Bill Doak
| Birthdate | 1/28/1891 |
| Death Date | 11/26/1954 |
| Debut Year | 1912 |
| Year of Induction | |
| Teams | Cardinals, Dodgers, Reds |
| Positions | Innovator, Pitcher |
Only Bob Gibson has more shutouts for the Cardinals than Spittin’ Bill Doak who forever changed the way baseball gloves were designed and used.
Leave a commentIn the collection:
Pitcher Bill Doak had a fine MLB career before becoming an innovator for the design of baseball gloves
Pitcher Bill Doak had a fine MLB career before becoming an innovator for the design of baseball gloves
Spitball pitcher Bill Doak enjoyed a 16-year big-league career that spanned from 1912-1929. Over that span, he threw 2,782 2/3 innings, and finished with a 2.98 earned run average. Twice he led the league in the category, posting a 1.72 ERA in 1914 and a 2.59 mark in 1921.
Doak reached the 20-win mark in 1920 and averaged 15 wins per season from 1914 through 1921. His 30 shutouts while pitching for the Cardinals ranks second on the St. Louis all-time leaderboard behind Hall of Fame hurler Bob Gibson.
Despite such a solid big league career, Doak is best remembered today for his innovation in baseball gloves.
In 1920 he suggested to Rawlings that they place a web in the position between the thumb and the index finger to form a pocket in which to catch the ball. The Bill Doak glove became the standard throughout the game. Doak earned more money through the sale of his innovative gloves than he did for playing baseball.
Doak’s autographs are not plentiful by virtue of his passing in 1954.
After retiring from the game, Bill Doak coached high school baseball in Bradenton, Florida
After retiring from the game, Bill Doak coached high school baseball in Bradenton, Florida
Upon retiring from the game in 1929, Bill Doak moved to Bradenton Florida where he coached the Bradenton High School baseball team to the state championship. Shown here is the reverse of the Doak-signed government postcard. Notice the US Postal Service postmark of May 30, 1954 from Bradenton Florida. Doak passed away in Bradenton less than six months later on November 26, 1954 at the age of 63.
With authenticity such an issue in collecting autographs, the postmark nearly guarantees that Doak did indeed sign the card.
Rawlings diagram detailing the innovations of the Bill Doak model glove
Rawlings diagram detailing the innovations of the Bill Doak model glove
Baseball remains a game steeped in tradition – at times so loyal to the past that positive change is slow to come. The first few decades of glove use in the game featured five distinct fingers of leather protection and nothing else. Players would catch a ball much like you’d catch a quarter – closing your fingers around the coin in the palm of your hand.
Bill Doak changed all that. The image above shows Doak’s innovations. The key is the pocket between the thumb and the index finger that created a natural pocket to catch the ball. His glove remained in production for more than three decades and serves as the forefather to today’s modern gloves.
