- Doak Signs Contract, Unclear if Approached By Feds
- Players Reluctant to Leave Organized Baseball, Recent Events Show
January 15, 1914 Age 22
By W. J. O’Connor St Louis Post Dispatch
Doak, Hauser, Hagerman Signed
Ballplayers are working two ends against the middle, in this war which the Federal League has started, and judging from developments in the last 24 hours, the “slaves” are showing a preference for organized baseball in all cases where they can get the cold kopecks.
Many players sought by the Federals lined up with the organized fold Wednesday, as follows:
Arnold Hauser, shortstop, and Casey Hagerman and Willie Doak, pitchers, signed with the Cardinals. Hagerman was sought by the Pittsburgh Federals.
Robinson Ignorant of Transfer Here 30 Days After Trade Is Made
THIRTY days ago Hank (Rube) Robinson, the southpaw pitcher, was traded by the Pirates to St. Louis in the famous eight-man swap. Tuesday at noon Robinson learned of his fate.
Robinson lives in the tall grass of Arkansas, eight miles from civilization. Manager Huggins tried for four days to reach him by special delivery, telegraph and telephone. He finally succeeded via the telephone and came to terms with the big pitcher.
“What right have you to sign me?” asked Robinson when Huggins suggested a salary. The news that he was a member of the Cardinals was broken gently over 800 miles of wire and the verbal contract closed. Whereupon, Robinson went back to oblivion, unaware that the Federal League had signed either Tinker, Brown, Knabe, Brennan or Killefer. He said he hadn’t read a newspaper since the season closed. He was for a time a student at Arkansas U., but is now a reformed farmer, blissful in his ignorance of the baseball war.