Doak Had Spitter Working Perfectly In The Seventh Despite Not Warming Up
March 24, 1914 Age 23
BY HARRY F. PIERCE The St Louis Star and Times
ST. AUGUSTINE. FLA.. March 23- The joke line-ups given out at Robison Field last summer are a thing of the past, according to Manager Huggins of the Cardinals, who, as a member of the, Rules Committee, recommended that all such deceptive practices be discontinued. It was not the fault of the umpires or announcers that the correct line-ups were so seldom announced, but the team managers were to blame, according to Huggins.
In order to catch the opposition off guard or napping, team managers would often have fake line-ups announced to lead rival managers into preparing to combat the announced line-up: then the moment the game started the players were shifted or withdrawn so that the positions of the athletes and the names of those taking part in the fray were so jumbled about that it was next to impossible to keep an accurate account of the contest.
Another practice frowned upon by the Rules Committee was that of warming up second string pitchers with the regular backstops or of warming up the regular pitchers with second string catchers, just before the game, a method of preventing the rival manager from learning who was going to pitch and preparing his line-up accordingly. Such deceptive tactics were so severely condemned by the Rules Committee that Huggins believes they will be discontinued this year and that the national pastime will be much purer as a result.
That Lefty Robinson and Bill Doak are in excellent form and ready for the championship race was thoroughly demonstrated Monday afternoon when the Cardinals walloped Connie Mack’s youngsters, score 7 to 0.
Doak, who relieved Robinson at the start of the sixth, had not warmed up previous to assuming his place on the hill and for a few moments it looked as though the visitors would score during the first inning he worked.
Doak had his spitter working perfectly in the seventh and retired the Mackmen via the strike-out route. The Athletics could do no more than pop up easy flies or send weak rollers to the infield during the two final innings.
Southpaw Milton L. Billington of Fultonville, N.Y. who has been trying out with the Cardinals at his own expense, was the victim of the snipe hunting hoax Monday night. Billington was left in a marsh about twelve miles from St. Augustine by the conspirators at midnight Monday. It Is not known how long the aspiring youth held the sack and lantern, as he had not reported back to the hotel when the squad departed for Jacksonville Tuesday morning.
Manager Huggins announced Monday that he will make no releases until the season is well under way, as he has until May 13 to dispose of two players.
The regulars will engage the Athletics’ Yannigans in Jacksonville Tuesday afternoon. The whole squad will depart for St. Louis Tuesday night.