Martin, labeled "The Wild Horse of the Osage" by a Rochester sportswriter for his
aggressive play, was the personification of the Cardinals' Gashouse Gang. He played
every facet of the game with passion. His bellyflop slides helped him to lead the
NL in stolen bases and score more than 120 runs in each of three seasons. He dashed
for every batted ball as if it were the seventh game of the
World Series. In lopsided
games, he would reportedly throw at batters who bunted instead of throwing them out
at first. He got along well with manager
Frankie Frisch, although his horseplay could
exasperate the skipper.
In the 1931 WS, Martin batted .500, with five extra-base
hits and five stolen bases. His career WS batting average of .418 is the highest
among players with 50 or more at-bats.
(FJO)
Pepper Martin
