June 15, 2024

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

For over 14 years, Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) was on the biggest stage in professional baseball, appearing in front of hundreds of thousands of fans every time he stepped onto the field.

Today, the former Toronto Blue Jays backstop took on another stage, one that saw him earn one of the highest honours for a Canadian baseball player in the smalltown of St. Marys, Ont.

Martin was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame as part of their 2024 class, joining a prestigious group of individuals who had a positive impact on Canadian baseball. Splitting his time between the Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and New York Yankees from 2006 to 2019, he retired as one of the top catchers from north of the border.

“It’s the highest honour one could possibly have in Canadian baseball,” said Martin prior to his induction on Saturday. “It’s overwhelming a little bit, it’s special, just the journey that baseball has brought in my life from a little kid to high school ball to getting drafted to being in the big leagues. Fourteen years and now here we are, I am just fortunate and so many things have to go right to be in this position. I am so lucky.”

While Martin was born in East York, Ont., the 41-year-old spent much of his childhood in Montreal, where his father coached his baseball teams for much of his time growing up.

“One of my biggest influences in baseball when I was growing up is definitely my dad,” said Martin, speaking to the Canadian Baseball Network. “He coached me until I was 14. In terms of Major Leaguers, there were a ton of guys I looked up to growing up – Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.), Ken Griffey Jr., Ozzie Smith, Pedro Martinez – I know I am missing a few, but right off the top, those guys were a big influence on me.”

In his later high school days, Martin suited up for the Junior National Team, donning a Maple Leaf on his jersey at a young age and playing in numerous tournaments against top talent. That experience got him noticed by the Montreal Expos, who drafted him in the 35th round, but also some eyes from programs down in the United States where he could further his career.

"At the time when I was with the Junior National Team, Chipola was interested in our second baseman, Ivan Naccarata, who is a great friend of mine to this day,” said Martin. “We were in Edmonton and there were scouts and recruiters present and we were sitting in a cafeteria with our families, and I remember my dad talking to the recruiter at Chipola. He told the guy, ‘If you want to get Ivan, you have to take my son,’ and my dad worked almost like a package deal to get me to go there. I was a throw-in on the deal at the end of the day.”

That move to Chipola did wonders for both players, with Martin going to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 17th round and Naccarata going to the Houston Astros in the 21st round in 2002 (although he did not sign and went to LSU instead before joining the New York Mets).

Martin would make his debut for the Dodgers in 2006, becoming a mainstay in the Los Angeles lineup right out of the gate. His debut game, a May 5th evening contest at Dodger Stadium against the Milwaukee Brewers, saw Martin catch veteran Derek Lowe in a 4-3 victory. At the plate, he went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.

He spent parts of six seasons (across two stints) in Chavez Ravine, posting a .268/.362/.391 slash line in 750 games. In the 2010/2011 offseason, Martin signed a deal with the New York Yankees and spent two seasons with the Bronx Bombers before taking his talents to Pittsburgh in 2013, where he suited up for the Pirates for another two campaigns.

In the 2014/2015 offseason, Martin was a free agent and the Blue Jays were looking for a catcher after working with Dioner Navarro, Erik Kratz, and Josh Thole behind the plate the season before. One thing led to another, and one of the most high-profile signings in Toronto Blue Jays’ history came to fruition when they inked Martin to a five-year, $82-million contract.

“Honestly it was just a little bit of luck; leaving Pittsburgh after a good season, and the Blue Jays are looking for somebody that could help get the most out of their pitching staff and growing up as a Canadian and being a fan of the team, I couldn’t believe it might happen,” said Martin. “There were a couple of teams competing but deep down, I wanted it to be the Blue Jays. Some of the most influential moments watching baseball as a kid was when they won the World Series multiple times and seeing these guys on TV – Devon White, John Olerud, Paul Molitor, Kelly Gruber, Pat Borders – I remember the whole team and the Joe Carter home run and everything they accomplished. To be able to put that uniform on and play in that stadium, I am so lucky.”

With the Blue Jays, Martin posted a .225/.336/.399 slash line through 447 games. He had 66 home runs and 211 RBIs while posting a .735 OPS. Martin worked mostly behind the plate with Toronto, posting a .995 fielding percentage while throwing out 34.3% of base stealers.

He also played third base a handful of times, suiting up wherever manager John Gibbons needed him to be. Martin was also part of the 2015 and 2016 playoff runs for the Blue Jays, appearing in 18 games.

“I remember the preseason media sessions and wearing the Canadian flag on my shoulders, that was pretty special,” said Martin. “Playing in Toronto when I am from East York, there are a ton of proud Canadians and I could feel the connection between the fans and myself and putting on the Blue Jays uniform. People tend to rally for Canadian players, you can feel the support. It’s very cool.”

Considering a rebuild was on the horizon following the departure of general manager Alex Anthopoulos, Martin was traded back to the Dodgers for the 2019 season. He played one more season in the big leagues, suiting up in 83 games for the Dodgers to close out his career before officially retiring on May 28, 2022.

On the international stage, Martin represented Canada with the Junior National Team in 2000 and at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He also worked in coaching capacities for the 2017 and 2023 tournaments.

“Those tournaments are such high intensity, highest quality with world-class competition,” said Martin, speaking on his experience with the Junior National Program. “It lets you know where you stand to play at a high level. Some of those guys we played against, I ended up facing them years later in the big leagues. The talent was remarkable and being able to represent your country, it's hard to describe your feelings. People rooting from Vancouver to New Brunswick, it’s super cool.”

An emotional Martin was officially inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon. The moment was even more special when you consider it came on Father’s Day weekend, with Russell’s father (Russell Martin Sr.) playing such a big role in his life both in and out of baseball.

“My dad was so involved and he cared so much. He kept baseball fun and made the game the way it was supposed to. He was creative with the drills he made and he kept me engaged, challenged me and got everyone in the neighbourhood involved. He even created his own baseball camp when I was 11. It’s where the dream began and this honour is shared with him.”