The Detroit times., 1914-12-23
G. STALLINCS
SURE BRAVES
Will REPEAT
Can't Understand Who the Other
Baseball Men Doubt Worth
of His Club
JOHN McGRAW TELLS OF
SIMILAR EXPERIENCE
Ned Hanlon, Now Fed, Breaks
Bread With Pals of the
LOng-Ago

An interesting idea of how strangely
the leaders of organized baseball be.
ileve the sensational performance OF
The Boston Braves last fall 10 have an
accident can be CLEANED from an Incl
dent at the banquet which John Me.
Graw and Captain Il. s. Huston gave
during the week OF the national league
meeting at New York. George Stall
ings was a guest as were Hughey
Jennings, Wilbert Robinson, Christy
Nethewson, Charley Doom and a
score OF other baseball notables.
Stallings was called upon to speak
and he at once plunged into a discus.
sion of the merits OF the Braves.
1T is dawning upon me- he said,
That wherever baseball men get
their heads together and speak of the
Braves, there Is talk OF accident"
lucky" and won't repeat" He ex-
planned how he could understand such
an attitude by outsiders, but this dis.
belief In his own sphere, among men
whose judgment i'm diamond affairs
was considered infallible, was too
much for him
How many OF you gentlemen right
here believe that the Braves will fig.
ure In the fight next season. much
less win the pennant?" he asked
Then there was a long pause, as the
eyes OF the big southerner searched
the lines OF the banqueters. managers
players. writer's and at least one mag.
nate.
There were a number of half testing
replies, but OILY one member Of the
party expressed faith in the ability OF
the Braves TO repeat
There you are. gentlemen" Stall
ingS continued, you all know, and
maybe you have known right along
that | am just coming to understand
that the baseball world does not be.
lieve even now In the Braves: does
not believe we are anything but an
accident. 7 tell you now that the
club that beats us out in 1915 will
have to travel ar mighty fast clip,
because we rave a real championship
club"
A few moments later McGraw, the
leader OF the Giants. was on his feet,
and with scarcely any preamble he be-
gan stalking about Stallings. II know
exactly how he feels said McGraw.
I'VE had the very same experience
shack in tho '94s. when the Baltimore
Orioles won their first pennant. Peo-
pie said we were lot OF iokes: that
we had won on a fluke. and could not
repeat. but we went right on repeat.
Ing just the same. II was brought
home to me again I'm 1911, when my
team OF youngsters from the Polo
Grounds won their first pennant. IL
was generally declared that | had a
rotten club and had won by accident.
and that we would be lost the next
season: but we won two pennapts
after that"
There was another little incident
that was almost pathetic in It's nature.
AID that was the POSTMASTER called
on Ned Hanlon. old-time leader Of the
Baltimore Orioles, and now one OF the
hacker, OF the Federal league. Han
Ion did not want TO attend tho dinner
but McGraw and Captain Huston
would not listen TO a refusal and so
the grizzled chief OF what was prob.
ably the greatest baseball club that
ever took the field sat surrounded by
men accounted his baseball enemies.
but who are none the less his personal
friends