Pepper Martin was the first player to bat .500 in a Fall Classic that actually went the limit. It's fitting that one of the Gashouse Gang would be the first. Martin was the type of player that would always rise to the occasion. And his St. Louis Cardinals needed him here. They were up against Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics, no pushovers!
His effort's were in vain the opener. The A's came to St. Louis and pushed aside Martin and his mates in easy fashion, 6-2. However, a closer look reveals that Pepper and co. had no intention of letting the Athletics off the hook so easily. Not only did Pepper go 3 for 4, but the Cards collected nine additional hits. So while it was a loss, there could be no doubt that St. Louis came to play!
The Cardinals were again held to just two runs in the second tilt, but this time, their pitching did the job. Actually, it did a tremendous job. Billy Hallahan, who would later fan Babe Ruth in the first ever All-Star Game, pitched a shutout for St. Louis. Martin not only went 2-3 but also scored the game's only two runs. This thing was going to the City Of Brotherly Love. But Martin loved to hit at home or on the road.
And if it was a daunting task that awaited Pepper in Philly, it didn't show. Again, two hits. Again, two runs. And again, a Philly win. The 5-2 final score gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead in the 1931 Fall Classic. Now, the pressure was on Philly to keep the dynasty going. But how could they stop Martin? He was hitting .636 at this point! All this, in front of Herbet Hoover himself!
But Philly sure stopped St. Louis in game four, which they badly needed. George Earnshaw sure earned his 3-0 win over the Cardinals. He held St. Louis to just two hits. Would you believe who got them? Why, the very subject of this blog. So without Pepper, it's a no-hitter. But, alas, you need some of your teammates and some salt to go along with Pepper. Martin went 2-3 and the only time he was retired was in the top of the second as Earnshaw fanned him. He singled and stole second in the top of the fifth. In the top of the eight, Pepper hit a lead off double. But Earnshaw stranded him and ended the day with just one walk. His fine shutout tied the series at two.
Martin was virtually unstoppable in game five. He almost beat the Athletics single-handily. Martin went 3-4 and drove in four of the five Cardinal runs. The Athletics totaled one run in this game, and Martin himself scored one. The 5-1 win put St. Louis just one win away. And Martin's average? Try .667! Pepper was getting two hits in every three at-bats!
But in game six back in St. Louis, Lefty Grove finally became the first A's pitcher to stop Martin. Martin was 0-3 with just one walk. Him teammates were off, too. They managed just one run and five hits off Grove. And Philly brought out their big sticks as the crossed the dish eight times. This thing was going the distance.
The Cardinals, at home, scored twice in the bottom of the first, and Philly never really recovered. The first two Cardinal hitters singled. And then a sac bunt moved runners to second and third with only one out. Pepper was at the plate, Earnshaw threw a wild pitch that scored a run. Martin would eventually walk and steal second. The Cardinals scored again, and Martin made it to third, but he did not score.
The Cardinals scored two more runs to make it a 4-0 lead. Philadelphia was not able to mount any offence until the top of the ninth. Although they scored twice, they could not stop St. Louis from winning 4-2 and triumphing in the 1931 World Series. The A's dynasty was officially over.
Pepper was held hitless in his remaining three plate appearances. So in games six and seven, he was 0-6 with two walks. That dropped his average to .500. But Martin had shown again and again that St. Louis was a team that wasn't going down easily, and always fighting tooth and nail. Although a seven-game affair, the 1931 Fall Classic was ultimately decided by what St. Louis had, character. Martin would go on to play his entire career with the Cardinals, and was always as help to the team when they needed a lift. Here, they were up against a tremendous team that had supplanted the New York Yankees (But New York would be back in 1932) as the dominating team in the American League. The Cardinals had to beat great to win this, and Martin was!
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
His effort's were in vain the opener. The A's came to St. Louis and pushed aside Martin and his mates in easy fashion, 6-2. However, a closer look reveals that Pepper and co. had no intention of letting the Athletics off the hook so easily. Not only did Pepper go 3 for 4, but the Cards collected nine additional hits. So while it was a loss, there could be no doubt that St. Louis came to play!
The Cardinals were again held to just two runs in the second tilt, but this time, their pitching did the job. Actually, it did a tremendous job. Billy Hallahan, who would later fan Babe Ruth in the first ever All-Star Game, pitched a shutout for St. Louis. Martin not only went 2-3 but also scored the game's only two runs. This thing was going to the City Of Brotherly Love. But Martin loved to hit at home or on the road.
And if it was a daunting task that awaited Pepper in Philly, it didn't show. Again, two hits. Again, two runs. And again, a Philly win. The 5-2 final score gave St. Louis a 2-1 lead in the 1931 Fall Classic. Now, the pressure was on Philly to keep the dynasty going. But how could they stop Martin? He was hitting .636 at this point! All this, in front of Herbet Hoover himself!
But Philly sure stopped St. Louis in game four, which they badly needed. George Earnshaw sure earned his 3-0 win over the Cardinals. He held St. Louis to just two hits. Would you believe who got them? Why, the very subject of this blog. So without Pepper, it's a no-hitter. But, alas, you need some of your teammates and some salt to go along with Pepper. Martin went 2-3 and the only time he was retired was in the top of the second as Earnshaw fanned him. He singled and stole second in the top of the fifth. In the top of the eight, Pepper hit a lead off double. But Earnshaw stranded him and ended the day with just one walk. His fine shutout tied the series at two.
Martin was virtually unstoppable in game five. He almost beat the Athletics single-handily. Martin went 3-4 and drove in four of the five Cardinal runs. The Athletics totaled one run in this game, and Martin himself scored one. The 5-1 win put St. Louis just one win away. And Martin's average? Try .667! Pepper was getting two hits in every three at-bats!
But in game six back in St. Louis, Lefty Grove finally became the first A's pitcher to stop Martin. Martin was 0-3 with just one walk. Him teammates were off, too. They managed just one run and five hits off Grove. And Philly brought out their big sticks as the crossed the dish eight times. This thing was going the distance.
The Cardinals, at home, scored twice in the bottom of the first, and Philly never really recovered. The first two Cardinal hitters singled. And then a sac bunt moved runners to second and third with only one out. Pepper was at the plate, Earnshaw threw a wild pitch that scored a run. Martin would eventually walk and steal second. The Cardinals scored again, and Martin made it to third, but he did not score.
The Cardinals scored two more runs to make it a 4-0 lead. Philadelphia was not able to mount any offence until the top of the ninth. Although they scored twice, they could not stop St. Louis from winning 4-2 and triumphing in the 1931 World Series. The A's dynasty was officially over.
Pepper was held hitless in his remaining three plate appearances. So in games six and seven, he was 0-6 with two walks. That dropped his average to .500. But Martin had shown again and again that St. Louis was a team that wasn't going down easily, and always fighting tooth and nail. Although a seven-game affair, the 1931 Fall Classic was ultimately decided by what St. Louis had, character. Martin would go on to play his entire career with the Cardinals, and was always as help to the team when they needed a lift. Here, they were up against a tremendous team that had supplanted the New York Yankees (But New York would be back in 1932) as the dominating team in the American League. The Cardinals had to beat great to win this, and Martin was!
References
Enders, Eric. 100 years of the World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Seaver, Tom, and Martin Appel. Great Moments in Baseball. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group, 1992. Print.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
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