Evening star., 1948-09-28
By Lewis r. Atchison

It has been "a years since the
Boston Braves last won Ma
tional League pennant, but to
Billy Martin it seems only yes
terday that he was with George
Stallings' miracle men," help
ing pound out one of baseball's
most memorable chapters.
But my big league career was
over before it really started"
Billy was telling us. Broke my
leg at Princeton in Georgetown
last game of the 1914 season, and
before l could run again I was
up to 1870 pounds. Broke the
same leg the following year in
training camp, and although I
played ball until the middle
1920s, I was never the same
again"
Billy-to be formal, it's Will
liam G.-noW is a prosperous
Georgetown restaurateur, who
likes to think back to the old
Braves of three decades ago.
That was his team-alWays will
be. It's a curious twist that only
a few doors from Martins res
taurant, lives Mrs James E.
Gaffney, widow of the owner Of
the 1914 Boston National League
Club. The restaurant is at Wis
consin avenue and N street.
Played End at Georgetown.
The Billy Martin. who played
end with Red Cusack, Palmer
Derby and Patsy Bergin on
Georgetown 1912 and '13 foot
ball teams. was headed for
brighter fame on the diamond
when fate stepped in. He was
corking good shortstop with lot
of fire and birthstone and the
late DR.. Bunny" Larkin, him.
self former college star, per-
suaded Joe Birmingham, a Cleve-
land scout, to take a look at him.
Birmingham's response was i'm
mediate. Ee recommended that
Cleveland sign Martin and put
him at shortstop, with Ray Chap
man shifting to second and Nap
Lajoie to first.
That was the glowing future
ahead of Martin when the Hoyas
took off for Princeton and the
ill-starred season finale. Some
how the Hoyas' paraphernalia
was lost en- route and they had to
use whatever equipment they
could scare up for the game.
Billy was "beaned" his first
time up, but insisted on staying
in the game. Then, sliding into
second on a hit-and-run play.
his borrowed oversize shoes
caught in the turf, twisting and
breaking his leg.
He was on the rubbing table,
thinking how close he'd come to
getting a chance in the big
leagues, when Tom Mccarthy, a
Braves scout entered the room.
do you know who I am, SOM"
he asked. Billy shook his head.
How would you like to sign with
the Braves?"
You mean like I am now?"
asked the thoroughly flabber-
gasted Billy.
The result of their conversation
was tWo-year contract for Mar
tin at fat $4,000 a year, plus
a $3.50 bonus. A month later,
Billy-just out of the hospital
was in Boston, reporting to
Stallings.
Was Stallings' Janitor.
81 was his personal janitor,">
Billy recalled. "Stallings was
extremely superstitious and the
fans knew it and threw every
thing they could lay hands on
even fish heads-in front Of the
dugout."
But Stallings was a shrewd
baseball man. said Billy. The
Boston manager called his play
ers together every morning to
analyze the opposing teams
weaknesses and figure ways of
taking advantage of them. This
is borne out by the critical re-
view of the series in the Reach
Official American League Base
ball Guide of 1915, which said,
In part:
The record shows that supe-
rior pitching defeated the Ath-
letics Gn the four-game World