The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1931-10-13
MADE START
ON SANDLOTS
IN OKLA.
BY JOHNNY PEPPER" MARTIN,
Outfielder for st. Louis Cardinals
HEIARTEp THO

Most fellows aiming to be bail
players get their minds set pretty
early as to what they want to be.
Pretty near everybody wants to
be a pitcher because the pitcher
gets his name in the papers
plenty and until Babe Ruth and
those other boys knocking down
fences and drawing crowds the
pitchers got the most money. But
was different. I just couldn't
make up my mind and so I
played every position in baseball
and kept on doing that until I
went to Houston in 1927 and Joe
Mathis, the manager, said to me:
you're going to stop. jump
ing around from one place to
another and settle right down
to being an Outfielder SO quit
mOnkeying."
I heard later that Branch
Hickey told Joe that if I ever
was going to get anywhere it
would be as an outfielder and
Joe took the cue from him, but I
know that Joe is the man that
finally put me in the outfield and
hung an anchor on me.
In 1922, when I was 10, the
Brooks hardware people offered
me a chance to get on their team
and I grabbed that job but there
wasn't any pay for it. I pitched
for them, played infield places
and also in the outfield. Later
on I heard that the Kelly Jewelry
team, of Oklahoma City, was 60
ing on a tour and needed a
player. I was all for making that
trip and was recommended to
them. It was tough getting the
place, though, because they
thought I was too young and, I
wasn't so big, either. But finally
they finally said eyes," We went
on a trip through the State.
We got back in time to get
into the series for the city
championship. We lost out In
the third round of the tOurna.
ment. I did q little Of every.
thing in that series. / made
three errors in seven chances
in the infield and five hits in
eight times up.
III remember right I think
pitched one of the games. That
is, I mean I started one Of them.
They blew me off the mound in
hurry. I finished up that year
playing with the Oklahoma Ma
tional Guard team, which had
games scheduled after the season
had ended for the Kelly Jewelry
club.
Worked With Electric Co.
In 1923 I got myself a job with
the Oklahoma Gas and Electric
Company. I was the "grunt
man." That means I worked on
the ground and held up fellows
that had to be lifted up to do
some work and then you're a
"grunt man." tell you, you
grunt. The o. G. and E. had a
ball club and they made me a
member. With them it was the
same story. was always trying
too hard to make good. And not
doing so good.
I'd be so anxious to make put
outs that no matter where I'd
be playing, I'd go running after
the ball. Just not much good
sense. If a hit was made to
right and I was at second or
short, I'd be out in that field
trying to make the catch. I had
enough speed to get into the out
field lots of times before the ball
came down. Those players would
pan me plenty for trying to
patrol their beats and tangling
up with them sometimes. But I
just couldn't get over that habit, |
Any time I'd see one of the other |
guys hitting a ball I'd set the
fool notion that I was the man
that had to make the play on it.
(rnak:n.,s4 -. p. 1R 81 ~. !