Eddie Martin

Edward B. "Eddie" Martin (born April 3, 1917 in Leeds - died June 19, 2009) was a minor league baseball player and manager and served on the Leeds City Council and as the city's director of athletics.

Martin was the son of Van Buren Martin, coal miner and his wife Leila Maude. He began working as a 10-year-old with a newspaper route and other jobs. He played baseball at Leeds High School and attracted the notice of Yankees scouts. He was signed to New York in 1934, but saw his progress through the minors slowed by a broken leg suffered sliding into second.

He spent eleven years in the minors as a player and coach before reporting for service in the Army Air Corps in Georgia. He refused a special services position that would have placed him on the unit's baseball team, saying that he didn't want another soldier to be sent to fight in his place.

After returning home he took a job as assistant city clerk in Leeds, and was promoted to city clerk and then director of athletics. He also worked for 20 years at Crown Cork & Seal and scouted for the Yankees, St Louis Cardinals, and Detroit Tigers. He also served on the City Council, headed the Leeds Welfare Cooperative, and worked with his former high school's baseball team.

Martin died in 2009. He was survived by his wife Arland, two children, Judy and Joe, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He is buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery in Leeds.

References

• "Edward B. Martin" obituary (June 24, 2009) Birmingham News
• Chandler, Kim (July 26, 2009) "Farewell: Eddie Martin went from Yankee minor leaguer to the pride of Leeds." Birmingham News