|
The
Story of the 1931 Championship Season
| Slightly embarrassed by
the barrage of base hits in 1930, and faced with players demanding
higher salaries commensurate with their higher averages, the
owners "de-activated" the ball for 1931. As a
consequence the National League batting average dropped from .303
to a more seemly .277. 1931
was the year of the Cardinal. After being in previous races
in June, they had fallen mightily in the stretch. And after
the few successful seasons required them to grind out the pennants
in lock-step races, seemingly not allowed to lose a game in
September, the Cards finally found an easy way to the World
Series. This club won 101 games (a new team record) and took
the National League pennant by 13 games. They clinched the
title on September 16 after leading the League the entire season.
1931 also marked the year the
Baseball Writers of America began selecting the League Most
Valuable Player. The very first winner of the MVP award was
none other than St. Louis second baseman, Frank Frisch. All
he did was bat .311, lead the League in stolen bases with 28, and
galvanized the team with this blazing play.
Left fielder Chick Hafey, who
reported to the club late in a contract dispute, won what remains
the closest 3-way batting race in history. He had a .3489
average, the Giants' Bill Terry had a .3486 mark, and
fellow-Cardinal Jim Bottomley batted .3482. Hafey managed
only one hit in his first eight at bats in a doubleheader on the
season's final day. But Brooklyn held Terry to one hit in
four trips, giving Hafey the crown.
With the farm system becoming more
and more productive, Rickey was able to indulge what was going to
become a familiar penchant - selling off older, still productive
stars and replacing them with younger players, who commanded
smaller salaries. In June, Rickey dealt Taylor Douthit
(batting .331 at the time) to Cincinnati and installed young
Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin in center
field. Pepper began to show the signs of the coming Gashouse
Gang age, with his .300 batting average and all-out style of play.
Martin was an aggressive,
hard-playing, and very likable Oklahoman. Pepper's style of
play was as uninhibited as his mischievous personality; his
bristling presence on the field can best be summed up in the words
of a National League infielder: "Once we had three guys
chasing him around in a run-down, and we were the ones who
felt surrounded."
Another rookie, Paul Derringer, fit
right in with a splendid pitching staff. He won 18 games and
posted a league-best .692 winning percentage. Grimes (17-9),
Hallahan (19-9) and Derringer (18-8) combined to win 54
games. And "Pop" Haines coaxed a 12-3 record out
of his 37-year-old arm.
The ball lacked the liveliness of
1930, but the spirit of the Cardinals was growing. They got
into a base running battle with the Cubs in Chicago, then returned
to St. Louis for a re-match with the Cubbies. A crowd of
45,715 showed up at Sportsman's Park, about 11,000 more than the
yard could hold. Breadon wasn't about to turn money away, so
he put thousands of fans in the outfield behind a rope. The
Cubs won the first game 7-5 as the clubs combined for 11 doubles,
then the Cards took a farcical 17-13 decision in the second,
during which 21 ground-rule doubles fell as fly balls into the
fans standing in the outfield.
For the second straight year,
Connie Mack's juggernaut Philadelphia Athletics were sharing the
World Series stage with the Cardinals. But this time
the Cardinals had, in Hallahan's words, "a secret weapon
named Pepper Martin." Hallahan wasn't the only one who
had a healthy dose of confidence. "I knew my ball club
would win the pennant," said Street, the first man to win
pennants in his first two years as a manager. "I have a
great ball club, a game ball club, and I'm proud of
it...[Philadelphia Athletics manager] Connie Mack is right when he
says he's going to have a tough time in the World Series."
After the Series, Commissioner
Kenesaw Mountain Landis congratulated the exuberant Series MVP
Martin and said, "Young man, I'd rather trade places with you
than with any man in the country," to which Pepper
replied, "Fine, Judge, if we can swap salaries, too."
(Landis was making $60,000 to Pepper's $4,500. It gave Martin a
permanent entry in baseball's book of famous quotes.) Creator's
note: In
doing the research for this page, I wondered, "If Dizzy Dean pitched a
shutout to finish the 1930 season, where was he in
1931?" Well, after his impressive debut, Dean assumed
he would be on the staff in 1931. But the youngster's cocky,
outspoken self-confidence so annoyed Street that the skipper (with
Rickey's concurrence) decided to send him back to the minors for
another year (where was Scott Boras?). Dizzy toured the
Texas League like a tornado, posting a 26-10 record and ringing up
303 strikeouts, and in 1932 there was no question about his making
the team. Read more about him in the 1934 profile. |
Back
to Top
1931
Regular Season Highlights
|

|
World Series Lineup |
| 1. |
High, 3B |
| 2. |
Roettger, RF |
| 3. |
Frisch, 2B |
| 4. |
Bottomley, 1B |
| 5. |
Hafey, LF |
| 6. |
Martin, CF |
| 7. |
Wilson, C |
| 8. |
Gelbert, SS |
| 9. |
pitcher |
Regular Season Offensive Performances
|
Pos. |
Name |
AVG |
OBP |
SLG |
HR |
RBI |
Runs |
SB |
Notables |
|
1B |
Bottomley |
.348 |
|
|
9 |
75 |
73 |
3 |
edged out of BA race by Hafey |
|
2B |
Frisch |
.311 |
|
|
4 |
82 |
96 |
28 |
MVP Season
|
|
SS |
Gelbert |
.289 |
|
|
1 |
62 |
61 |
7 |
|
|
3B |
Adams |
.293 |
|
|
1 |
40 |
97 |
16 |
|
|
LF |
Hafey |
.349 |
|
|
16 |
95 |
94 |
11 |
League Leader in BA |
|
CF |
Martin |
.300 |
|
|
7 |
75 |
68 |
16 |
|
|
RF |
Watkins |
.288 |
|
|
13 |
51 |
93 |
15 |
|
|
C |
Wilson |
.274 |
|
|
0 |
51 |
45 |
5 |
|
|
Team |
|
.286 |
|
|
60 |
751
|
815 |
114 |
SB's led the League
|
Regular Season Pitching
Performances
|
Pos. |
Name |
W-L |
Pct. |
Sv. |
G |
GS |
CG |
SHO |
ERA |
Notables |
|
SP |
Rhem |
11-10 |
|
1 |
33 |
26 |
10 |
2 |
3.56 |
|
|
SP |
Grimes |
17-9 |
.654 |
0 |
29 |
28 |
17 |
3 |
3.65 |
|
|
SP |
Haines |
12-3 |
|
0 |
19 |
17 |
8 |
2 |
3.02 |
|
|
SP |
Hallahan |
19-9 |
.679 |
4 |
37 |
30 |
16 |
3 |
3.29 |
Most wins and
best Pct. |
|
SP |
Derringer |
18-8 |
.692 |
2 |
35 |
23 |
15 |
4 |
3.36 |
Not a bad
rookie season |
|
RP |
Lindsey |
6-4 |
|
7 |
35 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2.77 |
|
|
Team |
|
101-53 |
|
20 |
154 |
154 |
80 |
17 |
3.45 |
|
Team
Accomplishments
| League Leaders: |
Doubles (353), Stolen
Bases (114) |
| League Leaders: |
Shutouts (17), Saves (20),
Strikeouts (626), SO/Game (4.1), Fielding Average (.974) |
Individual Accomplishments
| Doubles |
Batting
Average |
On
Base Percentage |
Slugging
Pct. |
|
1st
- Adams (46)
|
1st
- Hafey (.3489)
3rd
- Bottomley (.3482)
|
1st -
Hafey (.404) |
2nd
- Hafey (.569)
|
|
Stolen Bases |
Wins |
Winning Pct. |
Shutouts |
|
1st
- Frisch (28)
T-3rd
- Martin (16)
T-3rd
- Adams (16)
5th
- Watkins (15)
|
T-1st
- Hallahan (19)
|
1st
- Derringer (.692)
2nd-
Hallahan (.679)
4th
- Grimes (.654)
|
T-2nd
- Derringer (4)
|
|
Saves |
Fewest BB/Game
|
Strikeouts
|
Stikeouts/Game
|
|
2nd
- Lindsey (7)
4th
- Hallahan (4)
|
1st
- Johnson (1.40) |
1st
- Hallahan (159)
4th
- Derringer (134) |
2nd
- Hallahan (5.75)
3rd
- Derringer (5.69) |
|
ERA
|
Opponents
OBP |
|
|
|
5th - Johnson (3.00)
|
3rd
- Johnson (.283) |
|
|
|
Philadelphia Athletics |
|
Manager: |
Connie Mack |
|

|
World Series Lineup |
|
1. |
Bishop, 2B |
|
2. |
Haas, CF |
|
3. |
Cochrane, C |
|
4. |
Simmons, LF |
|
5. |
Foxx, 1B |
|
6. |
Miller, RF |
|
7. |
Dykes, 3B |
|
8. |
Williams, SS |
|
9. |
pitcher |
Back
to Top Game
Summaries
|

|
For the second year in a
row, the A's
met the Cardinals
in the Series, and once again pitchers Lefty Grove and George
Earnshaw provided more than 80 percent of the Athletics' pitching,
performing splendidly and winning three games between them. But this
time Cardinal pitchers Wild Bill Hallahan and Burleigh
Grimes outshone them, winning two games apiece to bring St.
Louis the world championship. |
October 1 at Saint Louis (attendance:
38,529) Athletics
Starter: Lefty Grove (LHP), 31-4 Cardinals
Starter: Paul Derringer (RHP), 18-8
| PHI |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
6 |
11 |
0 |
| STL |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2 |
12 |
0 |
Homeruns:
Simmons - Philadelphia WP:
Grove (1-0) LP:
Derringer (0-1) Athletics
lead Series 1-0 Highlights:
Grove gave up four
hits and two runs in the first inning of the opener, but shut out the
Cards the rest of the way as the A's scored six off Paul Derringer to take
the Series lead. Martin had two singles, a double and a stolen base
in the losing effort.
October 2 at Saint Louis (attendance:
35,947) Athletics
Starter: George Earnshaw (RHP), 21-7 Cardinals
Starter: Bill Hallahan (RHP), 19-9
| PHI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
3 |
0 |
| STL |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
X |
|
2 |
6 |
1 |
Homeruns:
none WP:
Hallahan (1-0) LP:
Earnshaw (0-1) Series
tied 1-1 Highlights:
Earnshaw also held
St. Louis to two runs the next day--both manufactured by Pepper Martin's
daring baserunning. But they were more than enough for Hallahan, who shut
out the A's on three singles. Martin again stole the show when he
doubled, stole third and scored the first run, then singled, stole second,
and eventually scored the second run on a squeeze bunt.
October 5 at Philadelphia
(attendance: 32,295) Cardinals
Starter: Burleigh Grimes (RHP),17-9 Athletics
Starter: Lefty Grove (LHP), 31-4
| STL |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
5 |
12 |
0 |
| PHI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
2 |
2 |
0 |
Homeruns:
Simmons - Philadelphia WP:
Grimes (1-0) LP:
Grove (1-1) Cardinals
leads Series 2-1 Highlights:
The Cardinals took
their first Series lead in Game Three, scoring five times off Grove and
reliever Roy Mahaffey while Grimes held the A's hitless through seven
innings and scoreless through eight before giving up a harmless two-run
homer to Al Simmons in the bottom of the ninth. Martin had a single
and a double, while scoring two runs.
October 6 at Philadelphia (attendance:
32,295) Cardinals
Starter: Syl Johnson (RHP), 11-9 Athletics
Starter: George Earnshaw (RHP), 21-7
| STL |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
0 |
2 |
1 |
| PHI |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
X |
|
3 |
10 |
0 |
Homeruns:
Foxx - Philadelphia WP:
Earnshaw (1-1) LP:
Johnson (0-1) Series
tied 2-2 Highlights:
Earnshaw's 2-hit
shutout. And yes, Martin had both hits.
October 7 at Philadelphia (attendance:
32,295) Cardinals
Starter: Bill Hallahan (RHP), 19-9 Athletics
Starter: Waite Hoyt (RHP), 13-13
| STL |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
5 |
12 |
0 |
| PHI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 |
9 |
0 |
Homeruns: Martin - St. Louis WP:
Hallahan (2-0) LP:
Hoyt (0-1) Cardinals
lead the Series 3-2 Highlights:
Pepper Martin, the
Cardinal hero of Game Two, was elevated to the clean-up spot by
Street. He responded by homering for two runs, and droving in two
more of St. Louis' five runs with a sacrifice fly and a single. Meanwhile
pitcher Hallahan held Philadelphia to a lone run, returning the Series
lead to the Cardinals with his second win.
October 9 at Saint Louis (attendance:
39,401) Athletics
Starter: Lefty Grove (LHP), 31-4 Cardinals
Starter: Paul Derringer (RHP), 18-8
| PHI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
|
8 |
8 |
1 |
| STL |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
1 |
5 |
2 |
Homeruns:
none WP:
Grove (2-1) LP:
Derringer (0-2) Series
tied 3-3 Highlights:
Game Six pitted Grove
and Derringer against each other again as in the opener, and again Grove
emerged the victor, holding the Cardinals to one run and five hits, and
just as significantly, keeping Martin off base. The Athletics scored four
unearned runs in the fifth off the unfortunate Derringer who, after an
error put a runner on base to open the inning, gave up two singles and
walked four, including two with the bases full, before leaving the game.
Four more Philadelphia runs in the seventh (two of them scoring on a
dropped fly ball) gave the A's the Series' only lopsided win.
October 10 at Saint Louis
(attendance: 20,805) Athletics
Starter: George Earnshaw (RHP), 21-7 Cardinals
Starter: Burleigh Grimes (RHP), 17-9
| PHI |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
2 |
7 |
1 |
| STL |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
X |
|
4 |
5 |
0 |
Homeruns: Watkins - St. Louis WP:
Grimes (2-0) LP:
Earnshaw (1-2) Save:
Hallahan Cardinals
win the World Series 4-3 Highlights:
In the finale, Grimes
once again held the A's scoreless through eight before giving up two runs
in the ninth. With two outs, Hallahan recorded the save when he came
in and got the final out - on a fly ball, lifted, appropriately enough, to
St. Louis' "secret weapon" in center field, Pepper Martin (who
had failed to register a hit in Game 7).
Pepper ended the
Series with 12 hits and a .500 batting average. He had one home run,
four doubles, five RBI's, five runs scored, and five stolen bases.
Check out the detailed profile under the Series MVP section.
Back
to Top Series
Composite Box Score
|
STL
(N)
|
|
PLAYER-
POS
|
AVG
|
G
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RB
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
|
Sparky Adams, 3b
|
.250
|
2
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Ray Blades, ph
|
.000
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
Jim Bottomley, 1b
|
.160
|
7
|
25
|
2
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
5
|
0
|
|
Ripper Collins, ph
|
.000
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Paul Derringer, p
|
.000
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Jake Flowers, 3b-4
|
.091
|
5
|
11
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Frankie Frisch, 2b
|
.259
|
7
|
27
|
2
|
7
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
|
Charlie Gelbert, ss
|
.261
|
7
|
23
|
0
|
6
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
|
Burleigh Grimes, p
|
.286
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
Chick Hafey, of
|
.167
|
6
|
24
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
|
Bill Hallahan, p
|
.000
|
3
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
|
Andy High, 3b
|
.267
|
4
|
15
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
Syl Johnson, p
|
.000
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
Jim Lindsey, p
|
.000
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Gus Mancuso, c-1
|
.000
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Pepper Martin, of
|
.500
|
7
|
24
|
5
|
12
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
|
Ernie Orsatti, of
|
.000
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
|
Flint Rhem, p
|
.000
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Wally Roettger, of
|
.286
|
3
|
14
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
|
George Watkins, of
|
.286
|
5
|
14
|
4
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
Jimmie Wilson, c
|
.217
|
7
|
23
|
0
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
|
TOTAL
|
.236
|
-
|
229
|
19
|
54
|
11
|
0
|
2
|
17
|
9
|
41
|
8
|
|
PITCHER
|
W
|
L
|
ERA
|
G
|
GS
|
CG
|
SV
|
SHO
|
IP
|
H
|
ER
|
BB
|
SO
|
|
Paul Derringer
|
0
|
2
|
4.26
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
12.2
|
14
|
6
|
7
|
14
|
|
Burleigh Grimes
|
2
|
0
|
2.04
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
17.2
|
9
|
4
|
9
|
11
|
|
Bill Hallahan
|
2
|
0
|
0.49
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
18.1
|
12
|
1
|
8
|
12
|
|
Syl Johnson
|
0
|
1
|
3.00
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
9.0
|
10
|
3
|
1
|
6
|
|
Jim Lindsey
|
0
|
0
|
5.40
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3.1
|
4
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
|
Flint Rhem
|
0
|
0
|
0.00
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1.0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
TOTAL
|
4
|
3
|
2.32
|
14
|
7
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
62.0
|
50
|
16
|
28
|
46
|
|
PHI (A)
|
|
PLAYER- POS
|
AVG
|
G
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
2B
|
3B
|
HR
|
RB
|
BB
|
SO
|
SB
|
|
Max Bishop, 2b
|
.148
|
7
|
27
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
5
|
0
|
|
Joe Boley, ph
|
.000
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Mickey Cochrane, c
|
.160
|
7
|
25
|
2
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
2
|
0
|
|
Doc Cramer, ph
|
.500
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Jimmy Dykes, 3b
|
.227
|
7
|
22
|
2
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
|
George Earnshaw, p
|
.000
|
3
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
Jimmie Foxx 1b
|
.348
|
7
|
23
|
3
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
6
|
5
|
0
|
|
Lefty Grove, p
|
.000
|
3
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
7
|
0
|
|
Mule Haas, of
|
.130
|
7
|
23
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
3
|
5
|
0
|
|
Johnnie Heving, ph
|
.000
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Waite Hoyt, p
|
.000
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Roy Mahaffey, p
|
.000
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Eric McNair, 2b-1
|
.000
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Bing Miller, of
|
.269
|
7
|
26
|
3
|
7
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
4
|
0
|
|
Jim Moore, of-1
|
.333
|
2
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
Eddie Rommel, p
|
.000
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Al Simmons, of
|
.333
|
7
|
27
|
4
|
9
|
2
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
|
Phil Todt, ph
|
.000
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Rube Walberg, p
|
.000
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
Dib Williams, ss
|
.320
|
7
|
25
|
2
|
8
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
9
|
0
|
|
TOTAL
|
.220
|
-
|
227
|
22
|
50
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
20
|
28
|
46
|
0
|
|
PITCHER
|
W
|
L
|
ERA
|
G
|
GS
|
CG
|
SV
|
SHO
|
IP
|
H
|
ER
|
BB
|
SO
|
|
George Earnshaw
|
1
|
2
|
1.88
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
24.0
|
12
|
5
|
4
|
20
|
|
Lefty Grove
|
2
|
1
|
2.42
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
26.0
|
28
|
7
|
2
|
16
|
|
Waite Hoyt
|
0
|
1
|
4.50
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
6.0
|
7
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
|
Roy Mahaffey
|
0
|
0
|
9.00
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1.0
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
|
Eddie Rommel
|
0
|
0
|
9.00
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1.0
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
Rube Walberg
|
0
|
0
|
3.00
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3.0
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
4
|
|
TOTAL
|
3
|
4
|
2.66
|
11
|
7
|
4
|
0
|
1
|
61.0
|
54
|
18
|
9
|
41
|
Back
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Series
MVP
No
one ever played baseball harder than John Leonard Roosevelt
"Pepper" Martin. Though he was seldom graceful, he was fast,
very fast, which made his reckless style an even sharper weapon. After
seeing him play football, a sportswriter nicknamed him "the Wild
Horse of the Osage." Martin explained his speed simply. "Well, I
grew up in Oklahoma and out there, once you start running there ain't
nothing to stop you."
Martin had a solid career, batting .298 lifetime,
scoring more than 120 runs three times, and leading the National League in
stolen bases three times. But it was the way he made his grand entrance,
with an astounding performance in the 1931 World Series, that earned him a
place in baseball history.
The Philadelphia A's were playing in their third
consecutive World Series in 1931, and the team of Mickey Cochrane, Lefty
Grove, Al Simmons, Jimmie Foxx, and George Earnshaw had humiliated the
Cubs in the 1929 Fall Classic and had topped the Cardinals in 1930.
The difference between 1930 and 1931 was that the
1930 Cardinals didn't have Pepper Martin. After a six-year minor league
career, Martin had simply hustled his way into the center field position
for the Cardinals, prompting the trade of outfielder Taylor Douthit early
in the season.
Martin tore the potent A's apart in the Series. He
batted .500, scored five runs, stole five bases, had 12 hits and four
doubles, all tops in the Series. Commissioner Kenesaw Landis said to a
friend, "Did you ever see anything like that Martin's performance?
Why, there were times when I thought he would steal Mickey's [Cochrane]
underwear."
The Series started with a ho-hum win for A's fans.
Lefty Grove beat the Cards, 5-2, although he allowed an unusual 12 hits, 3
by Martin. Martin also swiped second base when the A's weren't paying
attention: they were arguing over the call on outfielder Chick Hafey's
steal of third.
Game 2 was all Martin: he had a double and a single,
swiped two bases, and scored the only two runs of the game. He hit a
double and scored two runs in Game 3 as the Cardinals beat Grove, 5-2. The
Cards lost Game 4, 3-0, with only two hits off George Earnshaw. Martin had
both of them, one a double, and stole another base. Martin took center
stage again in Game 5. He drove in the Cards' first run with a flyball to
the left-field wall in the first inning, then beat out a bunt to open the
fourth, hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and singled to drive in a run in
the eighth. He drove in four of the Cardinals' five runs as they won, 5-1.
At that point Martin was hitting a remarkable .667, with 12 hits in five
games. No one before or since has had more hits in a Series. The A's
tightened their belts and kept Martin hitless the rest of the Series, but
they couldn't keep him out of the action.
After losing Game 6, the Cardinals stormed back in
Game 7. Martin walked and stole second to keep a two-run rally alive in
the first inning. When the A's threatened in the ninth, Martin made the
final catch of a sinking line drive with two on and two out. Martin's
domination of the Series against a superior team was complete. After the
Series Martin went hunting back home. While sleeping in the tall grass one
night, he suffered a nasty insect bite, and the result was an unpleasant,
relentless skin infection. He got into just 85 games in 1932, playing some
with a broken finger that no one knew about until a throw to first left a
trail of bandage. When asked about it, he said, "It was just a small
bone."
Moved to third base fulltime in 1933 to make
outfield room for Joe Medwick, Martin stumbled, stammered, took balls off
his chest, and threw wildly. His frustration showed in his batting average
and behavior. In the final game of an early-season Cardinals homestand,
Martin flung his bat into the dugout after a strikeout, chased it, and
gave the bat rack a mighty boot, causing the whole pile to go flying. One
landed in the lap of Mrs. Sam Breadon, wife of the Cardinals' owner.
Martin was heavily booed; it was the low point of his career.
But the Cards were beginning a road trip, so Manager
Gabby Street decided to keep Martin at third. By the time they returned
home, he was learning the position (although still playing like a wild
man), and his batting eye was back. He finished the season at .316,
leading the league with 122 runs scored. The Cards improved their record
by 10 games, largely due to the addition of a loose-limbed Arkansas
pitcher named Dizzy Dean.
As a third baseman, Martin's brutal style of play
assured that his body would always be banged up. With his back aching in a
game against Boston, he told the Braves they'd better not bunt. When the
first batter disobeyed, Martin fired the ball at him, not the first
baseman. After he hit the second bunter between the shoulder blades with a
flaming toss, the bunt was dropped from the Braves' playbook for the day.
In 1934 the "Gas House Gang", the wacky,
fun-loving, hard-charging Cardinals, made their mark, and Martin was their
leader. He played guitar in the Gang's Mudcat Band and kept the Cardinals
loose by dropping water balloons on sportswriters, attaching smoke bombs
to the spark plugs of fancy cars, and releasing sneezing powder in hotel
lobbies. Playing an exhibition game once in fading light, he had trouble
locating a line drive, until he pulled a flashlight out of his pocket.
That season Martin led the NL in stolen bases for
the second consecutive year. With Dizzy and Paul Dean combining for 49
wins, outfielder Ripper Collins belting 35 home runs, and young Medwick
hitting 18 triples, the Gang outlasted the Giants and made it to the World
Series, this time against the Tigers.
Martin was in the middle of the action once again in
the Fall Classic. He drove in a run and scored one as the Cardinals
overpowered the Tigers, 8-3, in Game 1. He scored one run in a 12-inning,
3-2 Game 2 loss. And with a double and triple in Game 3, he scored half
the team's runs in a 4-1 win.
Martin's poor hands at third resulted in three
errors in Game 4, but he returned to form with three singles and two
stolen bases as the Cardinals took Games 6 and 7. They were once again
champions of the world. Martin's 11-hit total tied three other players for
the Series high.
After 1936 Martin's playing time was reduced to
fewer than 100 games a year. His batting averages stayed consistently
close to .300, but his basestealing ability had left him. In 1940 he
batted .316, then returned to the minors for several years as a
player-manager. When World War II depleted the Cardinals' roster, Martin
came back, played in 40 games in 1944, and retired.
He coached for the Cubs in 1956. A prosperous cattle
rancher, he served as director of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary for a
time. He was managing the Tulsa Oilers in 1965 when he died of a heart
attack.
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