The Los Angeles Dodgers are the “comeback” team of 2013. Ironically, there were very high expectations of the Dodgers coming into the season, but then they performed miserably for the first two months of the season such that many people had written off the season for them. But since July, they’ve had one of the most productive strings of games in history. A look back in history almost a century ago reveals a similar turnaround for a team within a single season. The 1914 Boston Braves, who became known as the “Miracle” Braves, produced a similarly dramatic run in the second half of the season that eventually landed them a World Series Championship.
On June 21, the Dodgers were playing below .500 with a 30-42 won-loss record. They were mired in last place of the National League West Division. Injuries to several key players had plagued them early. Since then, they have lost only nine games out of fifty-one, and currently command a 7 ½ game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are now clicking on all cylinders, getting solid pitching and hitting and winning “come-from-behind” games. There has been a huge energy and momentum built up by the team due to the play of exciting players such as Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramirez, Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-ji-Ryu. While there are still a lot of games to play, it currently appears the Dodgers will fulfill their pre-season expectations, despite the rocky road on which they began the season.
Let’s take a look at the comparison with the Braves team.
Before 1914, the Boston Braves had perennially been “cellar dwellers,” habitually finishing in the lower half of the National League. In fact, they had only one winning season (1902) since 1900. The club seemed to be in a constant state of change in team leadership. In 1913, George Stallings became the ninth Braves manager since 1900. They even had trouble keeping the same team mascot name during that time, going through such names as Beaneaters, Doves, and Rustlers, before settling on the Braves in 1912. Therefore, at the start of the 1914 season, the prospects for Boston’s campaign appeared to be no different from their recent past.
Indeed, the 1914 season started out for the Braves the way it was expected. They won only four of their first twenty games. Then between May 20 and July 10, they fashioned somewhat of a turnaround with 26 victories out of 50 games. However, they were still nine games below .500 and in last place, 11 ½ games behind the league-leading New York Giants. They continued to rack up the victories and finally got to a .500 record (45-45) on August 1, good enough for fourth place in the league.
A nine-game winning streak ended on August 7 but left the Braves only 7 ½ games behind the leader. On September 2, they captured first place. Except for two days in early September, the Braves remained in first place through the end of the season. To put icing on the cake, they posted another nine-game winning streak from September 24 to October 1, and wound up capturing the National League pennant by 10 ½ games over the Giants. This dramatic finish represented a 25 ½ game swing since July 4. In addition to the Giants’ folding in September, the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates posted uncharacteristically mediocre seasons that also contributed to the Braves’ rise to the top of the league.
As the Braves began to climb in the league standings, then Boston Red Sox president, John Lannin, offered the use of Fenway Park to the Braves during the remainder of the season. The Braves’ fan following came together, and the Braves wound up leading the National League in attendance in 1914.
The Braves opposed the Philadelphia Athletics in the World Series in the post-season. They extended their hot streak from the regular season and swept the A’s in four games. It would be another hapless 34 years before the Braves appeared in the World Series again.
Some of the key players on Manager Stallings’ team included Johnny Evers at second base and Rabbit Maranville at shortstop. Evers was a 12-year veteran who had just come over from the Chicago Cubs. He wound up being voted the Most Valuable Player of the National League. The 22-year-old Maranville, on the other hand, was relatively new to the league, but he managed to lead the Braves with 78 RBI and finished second to Evers in the MVP voting. Both of them were eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Pitchers Dick Rudolph, Bill James, and Lefty Tyler carried the Braves’ starting rotation the entire season. Among them, they accounted for 68 (72%) of the Braves’ 94 winning decisions.
Of interest to New Orleans baseball fans, Larry Gilbert, Sr., a native New Orleanian and graduate of Jesuit High School, was a member of the Braves championship team. He was a 22-year-old rookie that appeared in 72 games as an outfielder. He had batted .268 with five home runs and 25 RBI during the regular season, but made only one plate appearance in the World Series. For Larry, the season would be the highlight of his big league career. He played part of the 1915 season with the Braves and then spent the balance of his baseball career in the minor leagues. Larry played for the New Orleans Pelicans from 1917 to 1925, and also managed the Pelicans from 1923 to 1938.
Considering the Braves’ history and woeful start of the 1914 season, combined with their meteoric rise during that same season, the adjective ”Miracle” seems duly appropriate. The Los Angeles Dodgers are hoping their season outcome will match that of the Miracle Braves’ historic season in 1914. However, the main difference between the two teams was the expectations of each team going into their respective seasons. I don’t believe that “Miracle” should describe the Dodgers’ season if should they win the National League pennant. I think “Comeback” Dodgers would be more fitting.