Pepper Martin, the “Wild Horse of the Osage,” is most famous for having dominated the October 1931 World Series—stealing bases, sliding on his chest, making diving catches, and driving in runs. He also captivated many Americans in the Depression Era with his homegrown honesty and love of pranks. To many, he epitomized the very spirit of baseball.
This biography follows Martin’s rise from Oklahoma farmboy, buying his first glove with money from a paper route, to being one of America’s most successful and beloved professionals. It closes with an account of his coaching career in Florida and his death in 1965, a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and a loving grandfather. The work includes accounts of important games and intimate glimpses of his romance with his wife and the arrivals of his daughters. Information is drawn from research on the careers of key players and managers from the Cardinals, back issues of periodicals, and interviews with Don Gutterridge, Martin’s teammate.

Thomas Barthel is Professor Emeritus from the State University of New York, and has written seven books. He lives in Clinton, New York.

Thomas Barthel
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 242
Bibliographic Info: photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2003
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1602-8
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii

Preface      1

PART ONE

Young Johnnie      5

1919–1923: $5 a Game      10

1924–1925: In the Low Minors      15

1926–1927: Climbing and Stumbling      22

1928–1930: A Cardinal, a Buffalo, a Red Wing      31

1931: An Old Rookie      40

PART TWO

The 1931 World Series Nears      47

Thursday, October 1, 1931: Before Game One      53

Thursday, October 1, 1931: Game One      57

Friday, October 2, 1931: Game Two      60

Saturday, October 3, 1931: Travel to Philadelphia      65

Sunday, October 4, 1931: Practice Day      68

Monday, October 5, 1931: Game Three      71

Tuesday, October 6, 1931: Game Four      75

Wednesday, October 7, 1931: Game Five      78

Wednesday, October 7, 1931: After Game Five      83

Thursday, October 8, 1931: The Train Home      86

Friday, October 9, 1931: Game Six      90

Saturday, October 10, 1931: Game Seven      94

Saturday, October 10, 1931: After Game Seven      98

The Last of 1931      102

PART THREE

1932–1934: The Gas House Gang      105

1935–1937: Maestro of the Mudcats      120

1938–1940: A Captain of Cardinals      145

PART FOUR

1941–1946: War’s Needs      165

1947–1948: Jack of All Trades      185

1949–1952: A Florida League      189

1953–1956: Five Teams in the Minors; One in the Majors      195

1957–1964: At Home in Oklahoma      206

1965: Death of a Baseball Man      216

Bibliography      221

Index      223

“game by game recaps of the 1931 World Series when Pepper Martin put his name in the baseball history books forever”—1190 KEX News Radio.