Bill Doak

Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
6-0, 165lb (183cm, 74kg)
Born: January 28, 1891 in Pittsburgh, PA us
Died: November 26, 1954  in Bradenton, FL
Buried: Cremated
Debut: September 1, 1912 (3,781st in major league history)
vs. PIT 2.0 IP, 4 H, 0 SO, 1 BB, 1 ER
Last Game: May 13, 1929
vs. PHI 2.0 IP, 5 H, 1 SO, 2 BB, 6 ER, L
Full Name: William Leopold Doak
Nicknames: Spittin’ Bill
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject

Nine Players Who Debuted in 1912

Rabbit Maranville
Cy Williams
Del Pratt
Bobby Veach
Ray Schalk
Casey Stengel
Buck Weaver
Ray Chapman
Herb Pennock

All-Time Teammate Team

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Notable Events and Chronology

SearchSearch Events, Dates and More Date (Newest)Title (A - Z)

August 26, 1914

The Giants lose 1 – 0 to the Cardinals, managing just three hits off Bill Doak, but win game two on a 2-hitter by Christy Mathewson over Slim Sallee. The 4 – 0 win is Matty’s 20th.

September 24, 1917

Slim Sallee tops the Cards, 2 – 1 and clinches the National League pennant for the Giants

February 9, 1920

Major leagues announce a rule change banning all “freak deliveries” by pitchers

December 17, 1920

The American League votes to allow pitchers who used the spitball in 1920 to continue using it as long as they are in the league.

Biography

He played his Rookie year in Cincinnati in 1912 with the Reds. He only played in one game that season with the Reds, pitching in two innings. He went on to play another 15 years in St. Louis and in Brooklyn, winning 169 games and collecting 16 Saves. Doak’s main pitch, the spitball, earned him the nickname “Spittin’ Bill”. When the pitch was outlawed in 1920, Doak was one of 17 pitchers allowed to continue throwing the spitball. Doak made his most lasting contribution to baseball by innovating the design of the baseball glove. In 1920, he suggested to Rawlings that a web should be laced between the first finger and thumb, saying it would create a natural pocket. The Bill Doak glove soon replaced all other baseball gloves and is the standard to this day.

Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts

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