ST. MARYS, Ont. — Russell Martin had already established himself as one of many best Canadian-born catchers of all-time when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in November 2014.
The East York, Ont.-born, Montreal-raised backstop was a three-time All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and reached the playoffs in seven of his 9 MLB seasons spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates.
However as soon as Martin inked a five-year, $82-million deal north of the border, he firmly stamped his place in Canadian baseball historical past. A Blue Jay from 2015-2018, Martin was an important piece in ending Toronto’s 22-year post-season drought, offering elite defence behind the plate and bat that completely complemented these of Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.
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So, it was becoming that on Saturday afternoon, Martin was immortalized within the Canadian Baseball Corridor of Fame in entrance of a crowd suffering from followers sporting No. 55 t-shirts and jerseys.
“It’s the best honour we have now in Canadian baseball. It’s overwhelming, a bit bit,” Martin mentioned earlier than the ceremony in St. Marys, Ont. “I simply assume again to the journey that baseball has introduced in my life. From a younger child, right through Little League ball, to highschool, to junior school, to getting drafted, to the minor leagues, to having a profession within the huge leagues. 14 years simply went like that (snap).”
Martin headlined a six-person class that features Canadian Girls’s Nationwide Crew legend Ashley Stephenson, former Blue Jays pitcher Jimmy Key, former Blue Jays president and CEO Paul Godfrey, record-setting Olympic pitcher Rod Heisler and Toronto baseball govt, umpire and coach Howard Birnie. Sportsnet’s Buck Martinez was additionally celebrated for successful the 2023 Jack Graney Award, which honours a media member who has made a big contribution to the sport of baseball in Canada.
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Though Key was unable to attend the ceremony, the opposite six inductees handled followers who made the journey out to St. Mary’s with tales and recollections of their path to induction, together with Martin, who gave an emotional tribute to his mother and father.
Combating again tears, Martin known as his mother, “the driving drive behind (his) motivation,” and credited his dad, who performed saxophone within the Montreal Metro throughout Martin’s youth, with instructing him “all the pieces (he) wanted to know, relating to dedication, coronary heart and all of the instruments it’s worthwhile to have success.
“I’m positively sharing this honour with everyone that’s performed a component within the journey that this baseball life has been…. I positively wouldn’t be the place I’m as we speak with out my mother and father.”
Martin ended his profession rating third all-time amongst Canadians in at-bats, fourth in video games performed, All-Star appearances and Wins Above Substitute (WAR), in accordance with Baseball Reference, whereas rating within the top-10 in hits, doubles, RBIs and residential runs.
His 4 years with the Blue Jays helped him shoot up these all-time ranks whereas carving out some area in Toronto’s file books, as nicely. Martin tallied the third-most WAR (8.3) of any Canadian-born participant to ever go well with up for Toronto, in accordance with Baseball Reference. His 66 dwelling runs, 211 RBIs and 447 video games all rank second, and he’s the one Canuck to go well with up in additional than 10 playoff video games with the group.
“It was a bit little bit of luck,” Martin mentioned of touchdown in Toronto within the 2014 low season. “If the Blue Jays aren’t on the lookout for a catcher, then I’m not even a thought. I feel the Blue Jays had been on the lookout for someone that would assist get probably the most out of their pitching workers.
“As a Canadian, rising up a fan of the Blue Jays, it was a kind of issues the place like, ‘Man, I can’t consider this may occur’… Deep down, in fact, I wished it to be the Blue Jays. As a child, these most influential years rising up was after they gained their World Collection, and also you see these guys on TV, and you’ll’t assist however need to grow to be considered one of them.”
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Martin highlighted having a maple leaf subsequent to his identify on the scoreboard at Rogers Centre and with the ability to maintain up a Canadian flag in the course of the Blue Jays’ annual media days as moments that made enjoying in his dwelling nation so particular.
However it’s the assist he received from the followers throughout the nation that actually made a mark on Martin throughout his time with the Blue Jays.
“There are plenty of proud Canadians that actually loved having a Canadian on the crew, and I felt that,” Martin recalled. “I felt the connection between the followers and myself and with the ability to placed on the Blue Jay uniform. Individuals are likely to rally for his or her Canadian gamers, and it’s not like there’s 1,000 of them. So when there’s a pair that make it, you may really feel the assist, and it’s very cool.”
The Blue Jays aren’t the one Canadian crew Martin has represented over the course of his baseball profession. The now 41-year-old performed with Canada’s Junior Nationwide Crew earlier than heading to Chipola and represented Canada on the 2009 World Baseball Traditional.
“Having the ability to characterize your nation, it’s onerous to explain the sentiments you get,” he mentioned. “It’s form of onerous to understand… there’s lots of people, from coast to coast. (Having) Canada in your chest, you don’t notice till you get away from it, is fairly particular.”
