Shushkewich: Martin savors Canadian ball hall honour

Former Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) has been elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

February 7, 2024

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

Sitting in a golf cart fielding questions from numerous journalists via a conference call, newly elected Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Russell Martin was in good spirits as he reflected on his career.

He answered questions about all aspects of his playing career, from competing in youth baseball in Montreal to catching Greg Maddux in his early days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The four-time major league All-Star even discussed his post-career coaching aspirations.

“I have loved my experiences with the coaching at the recent World Baseball Classic and with the Blue Jays, although I haven’t coached too much since my playing days,” reflected Martin from his cart. “I have three little girls at home that need their dad but once they get older, I definitely can see myself getting into coaching more.”

Martin, a 14-year big league veteran, is one of the six newest members of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. He will inducted alongside former Blue Jays ace left-hander Jimmy Key, Women’s national team star and trailblazing coach Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, Ont.), national team pitching legend Rod Heisler (Moose Jaw, Sask.), onetime Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey and longtime Toronto Leaside baseball executive Howard Birnie in a ceremony at the Hall of Fame grounds in St. Marys, Ont., on June 15.

Martin, who was born in East York, Ont., but raised in Montreal, was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 2000, as an infielder, although he never put pen to paper with the club. Instead, he took his talents to Chipola Junior College, where playing for coach Jeff Johnson, he turned that opportunity into a 17th-round draft selection by the Dodgers in 2002. He turned pro shortly after. The Dodgers turned the converted him into a catcher.

The Junior National Team alum would make his Major League debut on May 5, 2006, a Friday night game at Dodger Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers. Batting eighth, Martin’s first big league hit came in his second at-bat when he drove a double to right field off Chris Capuano in the fourth inning. He got his first hit and first RBI out of the way early, as he scored Jason Repko and Ramon Martinez to give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead. Martin proceeded to put together a .282/.355/.436 slash line with a .792 OPS that season to finish ninth in National League Rookie of the Year voting (Hanley Ramirez secured the award).

Martin spent five seasons with Dodgers early in his career, earning two All-Star appearances, one Gold Glove Award, and a Silver Slugger, with both accolades coming during his sophomore campaign when he authored a .293 average, while recording 19 home runs, 87 RBIs, and a 116 OPS+.

During the 2010/2011 offseason, the Dodgers non-tendered the Canuck, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. He opted to head across the country and sign a one-year deal with the New York Yankees.

The Yankees would later sign him to another deal the following season, as he was designated a Super Two player and had a fourth additional year under arbitration. The catcher spent two years in New York, seeing a slight dip in production in the batter’s box (.224 average and 93 OPS+ through 258 games) but maintained his dominant presence behind the plate, amassing a 22 bDRS through 253 games.

Martin then took his talents to Pittsburgh for two seasons, becoming the Pirates' main backstop where he once again put on a fielding clinic, amassing a 42 bDRS through 1,992 total innings. His bat also saw a resurgence, generating a .362 OBP and a 116 OPS+, which is one of the best two-season stretches of his career. His 135 OPS+ that he put forward in the 2014 season was a career-high for the Polyvalente Edouard Montpetit alum and helped set the stage for his next contract.

Russell Martin, who helped lead the Toronto Blue Jays to back-to-back postseason berths in 2015 and 2016, has been elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Photo: Toronto Blue Jays/Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Following his brief tenure in the NL East, Martin returned to his home country, signing a five-year deal worth $82 million with the Toronto Blue Jays. The deal was the biggest contract handed out by general manager Alex Anthopoulos while working with the Blue Jays and at the time, was the second-largest contract in Blue Jays team history. It was met with lots of fanfare, as it was one of the biggest free-agent transactions that fans had seen in quite some time while also bringing a Canadian onto the roster, which always pulls at the heartstrings of Blue Jays fans.

Highly regarded for his ability to be a leader in the clubhouse, as well as one of the best defensive catchers in the game, Martin helped the club reach the postseason in 2015 on a stacked Jays roster that included Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Troy Tulowitzki, Josh Donaldson, and trade deadline acquisition David Price. Martin was also part of the 2016 postseason run, where he and his teammates once again bested the Texas Rangers in the ALDS but fell just short of reaching the World Series.

Through four seasons with the Blue Jays, Martin posted a .225/.336/.399 line while collecting 66 home runs.

With a new front office in the mix following the 2015 season and a team on the waves of a rebuild, the Blue Jays traded Martin back to the Dodgers on January 11, 2019. Martin spent his final campaign as the Dodgers backup catcher, posting a .667 OPS in 83 games.

Though he hadn’t played a professional game since 2019, Martin didn’t announce his retirement until May 28, 2022 when he sent out a heartfelt message to the players and fans of the teams he had suited up for during his big league playing days on Instagram.

For his career, Martin finished with a 38.9 bWAR and ranks well on the Canadian-born players list. He is currently ranked:

Third: At-bats (5,701)

Fourth: Games (1,693) / bWAR (38.9) / All-Star Appearances (Four)

Sixth: Hits (1,416) / Doubles (255) / RBIs (771)

Seventh: Home Runs (191)

Now in retirement (and when he is not coaching or with his young family), Martin spends his time mostly on the golf course, which is evident on his social media pages, but he has also dabbled in entrepreneurship, specifically in the adult beverage business by helping found Cruise Hard Seltzers.

Martin is regarded as one of the best Canadian catchers to ever suit up in the game. And now, he will be forever enshrined with Canada’s top baseball honour as a member of the Hall of Fame.

“My first thought when I heard the news was man, I must be getting old,” said Martin. “My next thought was what an honour to be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame alongside other greats. I’ve never played the game for awards and accolades, but this is pretty darn special.”