Martin, "Pepper" (John L. R.)
Baseball
b. Feb. 29, 1904, Temple, OK
d. March 5, 1965
Martin was named Associated Press athlete of the year in 1931, primarily for his performance in the World Series. A right-handed center fielder, Martin played his first full season with the NL's St. Louis Cardinals that year, batting .300.
In the World Series, he got 12 hits in 24 at-bats, stole 5 bases, and scored 5 runs, as the Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Athletics in seven games. Martin got 3 hits and stole a base in the first game, but St. Louis lost 6-2. He scored both runs in a 2-0 victory in the second game and scored 2 more runs in a 5-2 win in the third.
The Cardinals lost the fourth game 3-0 on a two-hitter, with Martin getting both hits. He went 3 for 4 with a home run and 4 RBI when St. Louis won the next game 5-1. Although he didn't get a hit in the last two games, Martin saved the Cardinals' 4-2 victory in the seventh game of the Series by making a great running catch of a line drive with two runners on for the final out.
The 5-foot-8, 170-pound Martin rarely bothered to shave and his uniform was usually dirty and often torn because of the way he played. Not especially fast, Martin was nevertheless a terror as a runner because he threw himself wildly into bases and fielders.
Nicknamed the "Wild Bull of the Osage" by sportswriters, Martin played briefly with St. Louis in 1928 and 1930 before becoming a starter in 1931. An injury limited him to just 85 games in 1932, but he led the league with 122 runs scored and 26 stolen bases in 1933, when he batted .316. That year, he played third base, where he usually fielded balls by stopping them with his body.
Martin led the league in stolen bases twice more, with 23 in both 1934 and 1936. From 1937 on, he was a part-time player because of a variety of injuries. He retired after the 1944 season with a .298 average on 1,227 hits, including 270 doubles, 75 triples, and 59 home runs. He stole 146 bases, scored 754 runs, and had 501 RBI.