MARCH 5, 1965

OSAGE BASEBALL STAR JOHNNY LEONARD “PEPPER” MARTIN DIED

Born February 29, 1904, in Temple, Oklahoma (OK), Pepper played baseball locally in OK City & football for the Hominy Indians before joining the St. Louis (StL) Cardinals (Cards) farm system in 1924 where he regularly hit .300+. With the Cards in 1931, he hit .300 with 75 RBIs, 68 runs scored & 16 stolen bases (SBs). In the ‘31 World Series (WS), he tied the WS record of 12 hits & batted .500 with 5 RBIs & 5 SBs. Martin, known as the “Wild Horse of the Osage,” joined mates Dizzy & Daffy Dean and Dazzy Vance to comprise the famed “Gashouse Gang” and led a team country music band. From 1931-40, he batted .298, scored 120+ runs 3 times; led in SBs from 1933-37; and was an All Star 4 times. Martin later managed in the Pacific Coast League (1941-45), coached for the Chicago Cubs (1956), played basketball for the House of David, placekicked for Brooklyn’s pro football Dodgers, and was baseball coach at OK State Penitentiary. He died in McAlester, OK. Halls of Fame: OK Sports (1992) & StL Cards (2017).

Sources:

“Pepper Martin,” Society for American Baseball Research.  Retrieved, 10/27/2022, Pepper Martin – Society for American Baseball Research (sabr.org)

“Pepper Martin (Osage),” NMAI Magazine.  Retrieved 10/27/2022, Pepper Martin (Osage).jpg | NMAI Magazine (americanindianmagazine.org)

Wikipedia

Card:  Goudey, 1933.  Public Domain.