New-York tribune., 1915-07-18
SECOND PLACE
STILL ELUDES
THE SUPERBAS
Robbie's Men Split DOu-
ble-Header with Pirates
and Fail to Advance.
FANS DISREGARD
SWELTERING HEAT
twenty-five Thousand Crowd
Big Stadium and See Two
Rare Struggles.

Second place, that will-o'-the -wlsp
which has fitted before the eyes OF the
Brooklyn Superbas all season, still
fits. Robbie and his men expected to
take formal possession of the position
Yesterday, but the Pittsburgh Pirates
thwarted their plan in double header
at Ebbets Field. The team divided the
honors.
The Pirates won the first game by
score of to 3, but the Superoas
came back with a rush in the closing
contest, which was called at the END
of seven innings on account OF tnun-
derstorm, with the totals standing at
7 to 3.
Twenty-Five thousand spectators, a
crowd which packed the stadium until
the walls bulged, were on hand TO see
Robbie lead his men in the assault on
the heights. Throughout the afternoon
they sat and sweltered under %he rays
of a merciless sun, hoping and roofing
right Loyalty. Then, as evening ap-
preached, many left. hoping TO peat Ine
storm. A double victory for the Su-
nerbas would have shot them into tie
for second place with the Cubs.
Brooklyn won the second game after
an uphili fight that spoke volumes for
the spirit of the team. The boys over
came a three-run lead as If they were
accustomed to doing that every day,
and then sailed away to make victory
certain by pling up the score Nor
did thew stand quietly by to watch the
first game slip through their grasp.
Five runs in the ruck in the sixtn nm
inc tbev began a mad assault on the
PITTSBURGH slabmen and got three runs.
Tboy, MIGHT have gone on gathering but
for Hans Wagner. =,
"Hit 'em where they amt" said
Willie Keeler. What he probably
meant was: "Hit 'em where Wagner
isn't," And, in passing, pitchers might
COW. "Pitch them where wagner
isn't" 1t is a sort of safety first prop
Wagner is the man who decided the
fate Of the first game, or so the BROOK
ivn nlayers insist. In the sixth inning
miller got a single along the third
basa line. Then Appleton hit one
,brouqh Wagner for what should have
been single. Wagner started after
- and making a marvellous stop, forced
Miller at second. Hans was olt OF po-
sition. but he got the ball to the right
nlaco, Right after that the Superbas
hammered three runs over the line.
II was Wagner. too, who started the
rally in the fifth frame OF the hrst
game, which won the game for the n
rates He sounded the note with a
triple. and in trice four runs were
scored A home run by Baird played
its part =;
the first game. In the sixth inning WIN
two on bases, Appleton, who replaced
smith in the box, was ordered to pass
tho Teuton. With the count three, and
nothing on him, Wagner turned and
threw away his bat. He watched the
fourth ball whistle wide of the plate.
The second game, as told before, was
won only after a man-sized scare mad
been thrown into the crowd. The Pl-
rates got after jeff Pfeffer for three
runs in the fourth inning, knocking hlm
ont Of the box. But when Pfeffer left
lack Coombs entered, and that in itself
took whole chunks of JOY out OF the
life of the Pirates. Immediately they
unit the scoring end of the game and
devoted themselves entirely 10 defence.
They made rather q poor job OF 1t. Joe
Councilman and Cooper, left-handeII
who has not yet risen to the dignity OF
a nickname with his mates, were rlght
soundly hammered and the runs plied
up. yloLor
Ipitched for the Pirates in the hrst game
and managed TO squeeze through. Ihey
were hi. der than the box score
shows, for many a brilliant stop ana
catch were made behind them, turning
notential doubles and triples into outs.
frdeed the Pirates felded in sensation
Continued on page 2. column