OTD 9/28/1914: Tip Tops Ed Lafitte Turns Back First Place ChiFeds

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

ChiFeds lead Tip Tops; 3-1

I - CHI 4; BTT 1

II - CHI 7; BTT 6

III - CHI 5; BTT 3

IV - BTT 9; CHI 5

Chicago ChiFeds

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

Brooklyn staves off par with their first victory of the series against first place Chicago.

• BOXSCORE: Monday, September 28, 1914 - BR

Leading 8-1 through six, starter Ed Lafitte withstands the ChiFeds four run outburst in the eighth to gain his 15 victory of the season with a 2.70 ERA.  He allows five earned runs on eight hits and six walks with eight strikeouts in a complete game effort.

Making only his fourth start behind the plate catcher Art Watson hits his first home run of the season off Chicago starter Claude Hendrix who is denied his 29th victory of the season.  A former 24-game winner for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the 25-year old Hendrix' record remains at 28-10 with a 1.73 ERA.  Center fielder Al Shaw goes 3 for 5 with a double and two runs batted in.  Al Halt goes 2 for 4 with a triple and run batted in.  And Claude Cooper, Solly Hofman, and Tex Wisterzil, also drive in one run apiece.

The Brooklyn Tip Tops improve to 72-70 but remain a distant 8.5 games back of Chicago with twelve games left in the Federal League inaugural season.  Meanwhile the ChiFeds hold a precarious 1.5 game lead over the Indianapolis Hoosiers.

OTD 9/22/1914: Tom Seaton Masterpiece Keeps Brooklyn Tip Tops Hopes Alive

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops lead Packers; 3-1

I - BTT 6; KCP 2

II - BTT 12; KCP 6

III - KCP 11; BTT 3

IV - BTT 1; KCP 0

Kansas City Packers

vs.

Brooklyn Tip Tops

FROM

WASHINGTON PARK

TOM SEATON EARNS 23rd VICTORY OF SEASON

• BOXSCORE: Tuesday, September 22, 1914 - BR

Are we to believe there still yet exists a glimmer of hope for Brooklyn?  Apparently that's what this resilient Tip Tops club is selling the Washington Park faithful after surviving Monday's 11-3 slaughter to outlast Kansas City in game four and gain a three games to one advantage in the series.

With only 19 games left in the season starter Tom Seaton keeps manager Bradley's fading dream of capturing a pennant alive with a masterful 1-0 whitewashing of the Packers Tuesday afternoon at Washington Park.  Third baseman Tex Wisterzil drives in the lone run of the game in the second inning.  Brooklyn's hurler takes care of the rest.  Tom Seaton allows no runs on just six hits and one walk with six strikeouts in a complete game shutout performance for his 23rd victory of the season against twelve loses with a 2.98 ERA.  Kansas City's Nick Culllop warrants a tip of the cap for allowing just one earned run on five hits and no walks with three strikeouts through eight innings pitched.

While the Tip Tops improve to 70-66 and get back within seven games of first place, the Indianapolis Hoosiers have been methodically reduced to a precarious half-game lead over Joe Tinker's Chicago ChiFeds.

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 9/8/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Complete Sweep of Pittsburgh Rebels

From the desk of: THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Tip Tops defeat Rebels; 6-0

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

VI - BTT 12; PIT 4

*10 innings

BROOKLYN ONE WIN CLOSER TO REMATCH WITH INDIANAPOLIS.

With their sixth straight victory and seventh in their last eight games the Tip Tops climb back to within four games of first place.  Having completed a sweep of the Pittsburgh Rebels, Brooklyn now hosts the seventh place St. Louis Terriers.  With any measure of success the Tip Tops will get a second crack at the Indianapolis Hoosiers in one last showdown for first place at Washington Park.

• BOXSCORE: Tuesday, September 8, 1914 - BR

On Tuesday Brooklyn wins their series finale against Pittsburgh to complete a six game sweep of the Rebels.  Happy Finneran, who pitched briefly in game five, toes the rubber for Brooklyn and is opposed by Pittsburgh's Walt Dickson.  The Rebels open the scoring straightaway with two runs in the first.  But Brooklyn doubles up in the bottom half of the frame for an early 4-2 lead.  The Tip Tops add two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth for a 7-2 advantage.  When Pittsburgh recovers one run in the top of the eighth, Brooklyn answers in the bottom half of the frame with a five run outburst.  The Rebels scrap together one more run in the ninth en route to a 12-4 loss at Washington Park.  Finneran is very effective, allowing three runs, but only one earned, on just three hits and one walk through 7.2 innings pitched for his 12th victory of the season against seven losses with a 2.43 ERA.  Jim Bluejacket takes care of the final 1.1 innings, yielding an unearned run on three hits with a strikeout.  Al Shaw leads the charge with a triple, a home run, and three runs batted in.  Steve Evans also drives in tree runs.  Tex Wisterzil goes 2 for 3 with two runs batted in.

NEXT

St. Louis Terriers @ Brooklyn Tip Tops

WASHINGTON PARK

• Tip Tops Record: 65-58
• Federal League: 3rd; 4 GB

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.

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 9/3/1914: Brooklyn Tip Tops Returning Home After Series Split at Buffalo

From the desk of:  THE BROOKLYN BAKERS NINE

Brooklyn @ Buffalo Split Series

I - BTT 4; BUF 1

II - BUF 3; BTT 1

III - BUF 5; BTT 5*

IV - BTT 10; BUF 2

V - BUF 5; BTT 1

The Tip Tops and Buf-Feds split Thursday's scheduled double-header at Buffalo's International Fair Grounds.  The five game series itself is split down the middle with each gaining two victories and one game suspended in a tie.

GAME ONE

• BOXSCORE: Thursday, September 3, 1914 - BR

Brooklyn scores early and often, then piles on again in the later frames en route to a 10-2 thrashing of the Buf-Feds.  Tip Top starter Bert Maxwell limits Buffalo to a pair of runs on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts through nine innings for his third victory with a 2.94 ERA.  Buf-fed shortstop Baldy Louden goes 2 for 4, and drives in Buffalo's only earned run against Maxwell.  Brooklyn on the other hand is 12 for 39 (.307) as a team with four extra-base hits.  Solly Hofman is big man on campus going 3 for 4 with a double, home run, four runs scored, and two runs batted in.  Jim Delahanty is 4 for 5 with four runs scored.  Steve Evans triples and drives in his 73rd run of the season.  Tex Wisterzil is 2 for 4 with two runs batted in, and shortstop Al Halt drives in a team leading three runs.

GAME TWO

• BOXSCORE: Thursday, September 3, 1914 - BR

Brooklyn scores an unearned run in the fourth, but would threaten no more.  Buffalo starter Fred Anderson allows no earned runs on just five scattered hits and four walks with six strikeouts for his tenth victory of the season with a 3.03 ERA.  Brooklyn commits five costly errors in the game. Starter Bill Chappelle yields five runs, but only two earned, on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts over eight innings pitched.  Buffalo left fielder Joe Agler is 3 for 4 with a run scored.  Center fielder Charlie Hanford is 2 for 4 with two runs scored, and third baseman Fred Smith drives in two runs in three at-bats.  Brooklyn's Steve Evans is 1 for 4 with a walk, and scores the Tip Tops lone run.

*

The Indianapolis Hoosiers defeat Chicago at Weegham Park, and so the Tip Tops lose another half game in the standings.  They now head back home to Brooklyn where they'll remain throughout the balance of September.  Three series down the line awaits another potentially crucial showdown against the Hoosiers.  The last time they met at Indianapolis the Hoosiers swept them in five.  Before Brooklyn can set about turning the tables at home they have ten games ahead of them with which to first close the gap.  The Pittsburgh Rebels and the St. Louis Terriers may indeed prove convenient and conducive opponents in the days leading up to their encounter with Indianapolis.  Brooklyn enters this weekend's series against the last place Rebels at Washington Park three games back of third place Baltimore, and five games back of second place Chicago.

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 8/24/1914: 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.

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.