OTD 9/24/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Welcome Joe Tinker's Chicago ChiFeds to Washington Park

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops defeat Packers; 4-2

I - BTT 6; KCP 2

II - BTT 12; KCP 6

III - KCP 11; BTT 3

IV - KCP 9; BTT 8

V - BTT 3; KCP 2

Chicago ChiFeds

vs

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

Brooklyn rebounds from Wednesday's disheartening 9-8 loss with a much needed victory in Thursday's series finale against the Packers.  The Tips Tops take the series against Kansas City four games against two, and creep 6.5 games back of the Hoosiers.

• BOXSCORE: Thursday, September 24, 1914 - BR

Kansas City opens the scoring on shortstop Johnny Rawlings hit in the fourth.  But the Tip Tops respond with singles runs in the bottom half of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.  Al Halt is 2 for 3 with a double and run batted in.  Steve Evans lifts his average to .357 on 2 for 4 with his 92nd run batted in of the season.  Jim Delahanty accounts for the Tip Tops third run batted in.  Starter Bill Chappelle allows the one earned run on on just four hits and three walks with two strikeouts through 5.1 innings pitched for the victory.  However, an increasingly desperate Bill Bradley summons usual starter Ed Lafitte from the bullpen.  Lafitte obliges his manager allowing one unearned run on just one hit and no walks with four strikeouts through the games final 3.2 innings.

Now it's onward to Chicago where Joe Tinker's ChiFeds have moved within one game of first place Indianapolis.  There's yet hope for these Tip Tops.

COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE NOW!

OTD 9/19/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Sweep Kansas City; Ed Lafitte Throws No-Hitter

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops lead Packers; 2-0

I - BTT 6; KCP 2

II - BTT 12; KCP 6

Kansas City Packers

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

With a change of opponent, so change the fortunes of Brooklyn.  The Tip Tops get back in the win column with a double-header sweep against the Kansas City Packers at Washington Park.

ED LAFITTE THROWS NO-HITTER

• BOXSCORE: Saturday, September 19, 1914 - BR

In one of the more imperfect gems hurled this season, Brooklyn Tip Tops starter Ed Lafitte allows two unearned runs on no hits and seven walks with one strikeout in a complete game performance.  Otherwise a pair of errors by third baseman Tex Wisterzil and second baseman Jim Delahanty mar Lefitte's shutout effort.  He evens his record at 14-14 with a fine 2.66 ERA.  Solly Hofman goes 1 for 4 with a double and two runs batted in.  Jim Delahanty is 3 for 4 with a double, triple, a run scored, and one run batted in.  Lafitte helps his own cause with a hit and run batted in en route to a 6-2 victory.

TIP TOPS COMPLETE SWEEP

• BOXSCORE: Saturday, September 19, 1914 - BR

Brooklyn rolls to a 12-6 victory in game two.  Right fielder Steve Evans goes 2 for 5 with a double and three runs batted in giving him 90 RBI for the season.  First baseman Solly Hofman is 2 for 5 with a triple and likewise drives in three runs.  Center fielder Al Shaw is 3 for 5 with two runs batted in, and shortstop Al Halt hits his third home run of the season.  Making only his fifth start of the season, Bill Chappelle goes the distance allowing four earned runs on nine hits and one walk with three strikeouts for his third consecutive complete game win.

Brooklyn snaps a five game losing streak, meanwhile the Hoosiers lose their series opener against Buffalo.  And just like that, the Tip Tops are back within 6.5 games of first place with twenty games left to play.

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.

OTD 9/7/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Climb Back Into Federal League Pennant Race

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Brooklyn leads series 5-0

I - BTT 7; PIT 6

II - BTT 7; PIT 1

III - BTT 3; PIT 2*

IV - BTT 4; PIT 3

V - BTT 12; PIT 11

* 10 innings

GAME SIX

Pittsburgh Rebels

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tips

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

Don't look now but with 32 games left in the season the Brooklyn Tip Tops are right back in the Federal League pennant race and gaining steam.  Monday's double-header sweep of the Pittsburgh Rebels results in Brooklyn's fourth and fifth straight win.  Since slamming the breaks on their nine game losing streak they've gone 10-3 to bypass both Buffalo and Baltimore in the standings.  The Tip Tops close Monday's action 3.5 games back of Joe Tinker's ChiFeds, and 4.5 back of the first place Indianapolis Hoosiers.

• GAME ONE BOXSCORE: Monday, September 7, 1914 - BR

Pittsburgh opens the scoring in the first, but the Tip Tops promptly tie in the second and take a 2-1 lead in the fourth.  However the Rebels answer with a run in the sixth, then pull ahead 3-2 in the top of the seventh.  The Washington Park crowd is delighted when their Tip Tops score twice in the bottom half of the frame for a 4-3 lead and game one victory.  Steve Evans is 2 for 4 with a double and connects off Rebels starter Cy Barger on his 11th home run of the season.  Solly Hofman is 2 for 2 and connects on his fourth home run of the season.  Al Shaw and Grover Land each drive in a run apiece.  Making his 13th appearance but only his third start, Bill Chappelle limits the Rebels to three runs on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts through nine innings pitched for first victory of the season.

• GAME TWO BOXSCORE: Monday, September 7, 1914 - BR

Mordecai Brown's first start as a member of the Tip Tips goes terribly.  He allows five runs, four earned, on five hits and a walk in just 1.1 innings pitched.  Rudy Sommers goes on to yield another six runs, four earned, on nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts over the next six-plus innings in relief of Brown.  Brooklyn treats Pittsburgh starter Mysterious Walker no differently, roughing him up for seven runs, six earned, on 13 hits and one walk through 6.2 innings pitched.  Pittsburgh knocks Sommers out of the box and takes an 11-7 lead with two more runs in the top of the eighth; Jim Bluejacket closes out the frame in relief of Sommers.  Brooklyn then mounts a five run assault against relievers George LeClair and Howie Camnitz, however, only two runs are earned.  Manager Bradley hands off to Happy Finneran who throws a scoreless ninth for the Tip Tops, as Brooklyn walks off with a 12-11 comeback victory and a sweep of Monday's double-header at Washington Park.  Bluejacket is credited with the win.  Tex Wisterzil leads the charge going 3 for 5 with a triple and four runs batted in.  Steve Evans lifts his season average to .361 after going 3 for 5 with a triple, three runs scored, and three runs batted in.  Solly Hofman is 3 for 5 with a double, three runs scored, and three runs batted in.  Claude Cooper is 2 for 4 with a triple and a run batted in.

Brooklyn improves to 64-58 for the season.  They'll attempt the series sweep Tuesday afternoon.