remarkable systems introduced in re-
cent Seasons triple alliance OF pit
chers. Sixteen of the victories have
been shared by "Dick" Rudolph, big
Eli" James and George Tyler. work.
ing in that order.
The Braves FIRST began to show dis
! like for their cellar berth by winning
a double header from the Dodgers on
/ July 6. but until July 10 the team
hovered around eighth place in the
National League race. After a game
on the latter date, in which the
Braves defeated the Reds 3 to . and
made all their runs in the ninth. the
uplift movement was firmly .estab-
lished. and since that time they have
been winning at an .S57 gait. while
the Giants have barely earned an even
break Long before the Braves en-
ded their Irritation with eighth place
q the winning spirit was established.
Squirt is Long Sustained.
Twenty-six of the last thirty-two
games have been won by the Braves.
and there seems TO be solid founda-
tiOn for declaring them "in" on any
pennant distribution. II has been
positively established that the Giants
cannot gain fourth straight pennant
unless they Dlay nearer championship
form than at any time this season or
the Braves crack" under the terrific
strain. Had the Braves earned an
even break in the first month Of the
season instead Of winning only three
cut Of the twenty games played the
wonder workers now would be at the
top
Since beginning the rapid ascent
the two right hand pitchers in the
alliance. big Bill" James and Dick"
Rudolph, have each won six straight
and George TYLER four. The left
handler also twirled i'm a thirteen in
ming 90 game against Red" Ames,
of Cincinnati. Paul Strand is credited
with two victories because he re-
placed James and Rudolph when
3 pinch hitters had tied the score. He
Al eventually came through a winner
Z in each instance.
It is not possible TO be on. George
Stallings' team without getting the
winning spirit No manager ever
worked harder for victory. and his
earnestness. at times almost cruelty
cutting 10 an offending player, keeps
all the athletes keyed up. With his
legs crossed and one foot continually
wigglng In air, Stallings follows
every detail of play without missing
the most minute particle. II is inn
possible to "bluff" George Stallings.
. and players who persisted in trying
I TO have been shunted elsewhere.
f"Big Chief" Is SuperstltlOns.
Much has been written of Stallings
sternncss and the rebukes admins
tered makers Of bones" or bad plays.
hut the fact that he is slave 70
superstition has been kept in the
! background. In addition to the
cross-eyed fan. the huRchback. load
OF hay. the umpirc's whisk broom and
almost numberless other factors
linked with superstition. Stallings has
/, some of his own that he never ex-
D. TlGins the source Of He will not
. permit ground keeper or player to
! throw newspapers or refuse Of any
Ed near the Braves bench. The
handle o. every bat must be pointing
toward The players dugout or there
Will be a storm in camp.
Most startling of all Stallings su-
n perstitions is one regarding birds. He
"a considers it one of the most appalling
of all omens to have birds alight on
Of ,,f, l,.,
, On the Boston grounds sparrows and
l pigeons from a cote nearby are con-
, tinuously lowering, and Il is the duty
i Of one boy hired by the Braves mana
ger to pelt stones IL necessary to
frighten the birds away. II is possi-
bic that the "iinx" chaser may yet
be a Brave pitcher if the magnetism
OF the team manager extends to him
?. ia a measure euualling that in the
conversion of the National League
Jokes" to pennant contenders.
Il Braves Are "All Together"
II Twenty-six players we're in uniform
during the series at the Polo Ground
and team spirit" exuded in every
I inning II is impossible to play ball
D lcng for Stallings without admirng
The grim leader-the Big Chief" as
hc is known TO the players. II is a
strangely assorted set OF athletes
Stallings has whipped into Cne OF the
most aggressive scoring machines and
= defensive powers of recent seasons
G in the National League.
s Big Bill" James went to the mat
@ With Arthur Devlin. Hub" Perdue
end a Boston newspaper man before
:, fC concentrated on winning games
y Stallings handles the rugged North
4 y vesterner without kid gloves. and all
4 of James fighting nowadays is direc-
ted from the pitchers mound.
4 "Dick" Rudolph a Bronx boy. who
i has won nine straight games. was
. taken from Toronto last spring at a
N time when Rudolph was prepared tC
1. quit baseball rather than be Obliged
4 TO show his wares in a minor league
I. Stallings bought the undersizec
youngster and today ;he big Chief
le rates Rudolph the greatest pitcher
OF his inches that ever lived and the
a hest right handler in the National
~ League. Rudolphs artistic success
T. has brought out only one eccentricity
ii He never removes his cap. because O
n. bald spot which worries him more
ie than opposing batsmen.
IN George Tyler, the left handler in th'
triumvirate. is a native OF New Hamp
Il shire who was taken from the New
rs England League several seasons ago
Tyler has lots Of stun" and JohI