Welcome to the Gashouse Gang
The most colorful team of the thirties was the Gashouse Gang of the St Louis Cardinals. It became a well known monitor for a team that attached itself to the description of grungy, unkempt, feisty and outrageously humorous. Opposing teams would often add that they smelled, claiming that they did not believe in taking showers. Meet the original member of this outrageous team – Pepper Martin. Martin arrived at 1931 spring training as an unheralded 27 year old rookie looking dirty and unshaven following a 2 day ride as a stowaway in a train freight car. His continuing sloppy appearance and style of play was copied by many teammates which gave birth to their nickname. By the end of the season, he was recognized as a good defensive center fielder with speed and a decent bat. Pepper was an early user of the hook slide. However, it took the World Series for Pepper to become a legend. He was the engineer behind the Cardinals upset win over the A’s. In Game 1, he was good for 3 hits and a stolen base. Game 2, he scored both the team’s runs -one by a single, stealing second, stealing 3rd and sliding home on a squeeze play. Game 3, three more hits. Game 4 his 2 hits were the only hits the Cardinals made in the game. Game 5, 4 RBIs with a homerun and two singles. In Game 7, the World Series ended when Pepper made a bottom of the 9th game ending leaping catch in centerfield to halt a A’s rally and secure the trophy for the Cardinals. The Cardinals would continue building the “Gashouse” legend through the decade adding such characters as Leo Durocher and the Dean Brothers, Dizzy and Daffy.