By Chester L. Smith The Pittsburgh Press
March 30, 1955
The readers always write –
DEAR SIR –
I wish to express my appreciation for the column you wrote regarding the Bill Doak Memorial Field at Bradenton, Fla.
My how the years have flown!
Bill certainly deserved this fine writeup. From the first time I met him he always impressed me as a fine example of what a real American boy should be and as he grew to manhood the traits he showed as a youngster never were lost.
When Bill came lo Knoxvllle, that part of Pittsburgh was experiencing a building boom. The Pittsburgh papers carried full page advertisements with slogans such as “In Knoxville You Should Live” and “The Sun Always Shines In Knoxville.”
He lived, as I recall, on Dewey St. My home was on Miller St., now known as Moore Ave. Bill attended the old school on Rochelle St. How well I recall seeing the two little kids, Bill and his sister, Hazel wending their way home, always together. He was very good to her.
I believe the first time he played in a ball game occurred one Saturday afternoon on a little ground prepared by the youngsters of South Knoxville on a spot known as Swift’s Hill. Mire Street and McKinley Avenue both cross the place where the field was located.
The teams were made up or fellows about four year older than Bill. We were starting a little game of “sides” and were shy a player or two. A little towhead had a bat and ball out beyond the outfield. He would hit a fungo, then trot to the spot where the ball stopped rolling, pick it up and hit another drive.
When he came back across the field, still playing his little game of solitaire, one of our boys remarked, “When a kid is that fond of baseball he should be in a game.” So we put it up to Bill and he snapped at the chance. The result was we put him in leftfield that summer and he did a fine job.
Doak Started Career in Beltzhoover
I happened to be the pitcher – we only had one at that time and Bill would come to me to get some dope on throwing curves. The following year he pitched for a younger team, which I believe they called the Knoxville Reserves.
When I went out on what we called road teams I drifted away from Bill but followed his career with a great deal of interest.
Bill played with Beltzhoover, that old hotbed of good boys that produced Hans Lobert, Otto Knabe, Ossie Smythe and Tacks Holks, to name a few. From there he went to Wheeling, W. Va., Kansas City, St, Louis Nationals, Brooklyn and later to Pittsburgh where he should have started his big league career.
Through the years I have lost track of the boys who played that little game. It was about 52 years ago. No doubt a great many of them went down the last long trail that Bill entered a short time ago.
The world would be a lot better off if there were more men like Bill Doak – good sports, fine competitors and perfect gentlemen.
WILLIAM J. HAST.
IN REPLY:
The late Bill Doak, a major league pitcher from 1912 through 1929, must not have lacked for friends. Mr. Nast’s letter is only one of a number which came in the wake of the account of the dedication of the playing field In Bradenton earlier in the month. The Doaks had made their home there for years and Bill, as might be expected, had made himself one of the most substantial and useful members of the community.
Doak had many good seasons but his best was 1920 when he won 20 games for the Cardinals.
Cartoons that accompanied the article…
