CARDINALS CLIMB TO SIXTH PLACE AT CUBS’ EXPENSE

April 3, 1914       Age 23

St Louis Post Dispatch

CHICAGO, May 2. Salute the Cardinals! They licked the Cubs, 9 to 4, today and climbed up to sixth place round in the pennant race. And they certainly did it at the expense of Cubs, for not only did they whale the men of O’Day, but the Cubs were falling in the standings even as the Cards were ascending. The Chicagoans are in seventh place tonight.

Oh, it was a lovely battle. As an exhibition of how NOT to play baseball it was a scream. That is if your sympathies were with the Cubs. Roger Bresnahan and Bill Sweeney gave several exhibitions showing how and why the Federal Leaguers should be classed as majors.

The Cardinals had the right system at that. Instead of doing a lot of threatening in several innings, they submitted gracefully, were retired peaceably and hurriedly.

Aha! ‘Twas in the Seventh.  

But in the fateful seventh they arose as one man and fell upon the Cubs. They hammered and they walloped. They chased the outfielders and had the infielders ducking to save their lives.

They scored four runs on five hits and while they were trailing 4-2 when they went in, they were leading 6-4 when they went out.

Doak started for the Cardinals and would have won, had it not been for Williams, who was playing center field This substitute cracked out four hits and two of them were doubles. He alone had Doak in the hole when a pinch-hitter was necessary. So Sallee finished.

Humphries started for the Cubs and toiled for three rounds when he surrendered the burden to Vaughn. And it proved to be quite a burden.

The Cardinals started as If they were going to give the Cub outfielders a lot of exercise. They grabbed a couple of runs in the second, but they stopped too soon.

Wilson opened this round with a single to center and John Miller immediately forced him. Magee displayed much patience and was rewarded with a pass. Cruise popped to Leach and it was up to Snyder. The big catcher was there all right. He shot a slashing double into center and both Miller and Magee came dashing home.

Cubs Tie the Score.

Those two runs looked large for just an instant. Then they became insignificant, for the Cubs tied it up in their half. Saier walked as a starter, and Williams was there with his first single. A passed ball advanced the pair and Saier scored on Bresnahan’s infield out. Humphries singled to left. Williams came across and it was 2 all.

The Cubs scored another and took the lead in the third. It was because Williams got another time at bat. With two gone and Saier standing on first, Williams cracked a triple to the fence in right center, and Vic came romping across the pan.

Manager O’Day benched Humphries and substituted the left-hander, Vaughan.

Whereupon a pitcher’s duel was begun. The only trouble was that Williams insisted on coming to bat. He came again in the sixth and with the usual result, the Cubs scored. But only one. Saier opened with a single to right and Williams bumped the boards in center with a three-base lick. That put Saier across, but Williams’ pals apparently were jealous of him and they permitted him to stand on third while three of them went out.

That handicap seemed to be just what the Cardinals needed. Miller singled and Magee flied to Williams. Cather batted for Cruise and singled and Snyder came through with a one-base drive to right. Bresnahan allowed Good’s throw to get away from him. Vaughan let go of a wild pitch. Dolan batted for Doak and singled and Bresnahan then was charged with a passed ball. Net result four runs for the Cardinals and jeers for the Cubs.

Sallee to the Rescue.

Sallee went in for the Cardinals and It was one, two, three for the Cubs. The St. Louis lads then had a lot more fun. Butler got on through Zimmerman’s error and was immediately forced by Wilson. J. Miller then cracked a double to right and Magee hit one of the funniest two-baggers ever seen on a baseball field. It was a mile high and Sweeney misjudged it two or three times. When it finally descended it cracked the second-baseman squarely on the head and bounded Into right field. Wilson and Miller scored, and Magee followed them when Cather singled into left.