» June 19, 1940: In a night game following the Joe Medwick beaning, the Cards make seven errors in an 8–3 loss to Brooklyn. Slick-fielding Cardinal SS Marty Marion makes three errors in the 7th inning.
» May 29, 1941: The Cards nip the Reds 10–9 for their 10th straight win. The last five are one run victories. The Reds almost pull the game out, scoring three in the 9th, but Marty Marion snags a Ernie Lombardi line drive and doubles up Ernie Koy at 2B.
» October 6, 1943:
Robert Cooper, father of P Mort Cooper and C Walker
Cooper, dies at his home in Independence, MO, but
both players decide to play in the WS. Mort goes on
to beat the New York Yankees 4-3, resurrecting
memories of 1942 when the Yankees lost 4 straight
after winning the opener. Marty Marion and Ray Sanders
homer.
» December 21, 1944: National League averages show Brooklyn's Dixie Walker at the top of the hitters with a .357 mark, ahead of Stan Musial at .347. In an even closer vote than occurred in the American League, the NL MVP award goes to fielding wizard Marty Marion, who tallies one more vote than Cubs slugger Bill Nicholson (189). The Cardinals erred only 112 times and averaged .982, both better than previous records held by the 1940 Reds. Marion is the 3rd different Cardinal in three years to win the honor.
» April 27, 1945:
Behind Ed Heusser's 4-hit pitching, the Reds edge the visiting Cards, 2–1. In St. Louis, Mort Cooper announces he is willing to pitch tomorrow against the Reds, even though he and his brother Walker are in a pay dispute with the Cards. Walker is awaiting induction into the armed services. The Coopers quit the team two weeks ago after learning that SS Marty Marion had received a new contract for $13,500. The brothers want $15,000 each.
» May 14, 1946: The Dodgers give away free nylons as a promotion and 31,000 show up for the match against the Cardinals. Marty Marion breaks a 5–5 tie by driving in two runs in the 11th and Max Lanier goes all the way to beat the Dodgers. The win leaves St. Louis a game back of Brooklyn.
» October 6, 1946: The World Series opens with a Red Sox 3–2 win as Rudy York hits a 10th-inning home run off Howie Pollet. The Sox tie the game in the 9th when an easy grounder to Marty Marion takes a freak bounce and goes through his legs.
» July 11, 1948: The Reds Ken Raffensberger allows just one hit—a single by Marty Marion in the 4th—in shutting out the Cardinals, 1–0, in St. Louis. It's his 2nd one-hitter against St. Louis this year.
» June 1, 1950: Marty Marion, Sid Gordon, and Hank Thompson hit grand slams for the Cards (5–2 over Brooklyn), the Braves (14–2 over the Pirates), and the Giants (8–7 in the first of two at Cincinnati) respectively. Gordon adds a second homer as he drives home seven runs for Boston, winners over the Pirates, 10–6. The Cards lose the services of C Joe Garagiola, who separates his shoulder after tripping over Jackie Robinson covering 1B, and Tommy Glaviano, who sprains his ankle. Hitting .347 at the time, Garagiola won't return until September 3 (as noted by Bill Deane) and will hit only 2-for-13 the rest of the season. But the grand slam, the first in Marion's 11-year-career, moves the Birds into a tie for first place with the Dodgers.
» June 2, 1950:
In a rain-soaked game in St. Louis, Don Newcombe and the Dodgers trim the Birds, 8–1, to move into first place. Newk holds the Birds to five hits, including Marty Marion's 3rd homer in three games he's started. Duke Snider's 2-run homer in the 6th helps drive Harry Brecheen to the showers. The Cards and Phils are a game back.
» September 29, 1950: The Cardinals name Marty "Mr. Shortstop" Marion as their player-manager for 1951.
» October 9, 1951:
In New York, Browns owner Bill Veeck, Jr. hires Rogers Hornsby to a three-year contract to manage the Browns. The Rajah, who last managed in the majors in 1937 as skipper of the Browns, was fired by Bill Veeck, Sr. in 1932 when Hornsby managed the Cubs. Hornsby chooses the Browns offer over a similar one by the Cardinals, who just let Marty Marion go as manager.
» November 28, 1951: The Browns trade C Gus Niarhos, acquired yesterday, to Boston for catcher Les Moss and Tom Wright. The team also signs SS Marty Marion, former Cardinal manager.
» May 3, 1952: The Red Sox beat the Browns 5–2 in Fenway though odd occurrences interrupt the game. In the bottom of the first, two fraternity boys dressed in baseball uniforms run onto the field and start throwing a rubber ball around. Two innings later a one-legged man on crutches jumps onto the field to talk to Browns SS Marty Marion and P Earl Harrist. He then shakes hands with Red Sox base runner Don Lenhardt before being hurried off the field.
» June 10, 1952:
The St. Louis Browns fire manager Rogers Hornsby in Boston. The players present owner Bill Veeck with a trophy for freeing them from Rajah's tyranny. The stunt was actually the work of Veeck and team traveling secretary Bill Durney. The Browns name Marty Marion as their player-manager.
» June 12, 1952:
The AL suspends Browns manager Marty Marion indefinitely for pushing umpire Bill McGowan in the previous night's 7-5 loss to Boston.
» November 11, 1953: Jimmy Dykes, recently released as the manager of the Athletics, succeeds Marty Marion as the manager of the Baltimore Orioles.
» August 5, 1955:
After playing 274 straight games at 2B, Nellie Fox is given a day off by White Sox manager Marty Marion. Fox will come back the next day and play in 798 consecutive games.
» October 25, 1956:
White Sox manager Marty Marion resigns. AL Lopez is
the new manager.
» September 4, 1960: After a major-league record 798 consecutive games at 2B, the White Sox' Nellie Fox is hospitalized with a virus. Fox would have gone 1,072 straight games had manager Marty Marion not rested him on August 5, 1955. Billy Goodman replaces Fox as the Sox split a doubleheader with the Tigers, losing 6–4 before winning 5–4.
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