Deadbeats, Dead Balls, and the 1914 Boston Braves

Martin H. Bush

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English

Kent State University Press
27 June 2025

Sports teams & clubs; Baseball

The unlikely story of one of baseball's greatest comeback seasons

The Boston Braves (the present-day Atlanta Braves) were a bunch of losers and alcohol-soaked whiskey swiggers, buried in last place as late as mid-July of 1914. This rough gang was led by their bullying, superstitious manager George Stallings and assisted by Johnny Evers, a nasty, egotistical captain who was despised by opponents and umpires alike.

Deadbeats, Dead Balls, and the 1914 Boston Braves chronicles the team's misfortune, meteoric rise through the 1914 season, and audacious World Series run against the overwhelmingly dominant Philadelphia Athletics. Hall of Fame umpire Bill Klem, a mainstay in the game for over 7 years, called the Braves ""the most spirited team he ever saw""––but would their spirit be enough against one of the most powerful teams ever put together?

Making use of extensive archival and primary source research, Martin H. Bush places the Braves' story within the larger controversies of dead ball–era baseball: greedy team owners, exaggerations of the ""yellow"" press, and blatant cheating tactics used to gain unfair advantage. Bush strips away the myths—but not the romance—that can obscure our understanding of how baseball evolved. Including anecdotes from heroes of the ""dead ballers,"" like Ty Cobb, Hans Wagner, and ""Cy"" Young,"" Deadbeats, Dead Balls, and the 1914 Boston Braves is an unforgettable story—at turns painful, exciting, shocking, and funny.

By: Martin H. Bush
Imprint: Kent State University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781606354940
ISBN 10: 1606354949
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 27 June 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Martin H. Bush was senior historian (acting) at the New York State Education Department and a researcher for the office of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York. He is the author of seven other books including the best-selling Ben Shahn: The Passion of Sacco and Vanzetti.

Reviews for Deadbeats, Dead Balls, and the 1914 Boston Braves

""Nearly three-quarters of a century after their relocation, the Boston Braves feel like a baseball franchise lost to time. But Martin H. Bush does an admirable job of reviving this club in vivid detail during its lone championship season. A rollicking and deeply researched read.""--Luke Epplin, author of Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball ""One comes away with an exhilarating sense of how the game was played, and the character of those who played it.""--John Dreifort, professor of history, Wichita State University