Pepper Martin - Quinton Cemetery - Quinton, OK - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

Mr. Martin is buried near the road in one of the cemetery's newer sections, and his red granite headstone reads:

Beloved Husband & Father

John L. "Pepper" Martin

Feb. 29, 1904
Mar. 5, 1965


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Martin spent five years in the minor leagues, making a mark with his bat, before he was brought up by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1928. He was used as a utility player while continuing to show off his prowess as a hitter, but the Cardinals didn't use him much during their World Series loss to the New York Yankees that year. He returned to the minors and continued to shine as a hitter before coming back to the Cardinals in 1931. He was a "Charlie Hustle" type before Pete Rose, and his numbers not only helped the Cardinals into the World Series, but they won it for them as Martin practically carried the team on his back with his hitting, baserunning, and even his fielding.

Injuries marred his 1932 season, but he rebounded and was an All Star in 1933, 1934, 1935, and 1937. His antics made him a good fit for the "Gashouse Gang" team of the 30s, and he led the league in stolen bases three times. His bat helped the team to defeat the Detroit Tigers in the 1934 World Series, but his glove was beginning to fail, although he was fairly solid with a bat and on the base paths through the end of the decade, eventually becoming team captain before the Cardinals moved him into a player-manager role with their PCL affiliate in 1940. He made a brief comeback in 1944, where he once again helped the Cardinals into the World Series, although he did not otherwise contribute to their championship. He returned to managing, compiling a .541 record and finally retiring from the game in 1959.

Description: Not to be confused with the actor whose character roughed up Clark Kent in "Superman II", he was born Johnny Leonard Roosevelt Martin. While the origin of his nickname, "Pepper", is a bit cloudy, he was compared to Ty Cobb and dubbed the "Wild Horse of the Osage" for his aggressive baserunning. Unfortunately, while he may have had the spirit of the Georgia Peach, he didn't have Cobb's durability. He had a respectable playing career of over a decade, and then went onto success as a manager in the minor leagues. Date of birth: 02/29/1904 Date of death: 03/05/1965 Area of notoriety: Sports Marker Type: Horizontal Marker Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: Daylight hours Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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