From Iowa Hill to the big leagues: Bill James led the Boston Braves to a World Series title in 1914

During the mid-to-late 19th century, miners flocked to the town of Iowa Hill after word spread that gold was plentiful and one could make a fortune by finding the right "flash in the pan." Rumored to have been founded by miners from Iowa, gold was discovered in 1853 in Iowa Hill and prompted a drastic increase in the population. By 1870, it was one of the largest towns in all of California with an estimated 10,000 residents. Historical records indicate it was also being considered as the state capitol, as the town was overflowing with a resource that was inspiring relocations from across the nation. One miner hoping to strike it rich had a son named Bill James. While a job in the mines seemed like a natural route for any resident of Iowa Hill, young Bill had an affinity for another profession – baseball. While his dad was mining for gold, James volunteered as a water boy for the Iowa Hill Dusty Roads baseball team. He'd later play for a local team called Wide Awakes with his brother (Elbert James) and sister (Irene James). Bill's love for the game grew, but his parents were unconvinced his favorite pastime would translate to a livable wage. When his dad took a job as a dredge operator in Oroville when James was 11, it was all but a foregone conclusion the son would follow in his footsteps to provide for his family in the mining industry. But Bill had other plans. After three years as a standout pitcher at Oroville Union High School, the Seattle Giants of the Northwestern League took notice and offered him a contract in 1912. Unconvinced, James' father gave him $50, enough to pay for the trip home when things didn't work out. But James never bought a return ticket, effectively pitching his way out of a life in the mines or as a dredge operator with his father. Professional career During the 1912 season, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound James went 29-7 with a 2.17 ERA, including 16 consecutive wins. His performance helped Seattle win the Northwestern League championship. It was enough for major-league clubs to take notice, as James was regarded as one of the most promising pitching prospects in baseball. In need of talent at seemingly every position, the Boston Braves came calling. It was a team that didn't have a winning season from 1903-12 and was a perennial cellar dweller. They signed James and fellow Seattle Giants catcher Bert Whaling for $8,000 – $7,999 for James and $1 for Whaling, according to reporters. James sent the $50 back to his father, pitching his first season in the major leagues in 1913. James went an uninspiring 6-10 but posted a respectable 2.79 ERA. Still, the Braves finished 69-82, 31½ games behind the first-place New York Giants. There was little indication the group was on the verge of making baseball history. The 1914 season started like most for the Boston Braves of the early 1900s. By midseason, they were in familiar territory – last place, sitting at 26-40. It would take all but a miracle for the Braves to chase down the likes of the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. But the miracle came – the Braves went 68-19 over their last 87 games, led by James' 26-7 record. From July 9 until the end of the regular season, James was 19-1 with a 1.51 ERA. His lone loss was to Pittsburgh 3-2 in 12 innings. The Braves finished 94-59, setting up a World Series against Connie Mack's heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics, who won the World Series in 1910, 1911 and 1913. Interestingly, the Braves abandoned their longtime home field (South End Grounds) earlier that year, renting Fenway Park from the Red Sox. It was long before the "Green Monster" was built in 1934, but a large wall plastered with advertising stood behind the crowd in left field. 1914 World Series Another 26-game winner in the Braves' rotation, Dick Rudolph, started Game 1 and secured the victory for the dark horse team. James got the ball in Game 2, allowing just three baserunners through eight innings – two of whom he picked off to hold Philadelphia scoreless. In the ninth, James ran into trouble after walking two batters but induced a double play to end the game and give Boston a 2-0 series lead. Two days later, James was called on again – this time out of the bullpen with the score tied 4-4 in the 11th inning. James earned the win by posting two scoreless frames. The Braves won in the bottom of the 12th on a throwing error, giving them a commanding 3-0 series lead. The momentum swelled in Game 4 and the Braves rode the wave to a 3-1 victory behind Rudolph, who also finished the series with two wins. James posted a 0.00 ERA in 11 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out nine. It was a swift rise to the top for James, one that prompted John J. Ward of Baseball Magazine to say, "The further acquisition of experience should (make him) one of the greatest all-round pitchers in history." While James' talent was obvious, no one at the time knew the 22-year-old would only win five more games in his career. Most assumed the young, promising James' early success would translate to a long and prosperous career as an ace for the Braves, not just some flash in the pan. The cost of success The cost of the Boston Braves' miracle season may very well have been James' arm health. He pitched 332 1/3 innings in 1914, which included 30 complete games. With no pitch counts being recorded, it's likely James threw 200-300 pitches in many of his starts. On June 2, 1914, James threw 13 innings in a 3-2 win. He faced 55 batters. A reasonable average for pitches per at-bat is 4-5, which puts James in the 200-250 range. On July 4, James threw an 11-inning complete game, facing 48 hitters. He threw 10 or more innings on seven occasions, a workload that would get any modern-day manager fired for overusing such a promising young arm. Shortly after the series, there were indications the constant arm pain and grind of the daily travel started to wear on him. After the 1914 series, James told Baseball Magazine, "I like the game well enough, but I can't get used to the long jumps from one city to another. It looks nice from the outside to think of traveling around the country, but one sweep of the circuit is enough," he said. "After that, it becomes hard and disagreeable work." James' massive success came with a price, as he had to resort to surgery in an attempt to fix what baseball described as a "dead arm" at that time. It's reasonable to assume James had much more serious structural damage to his arm, but his claims were dismissed as the privileged complaints of an overpaid athlete. He pitched through the pain in 1915, but decreasing velocity and performance caused the Braves to move him out of the rotation before putting him on the shelf for the rest of the season in an attempt to revitalize his arm. After throwing more than 330 innings the year prior, James was shut down 68 1/3 innings into 1915. In March 1916, teammate Johnny Evers told reporters what was becoming increasingly evident: "His arm is gone. Bill knows it, and we know it." Two surgeries later, James still was a shell of his former self despite continuing to pursue the journeyman life in baseball he once denounced. He tried to regain his form with the Braves in 1919, but his velocity never returned. James pitched one game, going 5 1/3 innings, the last time he would pitch in the big leagues. A different era Up until 1988, the concept of a pitch count to preserve a pitcher's health was unheard of. A starting pitcher would throw until proven ineffective, placing little concern on the wear and tear hurling hundreds of pitches could have. Before 1988, pitch counts weren't even recorded as an official stat. During James' era, it wasn't unusual to see a pitcher throw 300 or more pitches in a game. In 1920, Leon Cadore of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitched all 26 innings of an extra-inning game, as did counterpart Joe Oeschger of the Boston Braves. Historians estimate Cadore threw 360 pitches while Oeschger threw 319. The manager of the Braves in 1920 was the same George Stallings who helped guide Boston to the 1914 title. James' daughter, Janet Holden, wrote a biography for her father in the spring of 2003 for the Butte County Historical Society's magazine "Diggin's." Having heard stories of her father's arm pain first-hand, Holden wrote, "Mr. Stallings was a hard driver and pushed his Boston Braves to the breaking point; thus, he had pitched Bill at least every other day or had him in for relief." "He knew a good thing when he saw it, but he overdid it," Holden wrote. The "dead arm," as it was called, was a death sentence for a pitching career. It was no different for James, who tried to make several comebacks but never regained the form he showed in 1914. With no bullets left in the rifle of an arm James showcased for the Braves, he returned to Oroville and worked on the dredge with his father. Life after baseball Unable to stay away from the game he loved, James served as a player-manager for the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League from 1923-25. He later managed the Chico Colts and Oroville Olives. James even served as a bomb-throwing instructor in the 66th infantry after being drafted while still attempting to come back from his arm injury. When he wasn't on a baseball diamond, James found other competitive outlets, such as bowling. He took up the sport with the Oroville Elks Club and bowled a perfect 300. While living in Oroville after his pro career, James also dabbled in the oil business with Hoke Fuel Company. He later served as the Butte County assessor while his wife, Harriett, was the county clerk. When the Boston Braves finally made another World Series in 1948, James and Harriett were invited and greeted by members of the 1914 "Miracle Braves." In 1957 and 1958, the Braves made it to the World Series again but had moved to Milwaukee. This didn't stop James and Harriett, who traveled to watch the Braves play the New York Yankees. James' brother, Vernon, also had an affinity for baseball but made his living as a dentist in the Auburn area. James Field in Auburn was named after Vernon. It's the home of the Placer High School baseball team and is used by youth teams, adult leagues, American Legion and travel teams. After breaking his hip in 1970, James had a room directly across the hall from Harriett in the Oroville Convalescent Hospital. He would suffer a stroke in February 1971 before passing away peacefully on March 10, 1971, two days shy of his 79th birthday. At his funeral, his pall bearers were the same Oroville Olives players he coached, and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" played for all to hear. The eulogy for James was delivered by Bill Talbitzer, a well-known author, historian, broadcaster, lecturer and publisher – earning him the nickname "The Diesel of Journalism." Talbitzer's words embodied the true spirit of James. "His was the story of the strong, eager boy from a small American mining town, Iowa Hill, who, through his very own ability and determination, rose to the very pinnacle of professional baseball," Talbitzer said. "As long as men and women engage in competitive sports, the name of Boston Bill James will never be forgotten. As long as the feats of the great stars of professional baseball are recorded, his accomplishments will remain high on the list. As long as the city of Oroville shall exist, he will be remembered as a glowing part of its history."