Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-30

Having set new mark for complete
reversal of form, the Boston Braves are
now prepared to give battle to the Ath-
lctics for the worlds baseball champions
ship. This National League club, whose
movements on the field have been directed
during the last two years by George
Stallings, has upset precedent by making
the most remarkable pennant run ever
recorded in the major leagues.
Connie Mack once remarked that It took
five years to build up winner. Stallings
has demonstrated that II there are any
rules regarding the development of tr!-
umphant club, there are exceptions. He
has made the pennant prognosticators OF
the land look foolish by coming to the
fore in an almost miraculous manner.
when 1t was generally forecasted that his
club would not finish a good eighth.
There were few, very few, who. prior
to the opening of the National League,
averred that Stalhngs' men had a chance
to win the pennant
The question concerning the Boston
clubs race TO the flag Is not Now you
have won Ii, what are you going to do
with it?" but "How did you do it?" Just
how Is indeed matter that puzzles tho
baseball world. The simple answer, OF
course. Is that the Braves played the
best ball In the National League. But
condition? Briefly, there were six rea-
sons: Stallings, Evers, Maranville, James,
Tyler and Rudolph.
Beginning with the crack of the gun
on April IA the Braves were off. But
they were not off into the lead. They
soon dropped down and remained near
the small end of the percentage column
until after July 1S On that date Stall
inGs' team was being given daily
tongue lashinG by the verbose leader.
Suddenly the team awoke. On July
the Braves had. thanks to the close
grouping of the other clubs, jumped into
fourth place. From then until August
the Braves seemed to be immovable. but
on August 10 they went into second place.
II was just at this period of the race
that McGraw, who had been leading hap
pened to look back. He had to rub his
eyes twice before he believed he was
gazing on the Boston team.
Even then no one seriously considered
the Braves as a pennant possibility eS"
Cept Stallings and the Braves themselves.
Apparently they knew then their power,
and 1t was partly this confidence that
helped them to WELD II.
But to get back to dates. The Braves
continued In second place from August
until September g. when they drew along
side the Giants, much to McGraw's sor"
row. Then 1t was that the Giants awoke,
But 1t was too late McGraw opened
the throttle, but there was a leakage IN
the power. AIatty was not going well,
Marquard was doing porry and the en-
tire New York club was demoralized at
the thought of having their plans for
spending the worlds series SO rudely
upset.
But all this time Stallings' men wers
not figuring on the series money. They
were on the field playing ball every al.
ternoon except when 1t rained. The hou
fight through September between the
Braves and the Giants will long be re-
membered. Confidence was on the side
of the Braves, and overconhdence, which
soon changed to desperation, on the side
of the Giants.
The Braves We're victorious and after
that date they were never topped by New
York, though the Gothamites made de-
termined fight until the finish yesterday
The figures show that 1t took the
Braves only a trifie over six weeks 10
go from last to first place and only
little over two months, from July 10, 10
clinch the flag and give the fans OF bos-
ton a pennant In the National Leasus
for the first time In sixteen years
The bulk of the credit for winning the
lings. He is a brainy ball player. TINS
must be admitted by everyone. no mat
ter what their personal opinions OF ths
manager may be when he Is not on tn
bench He has made a pennant wlnnlns
club of five ball players.
II Is obvious to one who has followed
the rising fortunes OF the Braves tnas
Stalllngs cannot be given the ehtiS
credit for winning inasmuch as he eouIo
not have Accomplished 1t had any one
OF the five players already named pesn
unable to perform. MaTanville, who per-
formed well IN 1913 came into his own
In startling style this year, htting ~
around the halfway station with EyeIl
better than Joe Tinker did In his PAIN
lest days. This combination, with ils
hitting strength, was the one thing tns
Braves needed. outside OF pltehls
staff. Evers probably has more ~
on the ball field than any man IL ~
game today
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