September 11, 1913 Age 22
The St Louis Star and Times
Then, on the other hand – or the right hand – there is Bill Doak, who pitched against the Phils Wednesday. Doak at present is Huggins’ most promising right-hander.
Bill has a slippery spitball which will not be presented any royal welcome in the National League. Thera are so few spitball pitchers in the senior organization that its denizens believe they are imposed upon whenever they meet a spittist. This is fine for St. Louis.
How They Miss Doak’s Spitter.
When gentlemen like Paskert and Cravath start a “healthy” swing at the ball, see they are going to miss it a foot because of the jump on the spitter and change their stroke midway to a vertical drive – after the fashion of a man driving a nail – it means that Paskert and Cravath are miffed badly by the spitter and that they may be eliminated as dangerous hitting factors of the play.
Doak has the jump on his spitter. This ought to carry him through to many victories next season. To hold a bunch of hitters like the Phils to six hits is some pitching. Little Willie did it in ten innings Wednesday. Outside of a cannon shot off Luderus’ dreadnaught in the ninth, which was foul by a few feet, there were very few hard blows off Doak’s delivery. It was lucky Luderus’ rap was foul. It went over the right field pavilion.
September 1913. John McGraw was a bigger than life image, often in the press.
