Before he was a two-time World Series champion and four-time All-Star, Pepper Martin was jumping freight trains to spring training to save a dime. After he retired, he was choking out an umpire in Havana. In between: smoke bombs disguised as a fire emergency, a painting crew that wasn't hired to paint, a hospital room cowboy band concert nobody asked for, a stint running an Oklahoma City hockey team, and a batting line across two World Series that's still a Major League record today. Jeff traces the full career of Johnny Leonard Roosevelt "Pepper" Martin — the Wild Horse of the Osage — from a cotton farm in Temple, Oklahoma to a fistfight in Cuba, with stops at Comiskey Park, the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel (twice), and Branch Rickey's office.

Also in this episode: Jeff and Mark remember Blue Jays closer Duane Ward, who passed away at 62 during a reunion for Toronto's back-to-back championship teams. A position player picks up a two-RBI single off a catcher making his first career pitching appearance. Mets utility man Jose Iglesias/Canelita heads to Broadway for the Buena Vista Social Club musical. And Wax Pack Heroes returns with a batch of 1972 Topps cards sent in by a listener.

Topics: Pepper Martin, Wild Horse of the Osage, St. Louis Cardinals, Gas House Gang, 1931 World Series, 1934 World Series, Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack, Branch Rickey, Dizzy Dean, Leo Durocher, Frankie Frisch, Bellevue-Stratford Hotel, Mississippi Mudcats, Oklahoma City Warriors, Miami Sun Sox, Florida International League, Havana baseball history, Vallie Eaves, Duane Ward, Jose Iglesias, Buena Vista Social Club, 1972 Topps, Wax Pack Heroes

00:00 Cold Open Banter

01:31 Remembering Duane Ward

03:14 Pitcher Gets a Hit

05:41 Jose Iglesias Hits Broadway

08:32 Time Machine to Havana

11:17 Pepper Martin Revealed

12:28 From Oklahoma to the Cards

15:39 1931 Breakout World Series

16:46 Vaudeville and Sophomore Slump

21:07 Pranks and Gas House Gang

25:56 Barnstorming and Hospital Hijinks

27:50 Branch Rickey Lays Down Law

30:30 Final All Star and Mud Cats Band

32:23 Minor League Manager and 1944 Return

33:27 Pepper Martin Later Years

34:55 Freight Train To Spring

36:04 Clubhouse Legend Wrap

36:42 Wax Pack Heroes Begins

56:02 Scoreboard And Fan Poll

57:32 Outro And Socials

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