From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE
SEASON FINALE
Brooklyn Tip Tops
vs.
Baltimore Terrapins
FROM
TERRAPIN PARK
GAME ONE VICTORY AT LEAST SECURES A .500 FINISH
Brooklyn wins their penultimate game of the season. The Tip Tops overcome a two run deficit with a six run outburst in the fifth en route to their 77th victory of the season. Making his 42nd and final start of the season, Ed Lafitte improves to 18-15 with a representative 2.63 ERA. Left fielder George Anderson, center fielder Al Shaw, and first baseman Solly Hofman each drive in two runs apiece.
THREE FINGER BROWN TAKES LOSS IN SEASON FINALE
The Tip Tops are held scoreless in their season finale. Baltimore starter Kaiser Wilhelm limits Brooklyn to just seven hits and no walks with seven strikeouts in a complete game shutout effort. Mordecai Brown, the 37-year old former National League great, concludes a strong finish with Brooklyn. He allows Baltimore just one earned run on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts through eight innings. The Miner finishes the season 14-13 with a 3.52 ERA.
INAUGURAL SEASON
77-77 (.500)
WASHINGTON PARK
THE SEASON
After opening their inaugural season on the road, on Monday, May 11, Kings County gets its first glimpse of the borough's newest baseball enterprise. The Tip Tops take the field in front of 15,000 fans at refurbished Washington Park where they are whitewashed by the visiting Pittsburgh Stogies on Opening Day. Onlookers are left pondering what's so new and unique about that, after all, the nearby Superbas lose games all the time. But Gowanas locals are soon treated to their first alternative circuit victory on Thursday, May 14, with a 4-1 decision over the St. Louis Terriers.
What follows is something as weird, wild, and wondrous, as any summer side show at Coney Island. There are odd and curious times to be had at Washington Park, for sure.
The Tip Tops are under performers for much of the spring months. And by the end of June they're in sixth place with a 25-32 record, nine games out of first place. On Independence Day they win their third straight over Buffalo. One week later upwards of 30,000 cranks packing Washington Park witness the home Feds sweep a twin bill from the Pittsburgh Stogies. Brooklyn goes on to post a stellar 21-8 record in July. Moreover, from July 16 through Aug. 20, the Tip Tops remain anchored no more than 4.5 games out of first place, at one point closing to within 1.5 games. That is until they arrive at Indianapolis on Aug. 21, for a pivotal six game showdown against the first place Hoosiers. Indianapolis rolls to a series sweep sending Brooklyn on their way one game under .500 and 8.5 games out of first place. The Tip Tops exercise one last measure of resilience winning seven in a row. On September 12, they again close to within three games of first place. But they can not sustain, and begin a sure and methodical descent down the Federal League ranks. As the calendar changes to October the Tips Tops are officially eliminated from title contention.
The Brooklyn Tip Tops finish the season at par with a 77-77 record. However, they play .500 or better against all league opponents with the exception of two: Joe Tinker's second place Chicago ChiFeds, and the pennant winning Indianapolis Hoosiers, against whom they post a combined 12-32 (.272) record. And therein lies the discrepancy in their final standing, as Brooklyn otherwise posts a 65-45 (.591) against all other competition.
THE MANAGER
Brooklyn secures well respected Bill Bradley as their player/manager. Back in baseball after a three year absence the 36-year old former Cleveland Indians third baseman limits himself to just six pinch-hit appearances all season. As a rookie in 1899 with the Chicago Cubs he bats .310 in 129 at-bats. In 1901 he jumps to the Cleveland Indians of the upstart American League where he spends the next ten seasons. In 1902 he bats .340 (the first of three straight .300 seasons) with 11 home runs and 77 runs batted in.
THE TEAM
A renown glove man as a player, manager Bill Bradley can only watch in dismay as the Tip Tops commit the league's second most errors and tie for worst fielding percentage. This is made all the more ponderous by the pennant clinching Hoosiers whom lead the league in both categories.
But whereas Indianapolis posts a second best 3.06 ERA, Brooklyn posts a 3.33 team ERA which is sufficiently below league average. This, despite yielding the second least home runs. Otherwise it can be said Tip Top pitchers were out of control, surrendering a league high 559 base on balls, and plunking a league high 52 batters, while striking out the third least batters.
Right-hander Tom Seaton is Brooklyn's ace. In 1913 his 27 victories and 168 strikeouts lead the National League. But after spending two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies he jumps to the Federal League nearly tripling his salary. In his first season with the Tip Tops the 26-year old goes 25-14 with a 3.03 ERA, and 172 strikeouts through 302.2 innings pitched. He ties for third most wins, and finishes fourth in strikeouts.
Before joining the Tip Tops, Ed Lafitte pitches parts of three seasons with the Detroit Tigers. But it's the 1914 season which essentially marks his first full campaign as a big league starter. The 28-year old goes 18-15 with a ninth best 2.63 ERA. His 137 strikeouts through 290.2 innings are eleventh best. He also owns the distinction of issuing a league high 127 walks.
After eleven seasons National League great Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown jumps to the St. Louis Terriers. Prior to his arrival in the Federal League, Brown posts six straight 20-win seasons as a member of the Chicago Cubs. In 1906 he leads the National league with a 1.04 ERA and nine shutouts. In 1909 he leads the league with 27 victories and 342.2 innings pitched. And from 1908 through 1911 he also leads the league with 32 saves. At 37-years of age, the Miner posts a 12-6 record and 3.29 ERA in 26 appearances and 175 innings pitched for the Terriers. In late August Brown is acquired by Brooklyn. He makes his first appearance in a Sept. 2 loss at Buffalo. The Tip Tops are 58-57 at the time, and 7.5 games back of first. The team does well to close within three games of first by Sept. 12, however, Brown is largely ineffective when they need him most. His stint with Brooklyn takes a turn towards the positive with the onset of October but only after they're eliminated from contention. He posts a 2-5 record and 4.21 ERA with 32 strikeouts through nine appearances and 57.2 innings pitched as a member of the Tip Tops.
At the plate, Brooklyn makes one think what could have been, as they boast the second most potent lineup in the league.
- Runs: #2 (662)
- Hits: #2 (1,402)
- Home Runs: #2 (42)
- Total Bases: #2 (1,923)
- Team AVG: #2 (.269)
- Team SLG: #2 (.383)
- Stolen Bases: #3 (220)
After five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Steve Evans jumps to the BrookFeds where he becomes their leading hitter. At 29-years of age the lefty swinging right fielder enjoys his finest season, finishing second in the batting race with a .348 average. He posts a league leading 15 triples and .556 slugging percentage. He is also second with 41 doubles, and second with 96 runs batted in, and his twelve home runs rank third.
Al Shaw has a brief three year career between 1907 and 1909 with the St. Louis Cardinals. After a four year absence from the game, he returns to roam center field for the Tip Tops. An early season injury keeps him out of action for more than three weeks. But the now 33-year old returns to bat .324, with 27 doubles, five home runs, 49 runs batted in, a representative .473 slugging average, and 24 stolen bases.
First baseman Solly Hofman enjoys a career season in 1910 while with the Chicago Cubs, batting .325 with 43 extra-base hits and 86 runs batted in. But after eleven seasons with the Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hofman jumps leagues. Now 31-years old, Solly plays in a career high 147 games for Brooklyn, batting .287 with 42 extra-base hits, 83 runs batted in, and 34 stolen bases.
THE LOCALS
The Tip Tops season slightly surpasses that of the neighboring Brooklyn Robins whom in their second season at new Ebbets Field and their first campaign under manager Wilbert Robinson finish the 1914 National League season with a 75-79 (.487) record. In fact, the Tip Tops even outperform the nine year old New York Yankees who finish in sixth place of the American League with a 70-84 (.455) record. Only John McGraw's New York Giants enjoy a better season, finishing in second place of the senior circuit with an 84-70 (.545) record.
THE PARK
WASHINGTON PARK IV
COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE NOW!
