Babe Martin facts for kids

Boris Michael Martin (born March 28, 1920 – died August 1, 2013) was an American baseball player. People often called him 'Babe'. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder for the St. Louis Browns. He also played as a catcher for the Boston Red Sox.

Early Life and Baseball Career

Babe Martin was born Boris Michael Martinovich in Seattle, Washington. His parents were immigrants from Serbia. When Babe was a boy, his family moved to Zeigler, Illinois. After his father passed away, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri.

Martin started playing professional baseball in 1940. He had a great year in 1944 with the Toledo Mud Hens. He hit for a .350 batting average in 114 games. This strong performance helped him join the Major League Browns the next season.

However, his time in the Major Leagues was tough at first. He did not hit well and was sent back to the minor leagues. Martin played his last professional game in 1954. In his 69 Major League games, he hit 2 home runs and had 18 RBIs. His career batting average was .214.

Playing with Pete Gray

In 1945, Babe Martin played with a unique teammate named Pete Gray. Gray was an outfielder who only had one arm. Martin later spoke about how Gray's fielding affected the team.

Because Gray had only one arm, he had to take off his glove to throw the ball back to the infield. This made his throws slower than other outfielders. This extra time sometimes allowed opposing runners to advance more bases. The Browns finished third in the American League that year. They were six games behind the Detroit Tigers.

A Funny Story from the Dugout

Charlie Metro was a teammate of Babe Martin's in 1946. He shared a funny story about Martin. They were playing in Portland, and a fan was yelling at Martin from the stands. Martin was a catcher at the time.

Martin had enough of the heckler. He tried to climb onto the roof of the dugout to confront the fan. He was still wearing his shin guards and mask! The dugout sloped down, making it hard to climb. Martin kept sliding back down. Finally, someone grabbed his shoes and pulled him back into the dugout. Later in life, Babe Martin became a councilperson in St. Louis.