1912 Cincinnati Reds
Given a tryout with Hank O’Day’s Cincinnati Reds, Doak pitched two innings and was sent back to the Minor Leagues.
September
Reds Buy Bill Doak – 8/20/1912
Doak Makes Major League Debut – 9/2/1912
Doak Released, Not Ripe Enough For Fast Company – 9/6/1912
1913 Cardinals
When his Minor League team folded, Doak was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was discovered by Cards’ scout Eddie Herr. In July he was given a tryout and pitched well. He went on to pitch 15 games and was honored at the end of the season by friends and teammates. He went 2-8 with a 3.19 Earned Run Average. The Cards finished in 8th place with a dismal 51-99 record, 49 games behind.
July
Cards’ New Mound Man Makes Good In First Cardinals’ Tryout – 7/22/1913
Recruit Doak Shows The Makings Of A Pitcher Against Giants – 7/29/1913
August
Light Your Cigarette With Dynamite Bill, But Pitch ‘Em Crooked – 8/5/1913
Doak’s Spitball Miffs National League Hitters – 8/9/1913
Braves Frolic At Doak’s Expense – 8/27/1913
September
Knoxville Boy To Be Honored With Diamond Ring at Forbes Field Saturday – 9/2/1913
Doak Honored in Pittsburgh, Then Loses Game – 9/7/1913
Doak At Present Is Huggins’ Most Promising Right-Hander – 9/11/1913
Bill Doak Wins New Home With Fans, Is Here To Stay – 9/11/1913
Huggins Must Begin at Bottom and Rebuild Cardinals for 1914 – 9/17/1913
October
Doak Is Due To Get His Mail At Robison Field For Some Time To Come – 10/1/1913
Doak Receives World Series Updates Via Megaphone – 10/9/1913
December
Doak Sports Lowest Batting Average in National League – 12/1/1913
Too Much Is Being Expected Of Recruits Doak And Perritt For Next Season – 12/15/1913
Huggins Makes Multiplayer Trade With Pittsburgh To Eliminate Malcontents – 12/16/1913
Branch Rickey Disagrees With Miller Huggins’ Method of Managing – Doak An Example – 12/21/1913
1914 Cardinals
This was Doak’s first full season and it was a great one, on and off the field. He married long-time sweetheart Jesse Porter and honeymooned with her in St. Augustine during spring training. He started the season slowly but gained confidence as it progressed. He beat such greats as Christy Mathewson and Grover Cleveland “Pete” Alexander. His E.R.A and winning percentage lead the National League. He made a valiant effort to capture the pennant, but the team fell short. He became a star. The Cardinals finished in 3rd place, 81-72 (.529), 13 GB. In 1913 they finished in last place and were 49 games behind.
The Summer of ’14: Almost a Miracle: The Cardinals’ First Great Pennant Race (from sabr.org)
1914 Nuptials
Doak Marries, Will Honeymoon In St. Augustine With Team, Live With Bride’s Parents
1914 Pre-season
Not One Cardinal Player Is Signed To 1914 Contract – 1/13/1914
President Schuyler Britton Departed Hastily For Pittsburgh To Sign Doak And Hagerman – 1/14/1914
Baseball “Slaves” Using Federal League to Boost Pay Checks – 1/15/1914
Doak Signed in Pirates Office for Good Luck – 1/16/1914
President S. P. Britton Very Much Pleased To Get Doak And Hagerman To Sign – 1/17/1914
Federals’ Invasion Already Has Cost Big Guns $150,000 – Worst Yet To Come – 1/17/1914
Only One Cardinal – Dolan – Has Jumped To Federal League – 1/18/1914
1914 Spring Training
Doak Photo, March 1914 (Library Of Congress)
All Players To Report Directly to St. Augustine – 1/24/1914
Scout Bob Connery Previews St. Augustine Training Facilities – 1/30/1914
Fourteen Cards Reach Camp At St. Augustine – 2/24/1914
Cardinals Hold First Practice in St. Augustine Cold Wave – 2/25/1914
Storm Sets in and Players Have to Loosen Up in Y.M.C.A. Gymnasium – 2/26/1914
Hauser in Bad Shape – 2/28/1914
Deluge of Rain Keeps Cardinals Idle in Camp For Two Days – 3/1/1914
They Went South To St. Augustine — Here’s What They Needed – 3/8/1914
Hug, Doak and Perritt Aid Cards to Victory Over Jacksonville Minor Leaguers – 3/8/1914
Good Riddance, Says St. Augustine To Cardinals – 3/14/1914
Doak Gives Up Four Hits Against Weak Jacksonville Team – 3/14/1914
Hug’s Best Cards Will Be Played Against Mackmen – Doak’s Pitching Pleases – 3/19/1914
Hug Says Young Pitchers Doak, Perritt, Griner Look Good – 3/22/1914
Cards Wrapping Up Spring Training Against World’s Champion Athletics – 3/23/1914
Southpaw Billington Victim Of The Ol’ Snipe Hunting Hoax – 3/24/1914
Return From Florida – Not One Player Frostbitten – Sore Arms Plentiful – 3/26/1914
Cardinals Have Alibi Ready for Series Vs. Browns – 3/28/1914
Hug Should Quit Crabbing At Pitchers During Game – Sensitive Men Ruined – 4/4/1914
Betting On The Cards After 26 Years Of Disappointment! – 4/17/1914
No Pennant Races This Year – It’s Giants In The NL, Athletics In The AL – 4/8/1914
Many New Faces Will Be Seen In National League – 4/12/1914
1914 Regular Season
April
Honus Wagner, Age 41, Was Again The Flying Dutchman Of The 1909 Era – 4/17/1914
No Trouble For Doak – He Pitched Like A Mathewson – 4/17/1914
Doak Shuts Out O’Day’s Cubs, 2-0, In Frosty Gale – 4/21/1914
Doak Makes Cubs’ Heine Zimmerman and Frank Schulte Look Foolish In Pinch – 4/21/1914
Hug’s Failure To ‘Get On’ Has Hurt Cardinals – 4/22/1914
When Willie Doak Fails to Deliver the Goods, Miller Huggins is Up a Tree – 4/29/1914
Hug’s Men, in Woeful Batting Slump, Are Easy for Red-legged Pitchers – 4/29/1914
May
Huggins’ Reviving Hitters Slam Humphries And Vaughan For Nine Runs. Doak Goes Six, Gives Up 1 – 5/3/1914
Ode to Doak – 5/14/1914
Grover Cleveland Alexander Yields To Willie Doak In Hurling Duel – 5/17/1914
Five Cardinals Flingers Are Now Going At Top Speed With Others Coming Along Nicely – 5/18/1914
Harry Sallee Back In Form – Hug Sees “First Division” – 5/19/1914
Huggins Out-Strategizes The Brooklyn Dodgers – 5/20/1914
Umpire’s Call On Doak Causes Near Riot – 5/22/1914
Giants Play In World’s Series Form And Cardinals Easily Win – 5/22/1914
Old Ironsides Mathewson, Daddy Of ’Em All, Yields To Cards, 4-3 – 5/24/1914
Dots Miller Denies Intent To Jump To Federal League – 5/27/1914
Cardinals Drop Sixteen-Inning Game When Perritt “Beans” Player – 5/29/1914
Willie Doak Starts Well In Opening Contest, But Blows In The Fifth – 5/31/1914
June
Doak Tops Cards Pitchers – 6/5/1914
Doak Lifted After Three Runs To Giants In First Two Innings – 6/7/1914
Doak Wins 6th Game, Clashes With Huggins When Pulled in Eighth – 6/12/1914
Doak Pitches 6 Innings, No Decision, Ending Cards’ Winning Streak – 6/18/1914
Cards’ Spurt Due To Sallee’s Work As Relief Hurler – 6/23/1914
Doak Pitched Super-Fine Ball Despite Intense Heat – 6/25/1914
Willie Doak Wields Whitewash Brush in Pittsburgh – 6/25/1914
Doak’s Pitching And Snyder’s Hitting Effects Downfall Of Pirates, 3-0 – 6/25/1914
Game Ends Early So Cards Can Catch 6 O’clock Train Home – 6/28/1914
Doak’s Work Was Flawless, Beating Cubs 6-0 – 6/29/1914
July
Doak Tries Out His Curve – 7/4/1914
Doak Beats “Big Six” Mathewson On Five-Hitter – 7/9/1914
Cardinals Figuring How to Spend World’s Series Coin – 7/11/1914
Pop Bottle Shower Saves Matty, Beats Sallee 13-9 – 7/12/1914
Sixteen Cards Succeed In Losing Opening Game To Braves, 12-5 – 7/13/1914
Tail-End Braves Hopeful Of Winning N. L. Pennant – 7/14/1914
Willie Doak Subdues Dodgers in Spite of Jack Miller and Magee – 7/23/1914
Must Beat Giants On Road Trip To Stay In The Pennant Fight – 7/24/1914
August
Doak, Battling Lumbago, Shuts Out Dodgers And Ends Cardinals’ Losing Streak – 8/6/1914
Doak Crowding Mathewson At Top Of The League – 8/8/1914
Knoxville Boy Has Forged Ahead Of Mathewson And Vaughn In Race For Premier Honors – 8/9/1914
Beaten Giants Had Winning Run On The Bases When Brilliant Play Cut Them Down – 8/9/1914
Cards’ Pitching Staff Is “Best In League” With Sallee, Doak, Perritt, Perdue And Griner – 8/10/1914
Discord In Dugout After Costly Error – 8/11/1914
When Doak And Mathewson Meet, One Naturally Looks For A Pitched Battle – 8/12/1914
Cardinals Lament Booting A Great Opportunity On Road Trip – 8/15/1914
The Buzz Of The Pennant Bee Has Been Silenced Almost Entirely – 8/16/1914
Delectable Dish Of Little Neck Clams Ptomained Harry Sallee, Bill Doak And Chief Wilson – 8/17/1914
True Story Of Discovery Of Willie Doak, Cardinals’ Sensational Young Boxman – 8/22/1914
Catcher O’Connor Provided Veteran Insights and Training to Bill Doak – 8/24/1914
Doak Ruined a $25-Per-Week Mining Engineer to Become Leading Pitcher – 8/25/1914
Monster Crowd Sees Doak Win First Game of DH – 26,000 Attend – 8/27/1914
September
Doak Teaching Hub Perdue to Throw Spitter – 9/1/1914
Bill Doak Pitched One of the Greatest Games of His Career – 9/3/1914
Great Pitching Of Pittsburgh Boy Ties Up The Second Contest In Eleven Innings – 9/3/1914
Doak Pitches Tie, Stopped By Darkness In 11th Inning – 9/3/1914
Doak Wears Pitching Crown Well – 9/8/1914
Cardinals In Great Shape For Crucial Boston Series – May Settle Pennant Hopes – 9/14/1914
Cards Take Two From Hapless Reds – Manager Both Celebrated And Ejected – 9/14/1914
Doak Pitches 12 Inning 3-Hitter Against Rival Bill James – 9/19/1914
The League Leader, Bill Doak, Is Bill James’ Equal, If Not His Master – 9/19/1914
Bill Doak Again Checks Fall Of Huggins’ Troupe Despite Being Overworked – 9/22/1914
1914 Post-Season
October
Bill Doak Gets Ovation From Friends – 10/24/1914
Banquet For Doak Proves Big Affair – 10/24/1914
Notes And Thoughts From Doak’s Reception – 10/25/1914
December
Doak Rated As Best Twirler in National League – 12/11/1914
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