OTD 9/12/1914: Tip Tops Set Stage For First Place Rematch Versus Indianapolis

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops tie Terriers; 2-2

I - BTT 2; STL 1

II - STL 1; BTT 0

III - STL 6; BTT 5

IV - BTT 5; STL 3

FEDERAL LEAGUE 

SHOWDOWN

Indianapolis Hoosiers

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

Brooklyn's come from behind victory on Saturday salvages series split with St. Louis Terriers at Washington Park.

• BOXSCORE: Saturday, September 12, 1914 - BR

Making only his fourth start in 14 appearances for the Tip Tops, Bill Chappelle comes through with a needed clutch performance, allowing St. Louis just two earned runs on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts through nine innings complete.

However Chappelle's day starts ominously upon surrendering two runs in the first inning.  St. Louis then takes a 3-0 lead in the sixth.  Light hitting shortstop Al Bridwell is 1 for 2 against Cheppelle, connecting for his first home run of the season.  An error by Tip Tops left fielder George Anderson accounts for another St. Louis run.  Otherwise the Terriers muster little else.  Brooklyn bunches together four runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth en route to a 5-3 final score.  Catcher Grover Land is big man on campus going 3 for 3 with two runs batted in.  Steve Evans is 3 for 4 with a run batted in.  Getting the start at third base, Ed Gragnier, and shortstop Al Halt each drive in one run apiece.

Manager Bradley could not have asked for a better scenario considering a mere eight days ago his Tip Tops lay eight games out of first place.  They're now winners of eight of their last ten games, while improving to 9-4 in the month of September and 67-60 overall.  Brooklyn thus opens their upcoming five game series versus Indianapolis just three games out of first place.  The Hoosiers are 6-7 over the same 13 game stretch.  They're coming off a six game series loss against Baltimore and in the midst of a three game skid.  These teams last met during Brooklyn's final leg of a four city 19-game road trip.  Brooklyn similarly entered that series 4.5 games out of first place but proceed to lose six straight at Indianapolis.  They leave town 8.5 games back, but have since posted a 13-5 record in the games leading up to this week's rematch against the Hoosiers at Washington Park.

With just 27 games left in the regular season, perhaps the inaugural Federal League pennant lay in the balance.  Lest we forget that with Chicago's victory against the BufFeds, Joe Tinker's ChiFeds are now tied for first place with Indianapolis.