The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28

against the chicago pllCncrS sent the
ball rafting to the corners of the lot.
In trice Chicago had crumpled.
pitchers are especially afraid of
the break. They are afraid. not
only of the team behind them, but OF
themselves. They know that no mat.
ter how strong they max be-, how con
lident they may feel, that sooner or
later may come the moment when
everything will 20 to pieces, when
the game will tumble down on them.
II is one of the mysteries of baseball,
this weakening of great pitcher
when he isn't tired physically; when
his arm Is just as strong as II was
in the beginning. II Is the mystery
that ball players attempt TO explain
by saying Hes pitching in groove"
II came to Brown, that rugged un
emotional man who brought Chicago
into the World Championship Series
with Detroit - came in the fourth
inning of game with his own team
ahead, two runs to none. But sud
denly, Brown lost control. lie began
pitching every ball in the same place,
at the same speed. Perhaps Chicago
had worked him once too often. Per
haps his three fingers had lost some
of their cunning. lie knew he was
failing.
Ills heart broke as OLcary, the
chunky Detroit short stop, smashed
the ball over second and big Sam
Crawford drove another hit over
third. With two men on base and
none out. it looked like a Detroit
rally. The crowd was beside itself.
They knew what il meant when the
Tigers broke loose. They had seen
them win out many. many games
under just these conditions. AS the
newspaper reports anonymously had
it, "O'Leary singled. So did Craw.
ford" The combination had become
significant. At Detroit 1t was as
prelude TO the coming of the break.
AS Cobb came to bat. Brown knew
that he would bunt 1t was the OBJ
Nious play. Then Detroit would have
men on second and third and a hit
would score them both. would brin;
the Tigers even. Then another hit
and another and the game would b.
snatchcd from Chicago. The rallies
always worked out that way when
the game broke for Detroit. Brown
saw he had one chance, that was TO
check this rally in its natural course
To do that he would have TO prevent
Cobb from bunting and sacrificing
OI.cary and Crawford to third and
second. If O'Lcary could be cut down
at third the situation would be the
same as before. The uphcaval would
be averted.
So Brown played trick on Cobb
lie guessed that Cobb would tap the
ball gently toward third base. The
stcrcotypcd play would be for Brown
to throw Cobb a ball that he would
have difficulty in bunting. But Brown
had risen above that. He dclibcrdtcW
pHched SO mat CObb coHh buRt Wih
ne greatest case. He actually invited
him to make the play that seemed To
threaten Chicago. But as he pitched,
Brown dashed from the box to the
third base line. AS he had planned,
Cobb's bunt rolled sQuarcly in his
hands. Turning swiftly, Brown drove
the ball to third. forcing out O'Lcary.
And so astOnishcd We're the Tigers at
his strategy that Crawford a moment
later was caught asleep off second
base. SO did pitchers headwork
stavc off the break that seemed in
eyitable.
Think of the big score boards you
have seen; black, gloomy boards thai
with the ninth inning half played
showed your home team to be behind
three or four runs. Then think how
you have seen in the last half innin"
an entirely different aspect come over
the game, a rally that put the home
4 a,