CAN MARTIN PLAY SHORTSTOP?
Tigers May Find He Has Heart and Arm But Not Legs For Job
"It will be a surprise if Billy Martin can play a big league shortstop for the Detroit Tigers next season. If he can play it on courage, he will do it. But more than a strong heart is needed for that position, or Joe Cronin would still be playing there for the Boston Red Sox. Martin has the head, the heart and the arm for shortstop, but is doubtful if he has the legs.
After he was traded to Kansas City last June, in George Weiss' disciplinary deal, Martin was not an outstanding ball player. The Athletics did no better with him than they had done without him. Not so well, in fact.
Martin is the Stanky kind of player who is more conspicuous and valuable on a good team than a poor one. He told himself, when Weiss, trying to trade him in 1952, stressed how ordinary were Martin's playing talents.
'Maybe so,' answered Martin, 'but I'm worth what I want just to keep those deadheads you got hustling.'
He did the Yankees a lot of good, but more with his spirit than his hitting, fielding or base running. If the Tigers are a contender next season, he probably will help them, too, but not at shortstop, where they are counting on him (with Harvey Kuenn moving to the outfield).
If Martin was too slow to play second base well for Kansas City last season, how can he play shortstop for Detroit? Martin, his pride hurt by the fast moves from New York to Kansas City to Detroit, threatens to quit unless paid for his kicking around.
In his respect, at least, he resembles Babe Ruth. When sold to the Yankees by Harry Frazee in January 1920, Ruth said he would not report unless he got $5,000 of the purchase price. There is no evidence that he got the money, but plenty of evidence- including Yankee Stadium- that he reported to the Yankees.
Tris Speaker demanded $5,000 when the Red Sox sold him to Cleveland in 1916, but Owner Joe Lannin said, 'He held me up when the Federal League started, and I won't give him a penny. I don't care if he ever plays again.'
Speaker played again. So will Martin. The last player to quit when traded was Bill Cox, who would not go from Baltimore to Cleveland in the Pope-Westlake deal in 1955. But Cox was a veteran who was hurting and could quit because he had saved his money.
The Tigers seem to have given up three regulars (Bill Tuttle, Frank House, Duke Maas) for one (Martin)- unless Maurice McDermott, after nine years of big league pitching, turns into a regular first baseman through some miracle.
Tuttle and House were not particularly good regulars, but Maas (10-14) was clearly a better pitcher than Tom Morgan (9-7). When Ted Williams bats against Tom Morgan in Briggs Stadium next season, there should be an excursion of Boston fans to Detroit. He may hit five home runs in a game.
Of all these human negotiables, Frank House represents the biggest capital loss. The Tigers gave the Bessemer, Alabama, youth $75,000 worth of autos, radios, washing machines and money when they signed him in 1948. Actually, they had to throw in an extra $35 at the last moment. His parents would not sign until the club paid for the baby-sitter they had left at home.
The Tigers thought they had the new Gabby Hartnett at least, but House disappointed them from the start. His first spring in uniform, he played an exhibition game with a wind blowing 60 miles an hour in Bradenton, Florida.
When a foul fly left the bat as though it were going over the backstop, House did not turn to look at it, but the wind caught the ball, blew it back, and it landed little more than five feet behind him.
'If you didn't have $75,000 in your pocket, you'd have been able to turn around,' someone yelled from the Braves' bench."
-Harold Kaese, Boston Globe (Baseball Digest, February 1958)
"Other players may hit for higher averages, but you can't beat Billy when it comes to aggressiveness or competitive instinct. Martin's 12 hits in the six-game 1953 World Series is a record.
He has always been a winning ballplayer, playing on five pennant winners in seven seasons. He's the holler guy on any club he plays for."
-1958 Topps No. 271
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