- Seeking Real Estate Riches
March 20, 1925 Age 34
By Ralph Davis The Pittsburgh Press
AND NOW Bill is a realtor, selling lots of land in Bradenton, Fla., near the place where the Brooklyn ball club is training. He refuses to have anything further to do with spitballs or dotted lines, and despite the pleadings of his teammates and from Capt. Zack Wheat down, Knoxville Bill is obdurate.
THE SUM of $250 stood between my signing a contract last fall,” said Doak. “I explained at the time that my expenses in Brooklyn were greater than here, and I thought that much over the salary offered me by Mr. Ebbets would cover the added outlay. Had he agreed I would have signed the contract and played ball because I would have felt obliged to do so. I’m glad now that he didn’t. I am nicely situated here with a good firm, selling some real estate on percentage and a little on my own account.
“Later, I expect to branch out entirely on my own hook. For that reason I want to remain here all the year around so I won’t miss any opportunities. No, you can say that I am positively out of baseball.”
But all reports to the contrary, notwithstanding, etc., Jack Fournier, a close friend of Doak’s and the first baseman, takes the opposite view about Doak’s future, and says that Doak will be pitching for Brooklyn within 30 days after date – the date he means being the opening of the season.
In all of which we’re only interested because Doak is a Pittsburgher, or a Knoxvillian, and well is his graceful form recalled on the “Doak Days” at Forbes Field and the occasions at the Knoxville brickyard park (years ago) when spitball pitchers were spitball pitchers.
Those were the days, say the county league fans!
Speaking of real estate, on the very site of the Knoxville county league park, is row upon row of bungalows.
Now That Bill Is Out of Baseball, He’ll Be Needing a Nice Suit for Easter
