Babe Martin Died August 1

Babe Martin, former St. Louis Browns player, passed away on August 1, 2013 in Tucson, AZ. Babe lived in Tucson for the past several years.

Babe" Martin (March 28, 1920 – August 1, 2013) was an outfielder for the St. Louis Browns (1944–46 and 1953) and a catcher for the Boston Red Sox (1948–49).

Babe was born Boris Michael Martinovich in Seattle, Washington to Serbian immigrant parents. He started his professional baseball career in 1940 and had a breakout year in 1944 with the Toledo Mud Hens, batting .350 in 114 games. The following season, he joined the St. Louis Browns. He hit poorly and was sent back down to the minors. Martin retired in 1954. In 69 major league games, he had 2 home runs, 18 RBI, and a .214 batting average.

Martin was a popular figure at many of the Browns annual player/fan reunions in recent years.

L-R
Bill Rogers, Tommy Lasorda, Babe Martin
Click on photos to enlarge

Bob Savage Deceased at 91

Bob Savage passed away on July 26, 2013 at the age of 91. He played one year with the Browns in 1949 appearing in 4 games as a pitcher.  He started his major league career in 1942 with the Philadelphia Athletics playing with them from '42 through 1948. Savage was selected off waivers by the Browns on December 16, 1948.