Evening star., 1960-08-08
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ,, FRANCIS ,1Auu
The Turbulent One

ALFRED MANUEL MARTIN and turbulence are syn
onymouS When Billy was kid in Berkeley, Calf, he
knew poverty and roaming the streets he had his
fists They called me Big Nose Billy remnisces. Il had
to belt them"
From the time he first became pro ball player with
Idaho Falls in 1896 the of Portuguese crop farmer
from Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands and Italian mother
who raised him was compulSive competitor. Like Ty
Cobb although the Georgian possessed superior skis
More like Eddie Stanky perhaps.
The blow that landed Pitcher Jim Brewer of the Cubs
on an operating table and cost Martin $500 fine and ye
days suspension only another in a long series of
punches, landed missed. In his time Martin,
whose top weight 1853 but who has fallen off during
tough campaign to 1872 pounds, has taken big,
tough players.
He tangled with Roy Campanella Gene Conley C'them
6foot S-inch guys are hard to eachO jim Piera Larry
Dolby and Clint Courtney Make that he will figure
in more fracases. He is that kind of competitor.
WHEN MARTIN FIRST came up to the Yankees in
1850 he asked about his reputation for being fresh
They say I'm fresh" Billy said THE freshest Yankee
since Leo Durocher. dontknow about Durocher He
before my time"
Joe Gordon found Martin hard to manage at Ceve-
land At Detroit and City following his trade by
the Yankees he did not lnger long. How long he'll stick
with Cincinnati remains to be but probably he'll
main long Fred Hutchinson is the manager. Hutch
sets store by fighting ball players
Casey Stenge loved the guy when he was Yankee.
Martin not of Caseys big stars but he invariably
contributed to winner. Stenge was creStfalen when
General Manager George Weiss traded Billy.
This in the wake of the Casabanca night club in
cident 1857 group Martins buddes including
Yogi Berra Hank Bauer Mickey Mantle and Whitley Ford
became involved in an unschedued floor show Only Billy
exled by Weiss who strongly hnted that The Kid
leading such as Ford and Mantle astray.
THIS WAS ONE rap Billy hoty protested Some bad
influences was" he said bitterly Il led Mickey
astray. He the most valuable player and led the
league in three departments wish someone would lead
me astray like that
"Sure went places Sometimes it Mantle who
wanted to go, sometimes it Hot spots We used
go the Stage Delicatessen They got hot pastram
sandwiches l took him to church with couple of
times. Church. That's real hot spot He wears ST.
Christopher medal gave him. That's pretty hot"
Martin admits that he close to becoming dead
end kid but references to his having been amateur
fighter in Il didn't want to be one" he
says Il had pal who fighter Dick Foster. He
fought good ones like Young Corbett III. But
fought only when had to- wanted to be ball player.
stengel managing Oakland in the Pacific Coast
League when he first Martini ScraWny Sandotter in
ancient and dirty hand-me-d down uniform. Casey
signed him. shipped him out and when Billy ready in
94S he roomed him with Cookie Lavagetto, now the
Senators manager. Il knew Cookie would help him. Casey
explained
THREE MEN-stenge Lavagetto and Chuck Dressen-
shaped Martin They tolerated. admired his spirit.
If they felt Billy getting out of hand Stenge and Dres
fined benched him. but took more drastic steps
because they appreciated his tangibes and ntangibes
Once Martin telling how much he owed Dresser.
He coached me on hitting behind and what
should do was on base or at bat when there was
ht-and-run He kept at me to be more aggressive.
Take charged he'd yell at me- In the next breath Billy
sheepishy told of day when he missed double play at
Oakland CT really trying to Walt Dropo
ing into second base because he'd been leaning on me-
and Dresser started to bawl him out.
"Aw shut up!" Martin srarled What do you know
about baseball?"
Martins fight with Piersal in 1882 unlike most of his
others, conducted under the stands. New York
writer later asked Martin to explain his bellgerance
Il don't mind what other players say to me- he replied
80 long they don't get personal.
80 Piersall got persona?" the writer asked What
did he call you?"
He called me busher" Billy said.