Bill Doak
Encyclopedia
William Leopold Doak was born on January 28, 1891 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. He spent 11 years with the St. Louis Cardinals
. In he went 19-6 and lead the league with an ERA of 1.72. Doak won 20 games in , and led the NL in ERA again in 1921. On June 14, 1924 Doak was traded by the Cardinals to the Brooklyn Robins
for Leo Dickerman
.
He returned to St. Louis for a short time in 1929 before retiring. His lifetime record is 169-157, with an ERA of 2.98 and 1,014 strikouts. Even though Doak played with many unremarkable teams, he is among the Cardinals' top 10 in eight pitching categories; his 32 shutouts rank second behind Bob Gibson
.
Doak's main pitch, the spitball
, earned him the nickname "Spittin' Bill". When the pitch was outlawed in 1920, Doak was one of 17 pitchers allowed to continue throwing the spitball.
Doak made his most lasting contribution to baseball by innovating the design of the baseball glove
. In 1920, he suggested to Rawlings
that a web should be laced between the first finger and thumb, saying it would create a natural pocket. The Bill Doak glove soon replaced all other baseball gloves and is the standard to this day.
Doak retired to Bradenton, Florida, where he owned a candy shop (Bill Doak's Sweet Shop), and also coached the Bradenton High School baseball team, which made it to the state championship. He died in Bradenton on November 26, 1954.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. He spent 11 years with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. In he went 19-6 and lead the league with an ERA of 1.72. Doak won 20 games in , and led the NL in ERA again in 1921. On June 14, 1924 Doak was traded by the Cardinals to the Brooklyn Robins
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
for Leo Dickerman
Leo Dickerman
Leo Louis Dickerman was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched for the Brooklyn Robins during the 1923 and 1924 baseball seasons and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1924 & 1925.-External links:...
.
He returned to St. Louis for a short time in 1929 before retiring. His lifetime record is 169-157, with an ERA of 2.98 and 1,014 strikouts. Even though Doak played with many unremarkable teams, he is among the Cardinals' top 10 in eight pitching categories; his 32 shutouts rank second behind Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson
Robert "Bob" Gibson is a retired American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Hoot" and "Gibby", he was a right-handed pitcher who played his entire 17-year Major League Baseball career with St. Louis Cardinals...
.
Doak's main pitch, the spitball
Spitball
A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of saliva, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance....
, earned him the nickname "Spittin' Bill". When the pitch was outlawed in 1920, Doak was one of 17 pitchers allowed to continue throwing the spitball.
Doak made his most lasting contribution to baseball by innovating the design of the baseball glove
Baseball glove
A baseball glove or mitt is a large leather glove that baseball players on the defending team are allowed to wear to assist them in catching and fielding balls hit by a batter, or thrown by a teammate.-History:...
. In 1920, he suggested to Rawlings
Rawlings (company)
Rawlings is a sports equipment manufacturing company in the United States. It was founded in 1887. The parent company is Jarden, Inc. Rawlings specializes in baseball equipment, but also manufactures softball, basketball, training equipment and American footballs...
that a web should be laced between the first finger and thumb, saying it would create a natural pocket. The Bill Doak glove soon replaced all other baseball gloves and is the standard to this day.
Doak retired to Bradenton, Florida, where he owned a candy shop (Bill Doak's Sweet Shop), and also coached the Bradenton High School baseball team, which made it to the state championship. He died in Bradenton on November 26, 1954.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
External links
- Bill Doak Biography http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=v&v=l&bid=962&pid=3633