The Detroit times., 1914-08-11
BRAVES
BEGAN RECORD
CLIMB TO FLAG
After Languishing In Last Place
For Long Time, They Finally
Spurted
FANS FEAR THEY HAVE
OUTRUN OWN STRENGTH
Haven't the Punch to Carry
Them Any Further Up the
Ladder to Giants

~ GORGE STALLINGS at the start
of the seasons campaign was
~ enthusiastic over the Boston
teams outlook.
Nothing but the top will satisfy
US" he said. I'VE have the team, We
have the ambition and all we need
is an even break in the luck. It's
Boston for the pennant this year. IL
will be disappointment to US II we
finish anywhere but right in front OF
all other clubs"
Having thus aired himself, Stall
ings waited for brief spell to watch
developments and saw his team plant
itself in last place and daily tighten
its grip on that thoroughly despised
position. In the early stages OF the
pennant battle the Braves were the
worst offenders OF all In administer
ing body blows to the paper forecasts
OF the ultimate standing. Picked by
experts to offer the most formidable
contention, they upset everything by
losing with consistency that once
upon time swayed the ST. Louis
clubs
To have predicted six weeks age
that Boston would at this time be the
center OF baseball attraction and q
serious menace to teams cherishing
pennant ambitions would have been
to start more than idle curiosity as
to ones mental poise. The Braves
were down and out then. safely an
chored In last place, and showing q
pleasing disposition to Ak things SO
that no other team In the National
league could possibly prevent them
from finishing the season there.
But there was many keen-eyed
observer who believed the Braves had
been encountering more than their
share OF the bad breaks and that the
team would be a more serious posi-
biiity for baseball honefs II bit Of
luck would turn In its direction. Even
the most ardent supporters Of the
team believed. though, that the task
OF lifting the club TO a presentable
position was impossible.
When the break In the teams for
tune occurred II set In with the same
force that marked the movement In
the other direction. Recently Stall
ings and his band have had no cause
to complain regarding the well-known
breaks OF the game" for many of
the clubs victories have been by that
one-run margin which is such an i'm
portant factor in every pennant bat
tie. And Stallings has not been slow
to take advantage of every favorable
element that has helped the team
along to a contending position in the
last month.
III the Braves succeed In reaching
the saddle skirts of the Giants, as
turfmen would say, they will have
accomplished feat that has perhaps
never before been carried out In base.
ball history. Even now 1t strikes The
casual observer as an impossible task,
but that belief Is undoubtedly due to
the fact that Boston has risen from
a place Of such marked obscurity.
Had Boston been lowering around
the first division all season and shown
squirt at this time that would have
placed II in slightly better position
than formerly there Is noSquestion
that the fear stirred by the uprising
would be decidedly more aggravated.
II is simply because the. Bostons has
made such wonderful strides In SO
short a space that no one is yet ready
to believe that they possess the punch
that will carry them to the goal they
originally set out for.
Nearly everybody except possibly
the Braves themselves and their
hackers and supporters Is confident
that the squirt will peter out before
the team has really reached a point
where II will become vital factor.
Precedent proves that all spurts come
to an end sooner or later, and are
usually followed by reaction that the
strain OF the long grind causes. Many
team has jumped from the second
division to the first by means of over.
playing itself, but only to settle
back in the old stride. and II not fall
back to where II once was, to remain
al In fiopary