In the
1914 World Series, the
Boston BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
beat the
Philadelphia AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the Oakland Coliseum....
in a four-games sweep.
A contender for greatest upset of all time, the "Miracle Braves" were in last place on July 4th, then roared on to win the
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league...
pennant by 10-1/2 games and sweep the stunned Athletics. The Braves' relatively unknown starting trio of pitchers, with a combined career record of 285–245, outperformed the Athletics vaunted rotation (929–654) in all four games.
Hank GowdyHenry Morgan Gowdy was a catcher and a first baseman for the New York Giants and the Boston Braves. He made his major league debut for the Giants in the 1910 season and was traded to the Braves the next year...
hit .545 (6 of 11) with five extra-base hits and also drew five walks for Boston in the series and was the difference maker in Games 1 and 3.
Adding to their supposed disadvantages, the Braves arguably lacked a notable home-field advantage. They had abandoned their 43-year-old home field
South End GroundsSouth End Grounds refers to any one of three baseball parks on one site in Boston, Massachusetts. They were home to the Boston club in the National Association and the National League from 1871 to 1914....
, in late summer, choosing to rent from the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
while awaiting construction of
Braves FieldBraves Field was a baseball park that formerly stood on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium was home to the Boston Braves National League franchise from 1915–1952, when the team moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin...
. Thus their home games in this Series were also at Fenway.
This was the first four-game sweep in World Series history. The Cubs had defeated the Tigers four games to none in
1907The 1907 World Series featured the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers, with the Cubs winning the Series four games to none for their first championship....
, but Game 1 had ended in a tie before the Cubs won the next four in a row.
In some circles, it was alleged that the A's were irritated at the penny-pinching ways of their manager/owner
Connie MackCornelius McGillicuddy, Sr. , better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds records for wins , losses , and games managed , with his victory total being almost 1,000 more...
, and did not play hard.
Chief BenderCharles Albert "Chief" Bender was a pitcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century...
and
Eddie PlankEdward Stewart Plank , nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie," was a Major League Baseball pitcher in the early 20th century, the first left-handed pitcher to win 200 games and then 300 games, and now ranks third in all-time wins among left-handers with 326 career victories .Plank was elected to the Baseball...
would jump to the rival
Federal LeagueThe Federal League was the last major attempt to establish an independent major professional baseball league in the United States in direct competition with the established National and American Leagues in and...
for the 1915 season. Mack unloaded most of his other high-priced stars soon after and, within two years, the A's achieved the worst winning percentage in modern history (even worse than the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. The Mets are a member of the East Division of Major League Baseball's National League....
or the
Detroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in . The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant 10 times...
).
There were also rumors that this series was fixed, but no evidence has ever been advanced.
Summary
Game 1
Friday, October 9, 1914 at Shibe Park in
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest...
26 game winner
Dick RudolphRichard Rudolph , was a pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1910-1927. He played for the New York Giants and Boston Braves. He was an alumnus of Fordham University....
scattered five hits while striking out eight as the Braves won the opener in convincing fashion against the Athletics ace,
Chief BenderCharles Albert "Chief" Bender was a pitcher in Major League Baseball during the first two decades of the 20th century...
. Catcher
Hank GowdyHenry Morgan Gowdy was a catcher and a first baseman for the New York Giants and the Boston Braves. He made his major league debut for the Giants in the 1910 season and was traded to the Braves the next year...
had a single, double and triple as well as a walk in leading Boston's offensive attack. Gowdy was also involved in a double steal with
Butch SchmidtCharles John "Butch" Schmidt , was a Major League Baseball player who played infielder from -. He would play for the Boston Braves and New York Yankees....
in the eighth inning with Schmidt's theft of home accounting for the Braves final run.
Game 2
Saturday, October 10, 1914 at Shibe Park in
Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the sixth-most-populous city in the United States.In 2008, the population of the city proper was estimated to be over 1.4 million, while the metropolitan area's population of 5.8 million made it the country's fifth-largest...
Bill JamesWilliam Lawrence James was a baseball player, who was given a nickname to differentiate him from his contemporary, "Big" Bill James....
, Boston's other 26 game winner, hooked up against Philadelphia's
Eddie PlankEdward Stewart Plank , nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie," was a Major League Baseball pitcher in the early 20th century, the first left-handed pitcher to win 200 games and then 300 games, and now ranks third in all-time wins among left-handers with 326 career victories .Plank was elected to the Baseball...
in a classic pitcher's duel. James allowed only three base runners in the first eight innings, picking off two of them in holding Philadelphia scoreless. Plank matched him until the ninth when
Charlie DealCharles Albert Deal , was a professional baseball player who played third base in the Major Leagues from 1912-1921. He would play for the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, St. Louis Browns, and Detroit Tigers.-External links:...
's fly ball was lost by
Amos StrunkAmos Aaron Strunk was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball from through . A member of four World Series champion teams, Strunk batted and threw left-handed...
in the sun for a double. Deal then stole third and scored on a two-out single by
Les MannLeslie Mann , was a professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1913-1928. He would play for the Boston Braves, St...
. James walked two batters in the ninth, but got Eddie Murphy to ground into a game-ending double play to give Boston a 2–0 advantage in the series.
Game 3
Monday, October 12, 1914 at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Lefty TylerGeorge Albert "Lefty" Tyler was a professional baseball pitcher from 1910 to 1921. From 1910 to 1917 Tyler played with the Boston Doves/Braves. Tyler performed well, Having an earned run average under 3 in all but two years. In 1918, Tyler was traded to the Chicago Cubs for Larry Doyle, Art...
of the Braves went up against
Bullet Joe BushLeslie Ambrose "Bullet Joe" Bush born in Brainerd, Minnesota was a Pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , St. Louis Browns , Washington Senators , Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants...
in a twelve inning thriller. Frank "Home Run" Baker's two out single in the tenth plated two runs to give the Athletics a 4–2 lead and a seeming victory to get them back in the series. But
Hank GowdyHenry Morgan Gowdy was a catcher and a first baseman for the New York Giants and the Boston Braves. He made his major league debut for the Giants in the 1910 season and was traded to the Braves the next year...
led off the bottom of the tenth with a home run and the Braves then tied the game on Joe Connolly's sacrifice fly later in the inning. Game 2 winner
Bill JamesWilliam Lawrence James was a baseball player, who was given a nickname to differentiate him from his contemporary, "Big" Bill James....
, coming on in relief for Boston in the eleventh, would get the win after Gowdy led off the bottom of the twelfth with a double and pinch-runner
Les MannLeslie Mann , was a professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1913-1928. He would play for the Boston Braves, St...
scored when Bush threw wildly to third on a bunt by Herbie Moran, giving the Braves a commanding 3–0 lead in the series.
Game 4
Tuesday, October 13, 1914 at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
in Boston, Massachusetts
Johnny EversJohn Joseph Evers was a Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1946...
' two out, two run single in the bottom of the fifth broke a 1–1 tie and the collective backs of the heavily favored Athletics as Boston completed the improbable sweep. Game 1 winner
Dick RudolphRichard Rudolph , was a pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1910-1927. He played for the New York Giants and Boston Braves. He was an alumnus of Fordham University....
allowed only one base runner after Evers' tie-breaking hit and struck out seven in notching his second win of the series.
Composite box
1914 World Series
(4–0): Boston BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From to the present, the Braves have played in Turner Field....
(N.L.) over
Philadelphia AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the Oakland Coliseum....
(A.L.)
External links