“Haven’t you noticed that the men who do the biggest work for the longest time in baseball, both mentally and physically, are Coca-Cola enthusiasts?
“John J. McGraw drinks Coca-Cola.”
After winning three straight pennants with the Giants from 1911-1913, McGraw was confident his team was heading for a fourth straight National League championship after his club took over first place on May 30. In September, the surging Boston Braves–who were in eighth place when New York took over first– split a doubleheader with the Giants to remain tied for first place (The Braves were tied with the Giants for one day on August 25 and were in sole possession of first for one day earlier in the month).
That day, under the headline “Prophecies and sich!” Ralph Davis of The Pittsburgh Press presented a series of quotes he attributed to McGraw which nicely summed up the season’s pennant race:
“John McGraw said on June 1: ‘The big disappointment of the year has been the Boston Nationals. I thought (George) Stallings would get his team into the first division at the start and keep it there.’
George Stallings
“John McGraw said on July 1: ‘Those poor old Bostonians are still at the bottom of the pile, where they seem to be anchored. The team is surely the surprise of the season.’
“John McGraw said on Aug 1: ‘The Boston Braves have made a great showing during the past two weeks, and are now in fourth place. They will probably slump again, but should not drop back into last place.’
“John McGraw said on Aug. 15: ‘Boston is now in second place, but we are not worried about that. Their present spurt is merely a flash, and they will soon be headed the other way.’
“John McGraw said on Sept. 1: ‘As I predicted, the Braves did not stay with us. They have dropped back to second place and have probably shot their bolt. They will decline from this out. Mark my words.’
“John McGraw said on Sept. 7: “Those Braves blankety blank, blank, etc…, ad infinitum!’
McGraw
“Which being interpreted means Boston once more tied with the Giants for the lead, and shows no sign of breaking badly, as the eminent Mr. McGraw predicted.”
Davis’ prophecy that the Braves showed “no sign of breaking badly” was correct. Boston beat the Giants 8 to 3 the following day, recapturing sole possession of first place. They never looked back. The Braves went 25-6 (with three ties) the rest of the season and cruised to the pennant, beating McGraw’s Giants by 10 1/2 games.
Baseball History Daily 
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