OTD Federal League 9/23/1915: Brooklyn Tip Tops Earn Last Ever Victory With Win Over Kansas City Packers

From the desk: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Thursday, September 23, 1915

BROOKLYN TIP-TOPS     3

KANSAS CITY PACKERS  0

Gordon & Koppel Field

Dan Marion Hurls Seven-Hit Shutout; Brooklyn Salvages Series Finale

With a 3-0 blanking of the Kansas City Packers, the Brooklyn Tip Tops gain their last ever victory during their two-year membership in the rival Federal League.

Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, NY), 

Friday, September 24, 1915

Brooklyn opens the scoring against Kansas City starter Dan Adams with a run in the second and two more in the third for a 3-0 lead.  

Making his 24th start, Tip Top right-hander Dan Marion makes it stand, holding the Packers to seven hits (one for extra bases) and one walk over nine scoreless innings for the complete-game shutout victory.  Only two Packer's baserunners reached third and were left stranded.  The Tip Tops turn three double plays supporting Marion, who improved to 11-8 with a 3.21 ERA.

Shortstop Fred Smith connected on a two-run home run for Brooklyn.  Leadoff batter and right fielder George Anderson goes 2 for 4 with a double and scored on Smith's circuit.  Dan Marion helps himself with a single, a run batted in, and a run scored.

Leadoff batter and right fielder George Anderson goes 2 for 4 with a double and scored on Smith's circuit.  Dan Marion helps himself with a single, a run batted in, and a run scored.

Lee Magee, relieved as manager after posting a 53-64-1 record through 118 games, was ejected in the sixth after persistently arguing over a foul ball.

Brooklyn salvages the finale at Kansas City but loses the series three games against two.

New-York Tribune, 

Friday, September 24, 1915

OTD 10/7/1914: Modecai Brown Lifts Brooklyn Tip Tops Over Buffalo

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

BufFeds/Tip Tops Draw; 2-2

I - BUF 4; BTT 3

II - BUF 3; BTT 1

III - BTT 10; BUF 4

IV- BTT 10; BUF 4

Brooklyn Tip Tops

vs.

Buffalo BufFeds

If nothing else Mordecai Brown's effort against Buffalo opponent Harry Moran helps lift Brooklyn back to .500 and snaps their three game skid.

• BOXSCORE: Wednesday, October 7, 1914 - BR

The Tip Tops score early, often, and late, in a commanding 10-4 victory at Buffalo's International Fair Association Grounds.  Catcher Yip Owens leads the charge going 3 for 3 with a double, home run, and three runs batted in.  Brown helps his own cause with a hit in four plate appearances and a run batted in.  George Anderson, Al Halt, and Steve Evans, each drive in a run apiece.  Making his seventh start for the Tip Tops, the 37-year old Mordecai Brown yields four earned runs on eight hits and three walks with five strikeouts over eight innings for his 14th victory of the season against 12 losses with a 3.61 ERA.  Manager Bradley's bunch improve to 75-75 with four games remaining on Brooklyn's schedule.  Their sole mission now is to avoid slipping into the sub-par second division.

INDIANAPOLIS HOOSIERS CLINCH PENNANT

Otherwise the inaugural Federal League season is drawing to its conclusion.  With their seventh straight victory the Indianapolis Hoosiers clinch the league's first ever pennant by a 1.5 game margin ahead of the Chicago ChiFeds.  The Hoosiers improve to a league best 87-65 with Wednesday's defeat of the St. Louis Terriers, while the ChiFeds sat idle after losing both games of a double-header against the Packers on Tuesday.  The season comes to an end on Thursday, but there's nothing more Chicago can do.

COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE NOW!

OTD 10/2/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Eliminated From Federal League Contention

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops lead Terrapins; 2-1

I - BTT 8; BAL 3

II - BAL 3; BTT 0

III - BTT 3; BAL 1

Baltimore Terrapins

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

Now Mordecai Brown Decides He Wants to Pitch ...

• BOXSCORE: Friday, October 2, 1914 -BR

The Tip Tops avoid falling to par behind a strong effort from Mordecai Brown, but have otherwise ceased playing meaningful games as of Thursday's defeat.  Brooklyn improves to 74-72 with Friday's victory over the Baltimore Terrapins, ending the day nine games out of first with eight games left to play.  When it mattered least, Mordecai Brown offers Brooklyn his best.  In the penultimate home game of the season, Brown yields no earned runs on five hits and four walks with six strikeouts in a complete game winning effort at Washington Park.  Baltimore sours the shutout with an unearned run in the top of the ninth.  Otherwise Brown improves to 13-12 with a 3.57 ERA.  George Anderson lifts his average to .310 going 2 for 4 with a home run and two runs batted in.  Al Shaw accounts for the Tip Tops third run batted in.  Jim Delahanty goes 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Commemorative Plaque Now!

OTD 9/25/1914: Victory Over Brooklyn Tip Tops Lifts Chicago Into First Place

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

ChiFeds lead Tip Tops; 1-0

I - CHI 4; BTT 1

Chicago ChiFeds

vs

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

CHICAGO CHI-FEDS TAKE OVER FIRST PLACE

There's a new leader atop the Federal League standings.  Chicago's victory over Brooklyn on Friday coupled with the Hoosiers defeat at Pittsburgh gives Joe Tinker's ChiFeds a one game advantage over Indianapolis.

• BOXSCORE: Friday, September 25, 1914 - BR

Tip Tops starter Mordecai Brown pitches well in Friday's series opener at Washington Park, just not well enough, or perhaps not as well as his opponent Rankin Johnson.  The ChiFeds starter limits Brooklyn to one earned run on five scattered hits and two walks with ten strikeouts in a complete game winning effort.  Chicago jumps out to a 1-0 lead in the second.  Brooklyn draws even in the third on George Anderson's run batted in.  But the ChiFeds pull away late en route to a 4-1 victory.  Mordecai allows all four runs on eleven hits and one walk with five strikeouts through nine innings.  Shortstop/manager Joe Tinker is 1 for 4 with a run scored.  Center fielder Dutch Zwilling is 3 for 4 with a double, home run, and two runs batted in.

With a change in competition, the Tip Tops are now 7.5 games behind the first place ChiFeds with 15 games left to play.  Chicago has 12 games left to play.

OTD 9/14/1914: First Place Hoosiers Rout Brooklyn Tip Tops in Series Opener

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Hoosiers lead Tip Tops; 1-0

I - IND 10; BTT 0

Indianapolis Hoosiers

vs.

Brooklyn Tips Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

The greatly anticipated rematch against Indianapolis is underway.  Game one features a battle of 20-game winners: Brooklyn ace Tom Seaton versus Cy Falkenberg for the Hoosiers.

• BOXSCORE: Monday, September 4, 1914 - BR

Fan anxiety runs high at Washington Park as Seaton and Falkenberg match each other pitch for pitch through five scoreless innings.  However the game's latter innings prove calamitous for manager Bradley and his men, as the Hoosiers unleash a ten run assault against their Brooklyn hosts.  No Tip Top pitcher goes unscathed.  Seaton is knocked out of the box in the sixth, charged with two earned runs on just two hits and four walks with two strikeouts through 5.2 innings.  In relief of Seaton, Rudy Sommers yields another two runs, one earned, on three hits before finally closing out the sixth.  The Terriers then strike for five more run in the seventh against reliever Bert Maxwell.  A bedeviled manager Bradley then hands off to Jim Bluejacket whom allows one run on two hits and two walks over the final 2.1 innings of the game.  Brooklyn commits four errors with shortstop Al Halt accounting for half.  Left fielder George Anderson has two of Brooklyn's seven hits against Falkenberg.  Hoosiers left fielder Edd Roush is 3 for 5 with a run scored and three runs batted in.  While starter Cy Falkenberg yields no runs on seven hits and four walks with seven strikeouts in a complete game shut out performance.  He wins his 21st decision of the season against 16 losses with a 2.36 ERA.

This for Brooklyn is nothing short of an opportunity lost; a blown opportunity to pull within two games of first place.  With four games left in the series against Indianapolis, the Tip Tops instead end the day exactly four games out of first.

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 9/9/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Win Seventh Straight

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops lead Terriers; 1-0

I - BTT 2; SLT 1

St. Louis Terriers

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

Brooklyn wins their seventh in a row and the Indianapolis Hoosiers split a twin bill against the Terrapins at Baltimore.  The Tip Tops are now 12-3 over their last 15 games and pull within 3.5 games of first place.

• BOXSCORE: Wednesday, September 9, 1914 - BR

TOM SEATON EARNS 22nd VICTORY OF SEASON

On Tuesday Brooklyn opens a four game series against the St. Louis Terriers.  Tip Tops right-hander Tom Seaton is opposed by former 20-game winner for the Washington Senators, Bob Groom.  After trading runs in the first inning, the BrookFeds take a 2-1 lead in the fifth.  Neither team scores again.  Groom takes the hard luck loss, yielding two runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts through seven innings pitched.  Henry Keupper allows one hit in the eighth in relief of Groom.  Making his 37th start of the season Tom Seaton allows one run on seven hits and five walks with eight strikeouts over nine innings for his 22nd victory of the season against ten losses with a 2.99 ERA.  Steve Evans lifts his average to .363 with a single and double in three times at bat.  Solly Hofman drives in his 61st run of the season, and George Anderson goes 3 for 4 with his second home run of the season.

The Tip Tops improve to 66-58 with exactly 30 games remaining in the season.

OTD 9/5/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Win Third Straight Against Rebels

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops lead Rebels 3-0

I - BTT 7; PIT 6

II - BTT 7; PIT 1

III - BTT 3; PIT 2*

Pittsburgh Rebels

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

Both on the mound and at the plate Brooklyn hurlers win the day.  Tom Seaton notches his 21st victory of the season, and Ed Lafitte goes ten innings and drives in the winning run in game two.  At the plate they join for two hits, two runs scored, and two runs batted in.  Brooklyn wins their third in a row and fourth in their last five.  The Tip Tops (62-58) gain one-half game on Indianapolis to close within 6.5 games of the first place Hoosiers.

• GAME ONE BOXSCORE: Saturday, September 5, 1914 - BR

On the strength of Tom Seaton's right arm, the Tip Tops cruise to a 7-1 victory in the first of Saturday's two games at Washington Park.  Seaton, who last year led the National League with 27 victories, yields a lone unearned run on seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts through nine innings to win his 21st decision of the season against ten losses with a 3.06 ERA.  Rebels first baseman Cy Rheam scores Pittsburgh's lone run in the fifth.  Rebels starter Walt Dickson is betrayed by his defenders who commit seven errors behind him.  Dickson yields seven runs but only four are earned.  He nonetheless surrenders 14 hits and one walk with three strikeouts.  Steve Evans is 3 for 4 with a double, and two runs batted in.  Tex Wisterzil and Al Halt each drive in a run apiece.  At the top of the line-up George Anderson and Claude Cooper join for five hits with three runs scored.  Tom Seaton helps his own cause with a triple and two runs scored.

• GAME TWO BOXSCORE: Saturday, September 5, 1914- BR

Brooklyn and Pittsburgh remain stalemated at two through nine.  With two outs in the first, Rebels shortstop Steve Yerks triples to score center fielder Rebel Oakes and third baseman Ed Lennox for an early 2-0 lead.  Like Walt Dickerson in game one, Rebels starter Mysterious Walker is victimized by poor play in the field as Brooklyn ties the game with unearned runs in the fourth and sixth innings.  Brooklyn starter Ed Lafitte retires Pittsburgh in the top of the tenth.  Catcher Yip Owens strokes a double in the bottom half of the frame, and is replaced with pinch-runner Hap Meyers.  After which Ed Lafitte's base hit plates the winning run.  Brooklyn sweeps the day and take a 3-0 lead in the series.  Mysterious Walker loses his 14th decision upon yielding three runs, one earned, on ten hits and seven walks with five strikeouts into the tenth.  The game marks Lafitte's second extra-inning effort this season.  He pitched eleven innings back in April against the Packers.

OTD 8/31/194: Brooklyn Tip Tops Open Road Series With Victory at Buffalo

From the desk of:  THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops lead Buf-Feds 1-0

I - BTT 4; BUF 1

II - TUESDAY

HOME/HOME SERIES

Brooklyn Tip Tops

vs.

Brooklyn Buf-Feds

FROM

International Fair Grounds

Brooklyn wins Monday's series opener in 4-1 final at Buffalo

After trading runs in the fourth, Brooklyn pulls away with three late inning runs to win their fourth game in their last five.  Lead-off batter and left fielder George Anderson goes 3 for 5 with a run scored.  Center fielder Al Shaw is 2 for 3 with a double and two runs scored.  Second baseman Solly Hofman is 2 for 4 with a double and two runs batted in.  And Steve Evans and Grover Land also drive in a run each.  Buffalo second baseman Tex McDonald is 2 for 4 and drives in the Buf-Feds lone run of the day.  Tip Tops starter Happy Finneran yields the lone unearned run on seven hits and four walks with two strikeouts for his 11th win of the season against seven losses and a representative 2.23 ERA.  Buffalo's Fred Anderson earns his 13th loss upon yielding four runs on nine hits through nine full innings.

• BOXSCORE: Monday, August 31, 194 - BR

The Tip Tops were off on Sunday.  But when factored in with Indianapolis' three straight losses including Monday's double-header sweep by Kansas City, Brooklyn creeps back to within six games of first place with 41 regular season games left to play.  Meanwhile Buffalo's latest loss levels them at par with a 57-57 record.

After posting a stellar 21-8 record in July, the Top Tops close out the month of August with a 12-16 record which includes a debilitating nine game losing streak.  Playing just nine home games and 18 on the road could have partly been to blame .  The good news is all but four of their upcoming 27 September games are scheduled to be played at Brooklyn's Washington Park; advantage Tip Tops.

• Tip Tops Record: 58-56 (.509)
• Federal League: 4th; 6 GB

OTD 8/26/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Defeat Buffalo in Return to Washington Park

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

HOME SWEET HOME

Buffalo Buf-Feds

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

BROOKLYN

Brooklyn has much work to do if they are to rectify the considerable damage they caused themselves during their recent and potentially ruinous 4-14-1 road swing through the Midwest.  Wednesday afternoon's series opening win over Buffalo is only one small step in the right direction, but a first step nonetheless.  Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time in twenty days the Tip Tops prevail by a 6-2 final score over the Buf-Feds at Washington Park.  The victory snaps their nine game skid and gets them back to .500 (55-55) with 45 games left in the regular season.

• BOXSCORE: Wednesday, August 26, 1914 - BR

After trading runs in the first, Brooklyn starter Happy Finneran limits Buffalo to just one more run (none earned) on six total hits and two walks with five strikeouts through nine full.  Meanwhile the Tip Tops generate five more runs against Buf-Fed starter Al Schultz and reliever Fred Anderson en route to a 6-2 triumph.  Right fielder Claude Cooper goes 1 for 4 with a home run.  Grover Land and George Anderson each drive in a run.  Third baseman Tex Wisterzil is 1 for 2 with a triple and two runs scored.  Finneran also helps his own cause going 1 for 3 with a run batted in.  Happy notches his tenth victory of the season against seven losses with a 2.38 ERA.

Despite the victory Brooklyn does not gain ground on either first place Indianapolis or second place Chicago and thus remain mired in fifth place, 8.5 games back of the league leading Hoosiers.  After posting a stellar 21-8 record in July, the Tip Tops have slumped to 8-15 to date through August.  However, if nothing else Bradley's Boys are resilient.  This is the same team that on June 27 were in sixth place, eight games below .500 and 9.5 games back of first place.  By August 6 they had climbed all the way to within 1.5 games of first place.

And then they headed west ...

Commemorative Plaque Now!

OTD 8/20/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Tripped Up at Kansas City

From the desk of:  THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Packed Up And Shipped Out of Kansas City

Packers defeat Tip Tops 3-1-1

I - BTT 4; KCP 1

II - KCP 4; BTT 1

III - KCP 5; BTT 0

IV - KCP 8; BTT 4

V - KCP 1; BTT 1

The Tip Tops and Packers were forced into playing their second double-header in three days at Kansas City's Koppel Field due to Wednesday's postponement.

• GAME ONE; Thursday, August 20, 1914 - BR

Following Monday's series opening victory the Tip Tops lose their third straight to the Packers.  Brooklyn takes an early 2-0 lead in the first but gives it right back in the bottom of the frame, then fall behind 5-2 after two.  Kansas City adds a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth for an 8-4 final margin of victory.  Brooklyn center fielder Al Shaw is 2 for 5 with a double, triple, and two RBI.  Left fielder George Anderson and replacement shortstop Al Halt each drive in a run.  Starter Jim Bluejacket does not make it out of the second.  He yields four earned runs on five hits in just 1.1 innings for his second loss of the season.  Byron Houck in relief of Bluejacket allows another four runs, two earned, on nine hits and one walk through 6.2 innings pitched.  Kansas City's Chief Johnson goes the distance yielding four runs, three earned, on twelve hits, with three strikeouts en route to his third victory.  Packers third baseman George Perring goes 3 for 4 with three runs batted in.

• GAME TWO; Thursday, August 20, 1914 - BR

Brooklyn and Kansas City duel to a one all tie through eight innings when the game is called on account of darkness.  The Packers open the scoring on second baseman Duke Kenworthy's RBI in the third.  Brooklyn ties in the sixth when George Anderson triples then scores (unearned) in the sixth.  Tip Top starter Dan Marion allows the one run on five hits and no walks with four strikeouts.  Kansas City's Dwight Stone surrenders one run on four hits and no walks with five strikeouts.  The game officially goes down as a tie.  But the damage is done.  Brooklyn falls to 4-8-1 on this trip, and slips another 1.5 games in the standings.  They were within two games of first as recently as Monday but have since fallen four full games back of circuit leading Chicago.  The final leg of their odyssey next takes them through Indianapolis where they take on the second place Hoosiers in a crucial five game set.

Commemorative Plaque Now!

OTD 8/17/1914: Tip Tops Ed Lafitte Outlasts Kansas City Packers

From the desk of:  THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

GAME #100

GAME ONE

Brooklyn Tip Tops      3

Kansas City Packers  0

FINAL

TIP TOPS REACH 100 GAME MARK JUST TWO GAMES OUT OF FIRST PLACE.

Brooklyn rebounds from Saturday's loss at St. Louis with a much needed series opening victory over the Packers at Kansas City's Koppel Field on Monday.

• BOXSCORE; Monday, August 17, 1914 - BR

Tip Top starter Ed Lafitte and the Packers Dan Adams duel to a one all tie through the game's first seven innings.  Kansas City jumps out to a 1-0 lead in the first, and Brooklyn ties the game in their very next at-bat.  Brooklyn finally breaks the stalemate with three runs against Dan Adams in the eighth.  Ed Lafitte continues through for the complete game victory.  He yields a mere run on three hits and four walks with six strikeouts en route to his eleventh win of the season against ten losses with a 2.82 ERA.  Lafitte is also hit by a Dan Adams pitch for good luck.  Otherwise Adams likewise pitches nine innings, but suffers his sixth loss upon surrendering four runs, three earned, on ten hits and two walks with four strikeouts.  Center fielder Al Shaw drives in a pair of runs for Brooklyn.  Left fielder George Anderson and third baseman Tex Wisterzil each drive in a run apiece.  Right fielder Steve Evans goes 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored, and the Tip Tops only extra-base hit of the game.  Grover Land goes 2 for 2 after replacing Yip Owens behind the plate.

The Brooklyn Tip Tops improve to 54-46 (.540) at the 100-game mark of the season.  They are 29-14 since the start of July.  But dare I say they improve to 4-7 during this potentially season defining 19-game road trip.  The good news however is they again close to within two games of the first place Chicago Chi-Feds.