Pepper Martin | |
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![]() Martin, circa 1942 | |
Outfielder / Third baseman | |
Born: Temple, Oklahoma, U.S. | February 29, 1904|
Died: March 5, 1965 McAlester, Oklahoma, U.S. | (aged 61)|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 16, 1928, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
Last MLB appearance | |
October 4, 1944, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .298 |
Home runs | 59 |
Runs batted in | 501 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin (February 29, 1904 – March 5, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and minor league manager.[1] He was known as the "Wild Horse of the Osage" because of his daring, aggressive baserunning abilities. Martin played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1930s and early 1940s. He was best known for his heroics during the 1931 World Series, in which he was the catalyst in a Cardinals' upset victory over the Philadelphia Athletics.[2][3]
Martin was an integral member of the Cardinals' teams of the 1930s that became known as the Gashouse Gang for their roguish behavior and practical jokes.[4] Early in his career, he was labeled by some contemporary press reports as the next Ty Cobb because of his spirited, hustling style of play.[4][5][6] However, because his headlong attitude on the playing field took a physical toll on his body, he never lived up to those initial expectations.[7] After the end of his playing career, he continued his career in baseball as a successful minor league baseball manager.[8] In 2017, Martin was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.[9]
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