‘Spittin’ Willyam’ Is to Be Paid for Number of Games He Wins This Season, So He Piled In and Trounced the Browns
New Sand on Cards’ Robison Field Bad for Spitballers
April 4, 1917 Age 26
By Clarence F. Lloyd The St Louis Star and Times
St. Louis. Money makes the mare go. This same coin of the realm may cause Bill Doak to win many ball games for M. James Huggins this season. The reason is obvious. A few weeks ago there existed a salary difference between Bill Doak and the Cardinals. Bill wanted more than the club was willing to give. Bill was needed and the club didn’t want to pay the money asked, unless—
And that’s how we connect Bill Doak and money. The matter was settled when it was agreed that Bill was to get the money he asked, provided Bill Doak won games. Just what number Bill Doak must win hasn’t been divulged, either by Bill or the Cardinal ball club. But whatever the number, Bill Doak has set out to total that number of victories.
He was one of the last Cardinals to report this spring, but he is in shape. If you don’t believe it, consult the Browns’ hitters, who could get only six hits and three runs and the short end of a 5-3 spanking in yesterday’s ball game.
Bill Doak made his first April appearance against the Browns in two years yesterday. And what’s more, he appeared in shape. He wants to get an early start n winning games and tried his arm on the American Leaguers. From the way he zipped over his fast ball and from the way some of the Browns all but broke their backs in swinging at and missing his “spitter.” It looks as if Bill Doak is going to do M. James Huggins much good this season.
New Sand on Cards’ Robison Field Bad for Spitballers
There is little chance of any of the Cardinal spitball pitchers working In the two spring series games to he played at Robison Field. The basepaths at the Cards’ path have been filled in with a thick layer of molder’s sand. The sand is still a bit lumpy and when a ball hits it the spheroid immediately becomes wingy. A spitball pitcher cannot propel a wingy ball with any degree of success. Hence Huggins’ decision to save his spitters for the Sportsman’s Park games.
Molder’s sand is the same substance Hank Fabian uses on the Polo Grounds’ towpaths. It has been used by McGraw’s club a number of years. Ballplayers say the Polo Grounds has the smoothest, springiest diamond In the league. This is the first year Groundkeeper Smith has placed the sand on the Robison Field lot.