Iron-Armed Joe Martina, Pel Ace of 20's, Is Dead
Won 108 Games in Five-Year Span
Times Picayune March 23, 1962 Page 7 & 8
Submitted by Larie Tedesco


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By Buddy Diliberto


"Oyster Joe" Martina, who pitched the New Orleans Pelicans to three pennants in the 1920's, died of a heart
attact at his Bienville St. home Thursday morning.  He was 72.

Martina, a fierce competitor with an iron arm, appeared in 211 games and pitched 1313 innings in compiling
an amazing 108-50 record in a five-year stretch with the Pelicans between 1922 and 1927.

He pitched for the world champion Washington Senators in 1924 at the age of 35 and appeared in the World
Series against the New York Giants.  

Martina's greatest year probably was 1927 when at 38 he appeared in 47 games and pitched 275 innings in
compiling a 23-12 record as the Pelicans repeated as Southern Association champions.

The strong-armed right-hander's five-year record with the Pelicans is probably unmatched in league history. 
He was 22-6 in 1922, 21-10 in 1923, 23-13 in 1925, 19-9 in 1926, and 23-12 in 1927.  Three of those years -
1923, '26 and '27 - the Pelicans won the pennant.

Larry Gilbert, who started out on the New Orleans sand lots with Martina in 1907, called Martina "the
greatest pitcher I had in my 25 years as a manager."

Martina, whose professional career started in 1910 in the South Atlantic League, was a standout in the Texas
League for many years before joining the Pelicans after the start of the 1921 season.

"Martina had a live fast ball, sharp curve and good control," Gilbert recalled.  "But his greatest asset was
his durability.  I never remember "Oyster Joe" having a sore arm."

"He was a fierce competitor, great team man and one of the best conditioned athletes I've ever known,"
Gilbert continued.  "He was always ready - to start or relieve."

Martina, noted for his long distance throwing feats, was regarded as having one of the strongest arms in
baseball at the time.

"I remember one hot Sunday when Joe was hooked up in a scoreless duel for nine innings only to have our
shortstop make an error and cost him the game." Gilbert said.

"Joe was so mad he grabbed the ball and, standing behind home plate, tried to throw it over the centerfield
fence.  I'll never forget watching that ball sail.  It hit the top of the fence in center which was 407 feet
away.  And he did that after pitching nine hard innings."

 "Joe and Dixie Walker were teammates on a couple of those great Pelican teams, " Gilbert recalled.  "Both
of 'em were mean as the devil out on the mound."

 "Joe hated to lose and he always kept the batters loose.  Between Joe and Dixie I spent most of the time in
the dirt.  As manager, the other clubs would blame everything on me and naturally I'd get dusted every time
I came to bat," Larry laughed.

Martina's final year with the Pelicans was 1928 after which he spent some time back in the Texas League and
managed at Baton Rouge.

Martina, who Gilbert said should have been in the majors much sooner than 1924, pitched one perfect inning
of relief ball for the Senators in the third game of the 1924 World Series against the Giants.

The passing of "Oyster Joe" will be mourned by many old-time fans, one of whom may have written a eulogy for
the durable pitcher when he said:

"He managed to outlive the team and the league he helped make famous."