New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-07
Boston Braves, the Eighth
Wonder of Baseball,
Now Face the Test.
WILLIAMS MAY PROFIT
BY HIS NEW TITLE
Confidence Gained by Beating
Mclaughlin Likely to Tell in
His Future Game.
Bv HERBERT.

The Boston Braves are the elghth
wonder Of baseball. They may not WIN
the National League pennant' nav
proud honor is being reserved for inc
Giants. But George Stallings ano MS
mon have established once more IN
marvellous uncertainties OF Inc Gre"'
national game by climb that has neen
as sensational as it has been unusual.
THE Braves lost sixteen Of their urst
,,;neteen games On May 30 they
looked hopelessly mired with only ten
victories and twenty-five defeats
StslIings raved. but apparently to little
effect, until July Is, when a winning
streak began, which. with occasional
reverses, carried them on Wednesday
40 a Mace at the top. They crawled
ont of the depths on July l9 by defeat
ing the Reds in Cinclnnau; they
passed one team after another IN the
next six weeks, and finally took the
lead on September after worrying
along at the heels Of the Giants for
several DAYS On July 10 the Braves
were nine full games, or l44 percent
ace points, behind the champions, ana
this ground they made up by playing
fast, consistent baseball
Now comes q test which may settle
possession of the pennant. The Grants
who quickly reganed the lead on
Thursday and held IL on Friday VIII
fsce the Braves i'm Boston for two
games to-day and one tomorrow be.
fore A bowling crowd Of baseball mad
fanatics on exactly even terms. Such
condition makes this series, and par
ticularly the holiday games to-day, one
OF the leading sporting fixtures OF the
wear. Pity is that the clash is not
billed for the Polo Grounds, but Bos-
ton fans are deserving OF thus base-
ball feast. They have been loyal ana
true in the face Of many diSappoint-
ments The home of the Red SoN
where the games will be played will be
al too small TO accommodate the
throng if the sun shines.
McGraw has saved Mattv and les
reau. his most dependable pitchers, for
the battle royal, while Stalli2gs IS
likely to pin his faith to Dick Ru- .
dolph. Of The Bronx, and George ~
Ter. his star lcft-hander The Giants
have checked or hurled back IN turn 4
the Pirates, the Reds and the Cubs
The time has come now TO break the
confidence Of the Braves, and without
posing as a prophet let II be sug-
gcsted that class viii tell.
Rube Narouard is not carrying
enough flesh 10 bc at his best. tie
looked far from himself on Saturday.
"lt doe not seem Just right that
the corcueror Of Brookcs and Wlldmg
should be beaten by the victim or
Brookes and Wilding." was the remark
Of a la,yr tennis lover last week when
commenting on the winning Of the
national championship by r. Norris
Williams That seemed to strike the
general keynote OF feeling. Not that
the highest horors Of the courts IN
this country we're begrudEcd TO the
young Harvard graduate, for i'm truth
this very human. likable youth IS more
popular even than Mclaughlin, but be-
cause one likes TO feel that the national
champion is the best in the land and
worthy Of a ranking at the top. Few
close followers Of the game would hesl-
tate one moment in placing their faith
or their dimes on Mclaughlin rather
than Williams for any test like the
DAVIS Cup matches, or Of rating the
California comet over the man who .
three or four days ago fairly snatched .
the much priced crown.
For two years now Williams has not /
been much behind Mclaughlin ia F,
knowledge Of the game and court tao
tics, and his equal, if not superior, IN
finish of stroke, but he has lacked that
amazing accuracy and almost overpow-
ering pace which has made Mac such
a wizard Of the courts. He still lacks
10 a large extent these masterful as
sets, but there is no gainsaylng the
fact that at times he rises to wonder
full heights and plays shots that for
sheer brilliancy outshine any in Nc
Loughlin's book Williams played in
one of those streaks at Newport last
Tuesday that commanded admiration
and merited success. Generously he re-
marked: "Mac was of his game" Nc
Loughlin was not quite 50 accurate as
usual, but this was due as much to the
sting which the shots Of Williams car
ried as to any failing Of his own. Few
will deny the fact that on that particu-
lar day the better player won, but few
will admit that the victory, so deserved
rs il was, could be repeated once in
five times. Upsets have been plentiful
in the sporting world this year. One
surprise has tumbled close on the heels
of another, until even the sensation Of
the lawn tennis world aroused little
more than days interest. II is hoped
that Williams may be able TO live up
TO his high estate and so play leading