Do You Have Details About the Life of “Speed” Martin?

Most Lemon Grovers know about a connection the city has with the late actor and artist Dennis Hopper. His family moved here when Hopper was 13. He attended Lemon Grove Junior High, and Helix High School in La Mesa. Many of us are also aware of the town’s dubious linking with two of the 9/11 , who rented rooms in a house here in the Grove.

But how many readers have heard of Elwood Good “Speed” Martin? Speed pitched in the majors for six seasons, from 1917–1922. He broke into baseball at age 20 in 1914, with the Medicine Hat Hatters of the Western Canadian League. Two years later he joined the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League, where he quickly became their ace pitcher. Speed soon joined the big time, when he was drafted by the now long-gone St. Louis Browns of the American League.

He initially bombed in the majors. Speed was sent back to the Oakland Oaks after pitching just 15 innings—and giving up 13 runs. Ouch. Again, he worked hard in the minors, and in 1918 was brought up to the Chicago Cubs late in the season during a pennant drive. Speed quickly compiled a 5-2 record with a very low 1.84 earned run average. This was a huge factor in propelling the Cubs into the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.

Speed did not have the chance to pitch in the series, because he was not one of the Cub’s marquee pitchers. In those days, players—including pitchers—generally played the complete nine-inning game.

Still, he was part of some amazing baseball history. Boston’s Babe Ruth pitched a shutout win in game one, and played left field in game two. Game one of the series also featured the first playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” at a major sporting event. The band played it at the seventh inning stretch to acknowledge the country's involvement in World War I. The song did not become the official national anthem until 1931.

Speed had limited success with the rest of his career with the Cubs. The end came in 1922, after pitching just one game. The previous season he had walked five hitters in a row during a game, not making it out of the first inning—a feat not equaled by a Chicago pitcher until 2010, when Carlos Marmol walked five in one inning. Speed finished out his career with Minor League teams.

There was not a lot of information I could find on Speed’s beginning and end. I can tell you he batted and threw from the right, was six feet tall, and weighed 165 pounds during his playing days. He was born on Sept. 15, 1893, in Wawawai, Washington. This small town along the Snake River in the southeast corner of the state no longer exists. Its claim to fame was vast fruit-growing orchards of apples and pears. A dam was completed along the river in 1975, which put the area under 80 feet of water.

I could find even less on his last days in Lemon Grove. Speed died here on June 14, 1983, at age 89. He was cremated, and there is no gravesite. That’s it on his Lemon Grove connection. I am hoping we can find a reader who can tell us more.

Speed was a Major League baseball player who, at different times, was the hero or the goat. He was born in an orchard, and died in a grove. He lived an exciting life—I wish I knew more of the story.