NEW DES MOINES SOUTHPAW SAID TO
HAVE FINE CONTROL PONCA CITY, OKLA.,
Jesse “Jess” Martin Nicknames: “Cy” “Lefty”
Positions: Pitcher
Bats:
Height: 5’10 Weight: 160
Jan. 1. A southpaw with remarkable control is the combination that has made Jess Martin, sold to Des Moines for next year, a reliable, winning pitcher. Martin worked all of the 1921 season and the greater portion of the 1922 season with the Ponca City independent team, which won the Oklahoma state championship the past year. During the 1922 season he pitched 13 games and won 12 of them, including one of the series whereby the locals achieved the state championship. Martin is a native of the Joplin (Mo.) district and pitched considerable independent ball as a youngster there prior to coming to Ponca City as an employe of the Marland Oil company. Immediately he started in the box for the Ponca City Oilers and was good from the start, making an unusually good record both seasons. It should be remembered that the best independent teams throughout this portion of Oklahoma and Kansas are made up, to a great extent, of former league players, and it takes a good man to "stand 'em on their heads," and this is what Martin accomplished. His work during the 1921 season here was sufficient to attract the attention of "Chick" Eraser, the old National league twirler, and he signed Martin for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Martin went to the training camp with Pittsburgh, remained clear through and back to the "Smoky City," when he was, released on an optional agreement to Flint, Mich.
Flint, with a desire to lessen expenses, turned Martin back, and at the latter's request he was given his release and came back to Ponca City rather than be farmed out somewhere else. He has excellent habits and should be in baseball for many years. He was signed recently for Dcs Moines by Secretary E. Lee Keyser.
January 2, 1923, Pg. 6, The Wichita Daily Eagle
Postscript:
Galena's one main claim to baseball fame, George Grantham, was with Omaha in the Western League in 1922. Martin joined the league with Des Moines in 1923, missing each other as opponents by just one season. Tulsa won the league title in 1922, led during the season and in the post-season series by outfielder Yank Davis and his league-leading 35 home runs. My cousin, Barry Martin, in addition to both of us being related to Jess, was Yank's nephew from his mother's side of the family. Yank played for the 1917 Joplin Miners and served as the team's manager part of the season.
The five sons of Brice Martin — Lester, Jess, Frank, Bill, Howard