Martin, labeled “The Wild Horse of the Osage” by a Rochester sportswriter for his aggressive play, was the personification of the Cardinals’ Gashouse Gang. He played every facet of the game with passion. His bellyflop slides helped him to lead the NL in stolen bases and score more than 120 runs in each of three seasons. He dashed for every batted ball as if it were the seventh game of the World Series. In lopsided games, he would reportedly throw at batters who bunted instead of throwing them out at first. He got along well with manager Frankie Frisch, although his horseplay could exasperate the skipper.
In the 1931 WS, Martin batted .500, with five extra-base hits and five stolen bases. His career WS batting average of .418 is the highest among players with 50 or more at-bats.
