Today in Comics History, February 29: Happy birthday, Pepper Martin!

Born on this day in 1904: Major League baseball player and manager Pepper Martin, who not only sounds like he'd taste good on a sandwich, but also was a leading player for the St. Louis Cardinals in the thirties and forties and a factor in the Cards' win of the 1931 World Series! He was a member of the Cardinals' infamous "Gashouse Gang" and also known as "Wild Horse of the Osage," which is a bit of a mouthful to shout from the bleachers. Go ahead, just try it! See? Also, his face emitted blinding rays of light:


"Sports Features" from King Comics #42 (David McKay, October 1939), pencils and inks by Jack Burnley; reprinted from the newspaper feature Sport Features Sunday (King Features Syndicate, 1938
However, never forget that in his managing years, Martin was kind of a dismissive jerk to up-and-coming Cardinal player Red Schoendienst:


from "Red Schoendienst...The Most Under-Rated Second Sacker in Baseball!" in Sports Action #4 (Marvel/Sports Action Inc., October 1950), pencils (and inks?) by Edd Ashe
A happy birthday to ya, Pepper! But I wouldn't be hanging around tyour mailbox waiting on a present from Red Schoendienst.