Major League Baseball Player, Manager. For thirteen seasons (1940 to 1950, 1952 to 1953), he played at the shortstop position with the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Browns. Born Martin Whiteford Marion, he was raised in Georgia where he was a standout baseball player at Tech High School (Atlanta). Signed by the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1936, he marked his Major League debut on April 16th, 1940 and appeared in 125 games that season, recording 121 hits with a .278 batting average. In 1942, he led the National League with 38 doubles and was part of a prolific lineup which featured Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter, as the Cardinals were en route to capturing the first of three consecutive National League Pennants (1942 to 1944) and the world championship by defeating the Yankees; Marion appeared in 5 games, recording 2 hits during the 1942 World Series. During the 1943 Fall Classic in which the Cardinals would be defeated by the Yankees, he posted a .357 batting average. Marion, who was nicknamed "Slats" or "The Octopus" for his exceptional defensive skills earned the 1944 National League MVP despite an average offensive output. He would be a member of two additional world championship teams (1944 and 1946 Cardinals), as he compiled 18 career World Series hits with a .231 batting average. Due to an injury he sat out the 1951 season, but began his managerial career (serving as a player-manager in 1952 and 1953) which lasted parts of six years with the Cardinals (1951), Browns (1952 to 1953) and Chicago White Sox (1954 to 1956). During his tenure with the White Sox, he guided them to a 91 win 63 loss season and a third place finish in 1955. He compiled 1,448 hits with a .263 batting average in 1,572 career regular season games and achieved All-Star status eight consecutive times (1943 to 1950). He totaled a 356 win, 372 loss record as manager. Marion would go on to become co-proprietor of the Houston Buffaloes of the American Association (1959 to 1961). His older brother Red Marion briefly played as an outfielder in the Major Leagues (1935 and 1943). He died from natural causes at the age of 93.