Pepper Martin

He was a key player for the St. Louis Cardinals who later emerged into one of baseball's most celebrated heroes. John Leonard Roosevelt Martin, known best as Pepper Martin, spent 13 years as a Cardinal and was a leader of the famed "Gashouse Gang", made up of Martin, Dizzy Dean and Leo Durocher and others. The Gang was recognized for their powerhouse talents on the field and their side-splitting antics off the field.

Martin was from Temple, Oklahoma and moved to Oklahoma City where he grew up playing sandlot baseball. He signed up for a baseball team in Guthrie and played shortstop. The next year, he played for Greenville, Texas and was spotted by Cardinals' scout Charley Barrett. Martin spent six years on Cardinal farm teams before making it to the majors. During his years in the minors, Martin's general manager, Blake Harper tagged him with the nickname "Pepper" for pep-filled attitude and excitement.

During the off seasons, he played professional football for the Hominy Indians in Oklahoma's Osage County. His speed and galloping gait earned him a second nickname, "The Wild Horse of Osage".

In 1931, Martin moved to the majors playing centerfield. He was key in the Cardinal's win over the Athletics in the World Series. He logged 12 hits in 24 at bats - an unprecedented and still unbeaten .500 series average. He also scored five runs, five RBIs and five stolen bases. Pepper went into the Series a nameless rookie and later identified as one of baseball's legends.

In the 1934 World Series he finished against the Detroit Tigers with a batting average of .355, eight runs, three RBIs and two stolen bases. He retired from playing professional baseball after the 1944 season. He turned to managing minor league teams in places such as Sacramento, Tulsa, Miami and Macon, Georgia.

Off the field, Pepper was known as an eloquent public speaker, religious man and advocate for youth. Martin died March 5, 1965 in McAlester, Oklahoma.