OTD 8/24/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Head Home After Ruinous Road Trip

From the desk of:  THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

THE ROAD TO RUIN

Midwest Trip: 4-14-1

Losing Streak Hits Nine

The Dog Days of Summer Continue Chewing Away Hungrily at the Brooklyn Tip Tops Season.

Back on Thursday, Aug. 6, manager Bill Bradley is feeling mighty fine.  The Tip Tops close out a 9-6 home stand with a sweep of the Packers.  They rise a season high nine games above .500 and a mere 1.5 games out of first place.

Then it's time to hit the road.  On Saturday, Aug. 8, the confident Tip Tops open a four city swing with a closely contested 2-1 loss against the first place Chi-Feds at Chicago.  In this greatly anticipated showdown Brooklyn loses four of five and leave town 3.5 games out of first.  Then it's off to St. Louis where they split four games with the Terriers.  After which the Tip Tops drop three of four (one tie) to the Packers at Kansas City.  Manager Bradley's road to ruin ends mercilessly at Indianapolis where the Hoosiers win both games of Monday's twin bill, thus completing a five game sweep of the Tip Tops.  Brooklyn conjures just four wins the entire trip.  Their season altering losing streak now stands at nine.  Worse, the Tip Tops fall a game below .500, and 8.5 games out of first.

Sitting beside himself left to ponder a potential pennant now seemingly out of reach, manager Bradley and his beaten and battered Tip Tops embark on the long quiet ride home.  Through the remaining weeks of the season, Sunday's (game one) loss is perhaps the one Brooklyn players and fans alike will most dwell over.  It's the game that drops the Tip Tops to .500 for the first time since establishing themselves as legitimate contenders with a July 11 double-header victory over the Pittsburgh Rebels.

• BOXSCORE: Monday, August 24, 1914 - BR

The Hoosiers open the scoring with a run in the first and a pair in the second.  Brooklyn rallies back with three runs in the fourth.  After trading runs in the sixth, the teams remain deadlocked through the ninth and into extra innings they go.  The Tip Tops finally breakthrough with two runs in the top of the 13th inning.  However Indianapolis answers right back in the bottom half of the frame with three runs for the victory.  Brooklyn starter Dan Marion yields seven runs on eleven hits through twelve innings, but only three Indianapolis runs are earned as the Tip Tops commit five errors.  Hoosiers starter George Kaiserling goes the distance, allowing six runs, four earned, on 13 hits and three walks with four strikeouts.  He improves to 13-4 with a  3.26 ERA.  Brooklyn third baseman Tex Wisterzil is 2 for 6 with three runs batted in.  Right fielder Claude Cooper is 2 for 6 with a triple and run scored.  Second baseman Solly Hofman goes 2 for 6 with a double and two runs scored.

Brooklyn's game two loss is the game that actually sinks the Tip Tops below .500, but unofficially goes down as a mere afterthought.