During the following season, 1949, Boston struggled on the field and was in chaos off the diamond. Southworth was rumored to be drinking heavily and near nervous collapse. Some players complained about his rules and regulations, and some, including starting shortstop Alvin Dark and second baseman Eddie Stanky, were critical of his drinking. Meanwhile, others, like Sain, resented the amount of credit Southworth had received for the 1948 pennant. With Boston at 55–54 on August 16, Southworth turned the Braves over to coach Johnny Cooney for the remainder of . A newspaper account at the time characterized the change as a leave of absence for health reasons.