The Washington herald., 1914-10-10
RudOs Great Hurting Proves Undong Mackmen in Opening Gam
Athletics Helpless
Before Dick Rudolph
Braves Drive Chief Bender
from HiIlock in Fifth
Round.
FIELDING IS THE FEATURE
By FRANK Q. aENKE.

BY FRANK @. 1LENKE.
Philadelphia, Oct s.-The Braves me-
the Athletics here this afternoon before
2o.5s2 fans in the first battle for the base.
ball championship OF the world. and beat
them to a pulp. They outcIassed the
American League champions in prac-
ticalLy every department OF the game. and
the result never was in doubt after the
second inning.
The Braves. playing the kind of base
ball that lifted them from the, bottom
to the top Of the National League. swept
the Athletics on their feet with their
whiriwind attack and their wonderful
defense at critical moments. The Ath-
letics seemed dazed by the onslaught,
and there was something almost pathetic
in the way they took their beating.
The Braves today looked like one Of
the greatest ball teams ever welded
together. The Athletics, wonderful as
they may be. seemed like bush league
performers in comparison with the DASH
ing Bostonians Unless some baseball
miracle happens, or the Braves show a
great reversal from the form they dis
played today, they viii be the next cham
pions OF the baseball world.
The Athletics tonight seem stunned by
their defeat. The worst blow of all was
that Bender, their pitching star and
the man who is regarded as the greatest
money" pitcher in the world, was
knocked out of the box. II was the FIRST
time that Bender ever has been removed
from a worlds series combat, and the
psychological effect BODIES Ill for the Ath-
Ietics' chances.
Odds Faypr' Braves.
The defeat Of the Athletics today has
caused big reversal in the betting odds
The Braves, who were on the short end
Of the flve to four before the battle, are
new five to four favorites for the series
And there's mighty little Athletic money
IN sight. The odds prevailing tonight are
hve to four that the Braves will win the
game tomorrow, with Athletic supporters
so confident before, asking for better
odds.
The weak hitting" Braves drove Ben
der from the mound in the fifth inning
with a fusillade OF blows. They slapmed
his fast ball and his curves with equal
ease almost from the start OF the game.
and not one of the hits made of the
great Indian pitcher was OF a fiukey ma
ture. Every one was a whistling drive,
two of them being for doubles aud two
others for triples In all, the Braves got
.
delivery during the five and one-third
innings that he worked.
Rudolph, the midget Boston pitcher,
twirled one Of the greatest games of his
career. He never was in, danger through
out the battle, and he kept his hits scat
tered.
The five hits that the AthIetics' slug
gers made were scattered over as many
innings Rudolph had the heavy-hItting
ANk1aFfra k,Voo ka4r Aaa H.. ~
ball. tanning eight, including Collins and
Baker.
Batters' Judgment Poor.
The Athletics showed the poorest hit
ting judgment ever exhibited in a world
series battle. Rudolph seemed to have
them hypnotized.
Early in the game he noticed that they
were swinging at-and missing-low balls
and high ones. They didn't wait for them
to come over the plate From that time
on Rudolph did not aim to get them over
the plate. What was the use Of groov-
ing them when a groove ball wasn't
to get the Athletics to swing?
discovered that the Athletics
would offer at any kind OF q ball that
came within three feet Of the plate, and
eight strike outs.
When the second inning, ended, the |
game was practically dNer, as far as the |
Athletics were concerned. The Braves !
had found" Bender, and Rudolph was a |
mystery to the demon clouters Of the |
American Leagut outfit The Braves |
confident and gingery through their one
run lead, simply ran away from the Ath- |
letics from that moment on
The Braves, regarded as the poorest |
base runners in the National League, |
stole three bases on Schang. who has the |
reputation Of being one OF the best throw |
ing catchers in either league. They exc
cuted a double steal in the eighth inning. |
as Maranville famed, and Schmidt /
scored. The Athletics didn't steal base.
MOran's Error Hurts.
Moran's error in the second inning /
cheated Rudolph out of a shut-out vic
tory. McInnis was on first, through the
medium Of a base on balls, when Strunk |
drove a single to right. Moran came in
on the drive, hoping to pick 1t up in time