About Pepper Martin
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin (February 29, 1904 – March 5, 1965) was an American professional baseball outfielder, third baseman, and minor league manager. He played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1928 to 1944. He was best known for his heroics during the 1931 World Series, in which he was the catalyst in a Cardinals' upset victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. Martin was known as the "Wild Horse of the Osage" because of his daring, aggressive baserunning. Martin was an integral member of the Cardinals' teams of the 1930s that became known as the Gashouse Gang for their roguish behavior and practical jokes. Early in his career, he was labeled by some contemporary press reports as the next Ty Cobb because of his spirited, hustling style of play. However, because his headlong attitude on the playing field took a physical toll on his body, he never lived up to those initial expectations. After the end of his playing career, he continued his career in baseball as a successful minor league baseball manager. In 2017, Martin was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame. Martin impressed observers with his hustle in the outfield as well as on the base paths, where he often slid into bases head-first. Martin scored the first run of the game in the second inning by stretching a single into a double when the ball was mishandled in the outfield, stealing third base, and then scoring on a sacrifice fly. Led by Connie Mack, the Athletics had won the previous two World Series and were heavily favored to win for a third consecutive year. Martin played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman and an outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1930s and early 1940s.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.