Pepper Martin
Note: This page discusses 1920s-1940s player Pepper Martin. For the minor leaguer and college coach of the same name, click here.
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt Martin
(The Wild Horse Of The Osage)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 8", Weight 170 lb.
- Debut April 16, 1928
- Final Game October 1, 1944
- Born February 29, 1904 in Temple, Oklahoma Territory USA
- Died March 5, 1965 in McAlester, OK USA
Biographical Information[edit]
"A chunky, unshaven hobo who ran the bases like a berserk locomotive, slept in the raw, and swore at pitchers in his sleep." - Lee Allen, waxing eloquent about Pepper Martin
"Well, kid, you are sitting on top of the world now and you deserve it." - Mickey Cochrane, on the opposing team in the 1931 World Series, talking to Martin about his dominant performance
Pepper Martin, "The Wild Horse of the Osage", played his entire major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals. When he broke in as a young rookie in 1928, the oldest player on the team was Pete Alexander and the team went to the 1928 World Series. When he played his last year with the 1944 Cardinals who also went to the World Series, he was the oldest player on the team and Stan Musial was one of the youngest.
He was a key part of the Gas House Gang.Perhaps his light shone brightest during the 1931 World Series when he slugged .792, although in the 1934 World Series he slugged .516 as St. Louis won both Series.
After his playing career ended, he was a minor league manager for many years and a Chicago Cubs coach in 1956.
Outside of baseball, he was a deputy sheriff, director for a state penitentiary, and a cattle rancher.
Notable Achievements[edit]
- 4-time NL All-Star (1933-1935 & 1937)
- NL Runs Scored Leader (1933)
- 3-time NL Stolen Bases Leader (1933, 1934 & 1936)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 3 (1933, 1935 & 1936)
- Won three World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals (1931, 1934 & 1944; he did not play in the 1944 World Series)
Year-by-Year Managerial Record[edit]
Further Reading[edit]
- Thomas Barthel: Pepper Martin: A Baseball Biography, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2003. ISBN 978-0-7864-1602-8
- Norm King: "Pepper Martin", in Charles F. Faber, ed.: The 1934 St. Louis Cardinals: The World Champion Gas House Gang, SABR, Phoenix, AZ, 2014, pp. 161-165. ISBN 978-1-933599-731
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