The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-03
All, Here's Another Rookie Who Knows
He's Good-But They Can't Stop Pepper!
BY GEORGE IRKSE
United Press staff Correspondent

81. LOU1S, OCt. 0.-PhlI-
adelphia Athletics have two
days to devise some means
for stopping a dashing, dar-
ing rookie outfelder who has
suddenly injected new life
into the world series hopes of
the st. Louis Cardinals.
And they'll need ten" says John
Leonard Martin, Cards center
fielder, whose speed and cunning on
the baselines accounted for the two
runs by which the National League
champions won the second game,
Friday, 20, ~squaring the series at
one victory each.
Until this series opened, the base
ball world in general, and the
Philadelphia Athletics in particular,
thought Of this player whose dare
devil deeds have made him a hero
overnight in terms Of:
Martin, CT
Before the series opened, Martin
openly boosted about his batting
proves.
Il Can Hit EN- All'
81 can hit any pitcher in the
world" he Dragged, and that in
cludes Grove and Earnshaw, too"
Martin isn't any piker, as car be
see from that statement. He
didn't pick out any cripples to jump
on-just Grove and Earnshaw
Manager Gabby Street got in the
same boat with Martin by saying
Hell probably do it, too"
Down in his home state of Okla
homa they call Martin the "WilC
Horse of the Osage,' and that just
about describes this amazing rookie
who boosted what he was going tt
do in his first world series and il
two games has done everything but
ride a pinto pony around the bases
In seven times at bat he ha,
made five hits and leads all worlC
series players with an average o.
TIA. He has stolen three bases
scored two of the Cards four run.
and driven in one of the others.
Mickey Cochrane, generally rec.
ognized as b~aseball's greatest catch
er, has been made to look foolisl
in an effort to halt Martins wilC
dashes on the basepaths. In Fri
days game, Martin had Cochran,
dizzy from his spectacular basI
running. Twice Cochrane tried t.
> head him off and failed.
Uncomfortable on Paths
Once on base Martin IN uncon-
trollable. His feet itch to go places
In his first appearance at bat Fri
day, he sent a low liner to left field
The ball almost handcuffed Al Sim
mons on the first bounce, and the
AS left fielder finally sprawled il
the turf. Did Martin slow up al
first? He did not.
Showing no respect whatever fol
Simmons deadly arm, Martin
raced on into second, and with a
hook slide that might have drawn
praise from that peerless base run
ner, Ty Cobb, was safe and hall
way home.
A moment later Martin was gone
again. This time he slid headlono
into third, and Dykes never had g
chance to tag him as Cochrane's
throw was high. When Wilson
flied to deep center, Martin scored
Chances are this devil-may-care
speed demon would have taken
himself a chance at stealing home
if Wilson hadn't brought him
home.
Again in the seventh Martin
created havoc with the AS defense
He ripped a single to left for his
fifth hit of the series, and then a
moment later he was speeding to-
ward second. He dived in head
first in a cloud of dust, for his third
stolen base. He breezed to third
on an intield out, and came, charg-
ing, tearing home on a squeeze play
after Colbert had hunted the ball
Was he safe? Well, Cochrane
hasn't touched him yet.
First Year in Majors
This is Martins first year in the
majors. He is 81, weighs ITO ano
is 5 feet 8 inches in heighth. He
was born at Temple, Okla, but now
lives at Oklahoma City. Ball play
ers call him Pepper or Pep"
He is a typical product Of the
Cards farm system, playing at
Houston and Rochester before
coming up to win Taylor Douthit's
job. When he was in the Texas
League, Martin says he used tc
drive a display wagon advertising
the ball game in the morning, helr
the grounds keeper put the diamond
in shape, and then chase flies in the
outfeld before each days game.
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