THE SPORTING NEWS - JULY 1, 1915

 

 

BOSTON FANS NOTE OLD SPIRIT MISSING

 

Braves Win, But Not With That Dash and Fire

 

By Tim Murnane

 

BOSTON - The Champion Braves were home last week for three days, and made good use of their time by taking three straight games from Brooklyn. Then they look to the road again to visit the three Eastern teams. The work of the Braves at Fenway Park got results, but it lacked the real Braves' punch, and the fans were not inclined to feel as does Manager Stallings, who still is confident that he will head the procession before the finish of the next home stay. Stallings bases his conclusion on having John Evers back in the lineup and his star pitchers in good shap once more. In fact, the Miracle Man has been working on these plans for several weeks and expects to spring a little surprise when the Western teams arrive. Evers played in his first game since his injury in an exhibition at Troy on Sunday and is said to have shown no signs of lameless.

 

There is no doubt that the scrappy Evers will be back in the lineup when the Braves return to Fenway Park to meet the invaders, and it looks very promising for Rudolph and Tyler to come with a rush, as they are already showing some grand good form, but the one great dissapointment on the pitching staff is Bill James. This once great boxman has shown little speed, and is only a shadow of the Bill James of the World's Series. Outside of Rudolph and Tyler the other pitchers are only ordinary play, showing up strong at times, simply as the result of first class support, especially from the infield.

 

The patrons of the game here are commencing to generally discuss if the Braves will really come back. Those with faith in George Stallings as a Miracle Man think that they will, but without Stallings they wouldn't have a chance this year-there is nothing but his great leadership to bank on. President James E. Gaffney is a cool and philosophical magnante, with oceans of confidence in his clever manager, and yet even Mr. Gaffney has great respect for two or three other clubs in the National League and he is anxious to see his own team get closer to the bunch without more delay.

 

I figure that with Evers back on the team, the combination will brace, and play a 25 per cent stronger game, and that it will prove conclusively the worth of this heady and skillful player with the champions and the part he has had in their past success.

 

Red Sox Gradually Coming Around

 

The Red Sox returned Friday from Washington, where they lost three out of five games, and will now be home to Meet the Highlanders, the Athletics and the Senators for 18 games, in 12 playing days. This means several double headers, and a lot of base ball at Fenway Park for the next ten days or so that should tickle the fans looking for bargains.

 

President Joe Lannin is more than delighted with the showing that his team has made since returning from the Western trip, and that showing, too, is with as fine a string of pitchers as a club could ask for not in condition for their best work. However, the staff is rounding too. I look for Joe Wood to turn in some grand good performances before the season is over. He knows his own physical condition better than any one and will only one work when right. Vean Gregg has started two games and lasted four innings each time. This means he is giving evidence of his old form. It has been a slow comeback for him, but I feel confident that this remarkable left-hander will be doing his full share of work before August.

 

Dutch Leonard is still under the doctor's care. He has a light work out every morning, and will not be allowed to take part in the game for ten days or two weeks. The boy is very anxious to get back into the game and show his repentance and he should be, for had he taken proper care of himself and given the club his best services the Red Sox would now be well in front in the race.

 

George Foster is the one pitcher working true to form. The lesser members of the staff are more or less in-and-outers, with a great fondness for passing men, a bad feature in the work of a pitcher who hopes to stay in the majors.

 

Team Hustles as a Whole

 

Carrigan's men are hustling in dead ernest, and if they manage to keep in the running until the boxmen round to, both the fans and players here feel confident that they will take the big end of the purse this season. Just how they are figuring as theyir toughest rivals the Chicago White Sox, who have been showing hitting ablity, coupled with pitching that makes easy work of most of the other teams. The Red Sox know the Tigers will continue to be troublesome. They also know that the Senators are bound to be one of the real fighting clubs for the rest of the season, but after figuring all of them out, they are most apprehensive of that bunch from Chicago, led by Busher Rowland, inspired by the old Rowman, Charley Comiskey, and electrified by Eddie Collins.

 

However, nothing but a game lot of players can win a championship, and no one can tell how game a ball player or manager is until he has gone through a full major league campaign. That's one advantage the red Sox have. They have shown their gameness to the satisfaction of the base ball world.

 

Federals Fail to Come Around

 

President James F. Gilmore of the Federal League and his select band of base ball angels failed to materialize around Boston last Monday as they were advertised to do. It was announced the would come here and listen to a plan for a franchise in the Federal League from men with money to invest. There could be no one found here willing to admit that he had ever entertained any thought of a Federal League club in Boston. There were a few, however, who were willing to listen to the proposition if Mr. Gilmore and his bread winners would furnish the necessary coin and believe me, it would take a good big bunch of real coin to compete with the two base ball propositions now doing business here. I believe the whole thing was a press agent's fake for the purpose of feeling out Boston's sentiment.

 

The Federals let it be known, or sought to give out the impression, that L.C. Page, the Boston publisher, stood ready to put up money for a Federal Franchise here, and that he would make Hugh Duffy his manager and all that. Information comes pretty direct, however, that Mr. Page had had no thought of any such thing and that a Federal League proposition holds no interest for him. The whole story of an entry into Boston next year can be put down as a fake, and if reports beard are true, there will be no "next year" for the Federals anyway. Their minor league venture, the Colonial, is proving a great a frost as their "big league" and reliable reports are they are losing $1,000 a week in the New England field.

 

The Braves' new park is coming along nicely. The diamond has been turfed and grass seed planted in the outfield. The playing field would be in shape for ball playing by the first of August, but there is much work yet to be done on the grand stand. There is little doubt, however,  but what the entire plant will be complete and ready for the Braves by the first of September, when the public will see the most magnificent base ball plant in the country, with no bleachers in center field, and yet seating capacity of 45,000 people arranged in one immense horseshoe. The park will be unlike any other in baseball today, and is copied largely after the famous Yale Bowl in New haven.