Over my years of playing Strat-o-Matic baseball one of the best parts is uncovering history.
During my 1927*1961 New York Yankees replay looking up information on John Martina proved to be interesting.
First of all what is his name? On his Strat-o-matic card, he’s listed as Joe.
The headline in Martina’s 1962 obituary published by the Shreveport Journal calls him “Oyster Joe.” According to the story, he acquired the nickname because his family was in the oyster business.
Martina’s career numbers are outstanding. The right hander was 328-262 in his career during 22 professional seasons.
One would think the Baseball Hall of Fame might have been in his future as he compiled those numbers from 1910 to 1931. Oyster Joe was also a member of the Washington Senators that beat the New York Giants in the 1924 World Series.
However, there is a problem. It not that the numbers aren’t accurate, it’s that Martina was only 6-8 in his one big league season with the Senators.
Early in the 1924 season there was a story written by Billy Evans, who was also an American League umpire that would become a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973.
Martina was quoted by Evans in the Evening News (Harrisburg, Pa.) about his first big league chance in 1913 during spring training with the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees.
“That game against the Yankees is my first,” the 34-year old said. “That club (Boston) sent me back to the Texas League. For 12 years I have been pitching in the south, nine in the Texas (League) and three in the Southern (League).”
“I had as much stuff 15 years ago as I have today, and with it youth, but somehow the major league scouts would annually pass me up.”
Prior to joining the Senators, Martina had six of his eight 20-win seasons in the minors with a career-best 28-13 for Beaumont in 1919. He won 104 games for Beaumont and New Orleans from 1919 to 1923.
“Year after year I would beat the major league clubs training in the south, but seldom received much credit for my spring performances,” Martina told Evans. “Just when I made up my mind I was doomed to the minors for life, Washington picks me up and here I am.”
Martina appeared in 24 games in 1924 for Washington making 14 starts with eight complete games.
Perhaps Martina’s best outing of the season was on April 24 in Philadelphia in a 4-3 win over the A’s. Martina gave up three hits and fanned six. After the go-head run was scored in the top of the ninth, Martina closed out his complete game effort with a perfect bottom of the inning. He retired future Hall of Fame member Al Simmons, who was a rookie at the time. He ended the contest by striking out Bing Miller, who batted .311 during his 16-year career.
Although Martina’s time on the mound in the majors may not have worked out, he was a decent hitter with a .326 batting average with the Senators. Martina had 14 hits with two doubles and six RBI, while also playing five innings as a shortstop.
The Final Game
The last time Martina pitched in the majors would be in the third game of the 1924 World Series against the New York Giants.
The Giants would win the game 6-4 on Oct. 6, but the Senators would take the series in seven.
Although no one knew at the time, it would later become quite a moment that should be celebrated even though Martina played seven more years in the minors.
Martina retired three straight New York hitters in the seventh in his final appearance. After fanning High Pockets Kelly, Bill Terry fouled out to the catcher and Hack Wilson had a fly ball to left.
All three batters would eventually be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Terry would be the first one in 1954, while Kelly was in 1973 and Wilson in 1979.