Tim Ellsworth

Pepper Martin played for the St. Louis Cardinals and was a member of the colorful Gashouse Gang back in the 1930s. He started as an outfielder but later in his career moved to third base. A prankster off the field, the joking stopped when Martin was playing the game. He was fiercely competitive.

Doug Feldmann, author of Dizzy and the Gashouse Gang, tells the following story about Martin:

As he made the switch to third base later in his career, he began to develop a sore back. Knowing this, opposing teams began to bunt on him incessantly. This continued until he became so angry he called time-out in the middle of a game, and called first baseman Rip Collins to the pitcher’s mound for a conference.

“Ripper,” he said, “the next time those bastards bunt, forget about the bag and back up the runner. I’m gonna plunk him right in the noggin.”

And sure enough, the next opponent to bunt dropped like a ton of bricks about two-thirds of the way down to first, the victim of a rocket shot to the head that came from across the infield. Word soon after spread around the league about the fate of would-be drag bunters in Sportsman’s Park, and the strategy ceased to exist.

Keep in mind this was before players started wearing batting helmets. Ouch.