- Hurler Seems Likely to Duplicate Great Work of 1924 Season
- Beats His Old Team 6-1 in St. Louis on Five Hits
Game Date: June 5, 1927 Age: 36
One summer day in 1924 Uncle Robinson surprised the baseball world by swapping Leo Dickerman for the aged Bill Doak, thus maintaining his penchant for veteran talent.
That year, it will be remembered, the Robins wore nosed out for the pennant by the Giants in the final week of the campaign. While Dazzy Vance and Burleigh Grimes were big factors in the unsuccessful pennant drive of the Robins, the Brooklyn boys would not have been even close if it was not for the June trade. In short, one William Doak was just the pitcher Robbie needed to get the Robins up there. A failure in St. Louis, Doak came to the Robins and finished the season with thirteen victories and six defeats.
Following his success of 1924 Doak fell a victim to the Florida realty bug and turned realtor. He was out of the diamond game for two seasons and at his advanced baseball age it looked as though he had seen the last service in the big show.
When he evinced the desire to don the spangles again this season there was some skepticism and even the trusting Uncle Wilbert said he was from Missouri. In short, Doak was told he would have to take his place as a rookie in the Clearwater training camp and show something. He showed enough to warrant getting a nice contract.
Now it looks as though Doak will be a big help to the Robins. He has now won five games and lost three and his triumph over the Cardinals yesterday here was his third consecutive triumph. The win, a brillian exhibition, halted a two-game losing streak. Bill’s winning effort terminated with the score 6 to 1. Prior to the victory Jess Petty was beaten by the veteran, Grover Alexander, 8 to 0.
Doak drew no insignificant mound adversary here yesterday. The Red Birds had Jess Haines on the mound and the big right hander has been twirling fine ball for Bob O’Farrell’s outfit. But Jess needed a shutout game to win yesterday as Doak limited the hard hitting and fast moving Cardinals to five hits. Two of them, a single and a double, gave the Cards a run in the third but after that they did not reach the plate although it must be admitted the Robins had an anxious ninth inning.
As a matter of fact the ninth inning was somewhat of a triumphant finish to a well-pitched game. The Cards had a pair of runners on the paths and none out, yet they did not score. Hafey drew a pass and Southworth singled. It looked like trouble with Lester Bell up there. But Bell took three futile swings and sat down. Then along came Johnny Schulte, catcher from Syracuse. His best was a roller to Partridge and a double play was started.
The Robins, after two games in which their hitting was negligible, did some slapping for Spittin’ Bill. They got nine hits. Hits by Hendrick and Herman started the Robins on the way to three runs in the sixth. A couple of errors helped along the Brooklyn cause and when Butler bounced a single off Haines’ shins the Robins had a substantial lead.
The opening battle was all Alexander. While the robins made eight hits they were impotent with men on the bases. On the other hand the Cards got their wallops with runners on the sacks. Three passes, a flock of hits and a couple of long flies gave the Cards four in the third inning. In the sixth a single, a double, a pass and a homer by Hafey put the game beyond the reach of the Robins.
It is understood that if there is any further cut in the Brooklyn squad, Arnold Statz, Chuck Corgan and Norman Plitt will be the ones to go.
Sports of the Day:
