ST. MARYS, Ont. — Russell Martin had already established himself as one of the greatest 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 nine MLB seasons spent with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates.
But once Martin inked a five-year, $82-million deal north of the border, he firmly stamped his place in Canadian baseball history. A Blue Jay from 2015-2018, Martin was a crucial piece in ending Toronto’s 22-year post-season drought, providing elite defence behind the plate and bat that perfectly complemented those of Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.
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So, it was fitting that on Saturday afternoon, Martin was immortalized in the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in front of a crowd littered with fans wearing No. 55 t-shirts and jerseys.
“It’s the highest honour we have in Canadian baseball. It’s overwhelming, a little bit,” Martin said before the ceremony in St. Marys, Ont. “I just think back to the journey that baseball has brought in my life. From a young kid, all the way through Little League ball, to high school, to junior college, to getting drafted, to the minor leagues, to having a career in the big leagues. 14 years just went like that (snap).”
Martin headlined a six-person class that includes Canadian Women’s National Team 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 executive, umpire and coach Howard Birnie. Sportsnet’s Buck Martinez was also celebrated for winning the 2023 Jack Graney Award, which honours a media member who has made a significant contribution to the game of baseball in Canada.
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Although Key was unable to attend the ceremony, the other six inductees treated fans who made the trip out to St. Mary’s with stories and memories of their path to induction, including Martin, who gave an emotional tribute to his parents.
Fighting back tears, Martin called his mom, “the driving force behind (his) motivation,” and credited his dad, who played saxophone in the Montreal Metro during Martin’s youth, with teaching him “everything (he) needed to know, when it comes to determination, heart and all the tools you need to have success.
“I’m definitely sharing this honour with everybody that’s played a part in the journey that this baseball life has been…. I definitely would not be where I am today without my parents.”
Martin ended his career ranking third all-time among Canadians in at-bats, fourth in games played, All-Star appearances and Wins Above Replacement (WAR), according to Baseball Reference, while ranking in the top-10 in hits, doubles, RBIs and home runs.
His four years with the Blue Jays helped him shoot up those all-time ranks while carving out some space in Toronto’s record books, as well. Martin tallied the third-most WAR (8.3) of any Canadian-born player to ever suit up for Toronto, according to Baseball Reference. His 66 home runs, 211 RBIs and 447 games all rank second, and he’s the only Canuck to suit up in more than 10 playoff games with the organization.
“It was a little bit of luck,” Martin said of landing in Toronto in the 2014 off-season. “If the Blue Jays aren’t looking for a catcher, then I’m not even a thought. I think the Blue Jays were looking for somebody that could help get the most out of their pitching staff.
“As a Canadian, growing up a fan of the Blue Jays, it was one of those things where like, ‘Man, I can’t believe this might happen’… Deep down, of course, I wanted it to be the Blue Jays. As a kid, those most influential years growing up was when they won their World Series, and you see those guys on TV, and you can’t help but want to become one of them.”
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Martin highlighted having a maple leaf next to his name on the scoreboard at Rogers Centre and being able to hold up a Canadian flag during the Blue Jays’ annual media days as moments that made playing in his home country so special.
But it’s the support he got from the fans across the country that really made a mark on Martin during his time with the Blue Jays.
“There are a lot of proud Canadians that really enjoyed having a Canadian on the team, and I felt that,” Martin recalled. “I felt the connection between the fans and myself and being able to put on the Blue Jay uniform. People tend to rally for their Canadian players, and it’s not like there’s 1,000 of them. So when there’s a couple that make it, you can feel the support, and it’s very cool.”
The Blue Jays aren’t the only Canadian team Martin has represented over the course of his baseball career. The now 41-year-old played with Canada’s Junior National Team before heading to Chipola and represented Canada at the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
“Being able to represent your country, it’s hard to describe the feelings you get,” he said. “It’s kind of hard to grasp… there’s a lot of people, from coast to coast. (Having) Canada on your chest, you don’t realize until you get away from it, is pretty special.”
