Doak Pitching Well But Beans Ray Blades
September 1, 1927 Age 36
Brooklyn Times Union
BROOKLYN, September 1. Throughout their home stands the Dodgers have been the recipients of some excellent pitching. Their final home game against a Western club yesterday was no exception, old Spittin’ Bill Doak pitching a corking game. He allowed two earned runs, which is not much, but which was enough to cost him the game.
Doak has pitched some fine games for the Dodgers this season and it appears that his best efforts have been turned in games that were lost. He pitched a fine 2 to 1 game against Pittsburgh not so long ago only to be beaten, and about a month ago he had Cincinnati shutout until the tenth inning when they scored an unearned run in a game which Rube Ehrhardt eventually lost by a 2 to 1 score. Bill, however, has been around long enough not to shed any tears over breaks such as these.
One event which upset Doak no little yesterday was his accidental beaning of Ray Blades. Ray was struck on the base of the skull with one of Bill’s fast ones and fell like a stricken ox. He didn’t move a muscle for some two or three minutes and finally was carried to the clubhouse on the shoulders of Lester Bell and Taylor Douthit.
The blow seemed to have seriously injured Blades, but he recovered quickly in the clubhouse and in a few minutes sent telegrams to his father and his wife, explaining that he was not badly hurt. He will be back by the end of the week.
New York Daily News – September 1, 1927
In addition to losing the game, the afternoon was further marred for Bill Doak when his first pitch to Ray Blades in the second inning hit the Cardinal leftfielder just above the left ear and knocked him cold.
Blades was out for five minutes before being carried to the club house via the Robin dugout. He was reported later as not seriously injured, but the unfortunate incident must have had an unsettling effect upon Doak.
Bill also hit Frisch in the next inning, but the ball merely brushed Frankie’s arm.
Brooklyn Standard Union, September 1, 1927
Doc Hart, the Dodgers’ trainer, worked earnestly on Blades when he was carried to the clubhouse and in ten minutes he had the stricken outfielder in pretty good shape. Blades complained of only a slight headache when he left the park.
The Brooklyn Citizen, September 1, 1927
In the second inning Bill Doak accidentally hit Ray Blades on the back of the head with a pitched ball. The Cardinals outfielder fell to the ground unconscious. He was revived a few minutes later and was carried off the field. His condition was later an announced as not serious.
St Louis Post Dispatch, September 1, 1998
This date in 1927: Cardinals outfielder Ray Blades was hit in the head with a pitch by former Cardinal Bill Doak. The ball ricocheted into the stands and left Blades unconscious for five minutes.
