- Braved Father to Become a Pitcher
Publication Date: August 25, 1914
By W. J. O’Connor The Pittsburgh Press
When William Leopold (alias Lumbago Bill) Doak was 17 years old and in his senior year at the Pittsburg High School just about to be graduated, he was taken to task one day by Pa Doak, who got this off his chest:
“Willie, my boy you are paying too much attention to baseball, and I warn you to stop it. I want you to become a mining engineer, so make up your mind along those lines.”
Now, William Leopold had studied trigonometry and he knew something about engines but he preferred curves, especially an out-drop which he slipped over with the call 3 and 2. So he answered Mr. Doak like this:
“Dad, you’re all wrong and you lose, I’ve already signed with Knoxville in the County League and I’m going to pitch my first game next Sunday.”
Willie and his father weren’t very friendly for some time to come. After pitching in and around Pittsburg for one season he went to Wheeling in the Central League In 1910 and was still there in 1911. Starting 1912 he bobbed up with Columbus, in the American Association, but after a short trial he heard the piercing rattle of a boiler and suddenly found himself In Akron, with the Central Association club.
“GONE TO THE BAD.”
The senior Doak frequently told Willie’s mother how their son had disappointed him and Willie wasn’t exactly crazy about himself. He had reached his majority and he still was in a Class D league. He had hopes when he started out to be with Connie Mack when he cast his first vote.
But in the fall of 1913 Willie had a thrill. He was sold to Cincinnati and he had visions of regaining parental blessing.
Bill wasn’t much of a man just then, size, weight and appearance considered. But he was full of confidence and he reported in Rhineland to that frozen-faced man called Henry O’Day.
WANTED A PITCHER. NOT A LEMON.
Mr. O’Day didn’t enthuse over Bill’s coming. He put him into a ball game forthwith and when the opposition had two innings of Bill’s stuff, O’Day warmed up another pitcher. That night O’Day told his scout that had ordered a pitcher, not a mascot, and advised the scout to inform Bill to leave a forwarding address with the club secretary.
Doak, crestfallen went back to Akron. He also was in Akron when the season of 1913 started and it was there that Edwardo Henri, the fattest scout in the National League, found him early In July. Herr scouts for the Cardinals, and being a reformed pitcher himself, he has a faculty of distinguishing between good and bad.
Herr donned an Akron uniform and traveled with the team for two weeks. Doak at that time was just mastering a spitball and he acquired control of the moistened curve so easily that Herr bought him on July 15 for a beggar’s pittance of $500.
TOO MUCH A LA STRINGBEAN.
Bill’s rise from that day was meteoric. He reported to Huggins in New York, and Hug, who fancies big pitchers, thick-chested ginks like Perdue and Griner, didn’t enthuse one bit more than Henry O’Day. Bill was frail looking, but Hug decided to give him an early trial. He let him finish up two innings against the Giants. Doak didn’t yield a hit. The Cardinals returned to St. Louis and Hug gave Bill another two-inning fling at the champions. Again the Giants failed to score. The next day Doak started against McGraw’s team and he lost a bitter duel to Al Demaree, 1-0.
That established Willie. But we’ll skip over the remainder of 1913 and review only what happened in 1914.
Today Willie doak is the winning pitcher of the National league. He tops Chris Mathewson, Rube Marquard, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Larry Cheney and other horney-flsted sons of toil.
He’s 23 years old – born Jan. 28, 1891 – and he’s the youngest pitcher that ever attained the leadership of the National league his first season out. His long string of conquests this year include a sparkling decision, 1-0, over Grover Cleveland Alexander. He has met Christy Mathewson twice, and beaten the Old Master both times, 4-3 and 3-2. He has scored five shutouts, two against Chicago, one each against Chicago, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Pittsburg.
DOAK SENIOR IS RECONCILED.
And there’s some history attached to that Pittsburg victory. It was on the day that Willie blanked the Pirates that the good folks of Smoketown celebrated Doak day. Among those occupying boxes were the senior Mr. and Mrs. Doak, a proud mother. And they do say now that the wildest Cardinal rooter within the confines of that smoke-laden city which turned out Harry Thaw is Old Man Doak.
It has been pointed out that there are lots of young mining engineers who are running adding machines in the very best banks in and around Pittsburg. Some of them are running pay-as-you-enter cars on the East Liberty division, but this winter Willie Doak intends to buy a six-cylinder roadster and motor home with his wife. He was married last spring.
Doak today has the respect of every batter in the National league. At that he admits himself that he is far from at his best. “I have a lot to learn, and I expect to be a much better pitcher next season.”
From that we judge that the Cardinals should be a pennant factor again in 1915. If Lumbago Bill is an improved workman there’s no reason why he should ever acquire as many as five defeats in a season.
Indeed, Manager Huggins can look at Doak, aged 23, and then grip the right hand of Scout Eddie Herr, feeling that he is not wasting any valuable time. Doak, today, is a priceless asset in baseball.
Photo from The Pittsburgh Post, August 24, 1914
