2024-06-14 16:25:00
Lower than 5 years following his retirement, Quebec native Russell Martin noticed the door to the Canadian Baseball Corridor of Fame open in entrance of him following an incredible profession. The 41-year-old former huge receiver is likely one of the inductees for the 2024 Classic, which takes place this Saturday in St. Marie, Ont.
“Once I heard the information, my first thought was that I am getting older,” Martin stated with amusing.
“That is the achievement of a lifetime’s work,” concluded the person who performed 1,751 video games in Main League Baseball, together with 58 postseason video games, with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays.
a tough working particular person
As a witness to his illustrious profession, his good good friend and right-hand man Ivan Naccarata is greatest certified to touch upon this induction.
“I adopted Russ from Édouard-Montpetit Excessive Faculty till his final sport within the majors. [en 2019] “I can let you know, he works very laborious,” Nacalata stated earlier this week earlier than a spherical of golf with Richelieu Valley Membership’s foremost gamers.
“He is one of many few Quebecers to make it to the majors with out going once more to the minor leagues,” stated the person who served as a marketing consultant all through his profession proudly. He’s a born competitor, a winner, a warrior.
Be a part of your idol
Along with his dwelling run contributions, Martin completed his profession with 1,416 hits in 14 seasons, together with 191 dwelling runs. These statistics earned him induction into the Canadian Baseball Corridor of Fame together with a number of of his idols who as soon as wore the Montreal Expos colours, together with his favourite, Larry Walker, who was inducted in 2009.
“I’ve by no means performed baseball to obtain private honors and accolades, however this induction is actually particular as I acknowledge former No. 55. It’s an honor to affix all of those legends within the Canadian pantheon.”
Along with Walker, Canadian Baseball Corridor of Fame inductees embody a number of different Expos alumni. Former head coach Felipe Alou with Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero, Denis Martinez, Tim Wallach, Tim Raines, Rusty Stubb was in attendance, together with Steve Rogers, Andre Dawson and Gary Carter, amongst others. Becoming a member of them are Quebecers Denis Boucher, Claude Raymond and Ron Piché.
Russell Martin is surrounded by former Expos gamers Steve Rogers and Tim Raines earlier than a Blue Jays prep sport at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium in March 2018 ).
Picture Martin Chevalier
Boucher is the most recent Quebecer to affix Château Saint-Marie in June 2023.
glorious receiver
Baseball is filled with statistics. Some are highlighted, others much less so, corresponding to Russell Martin who struck out 11,148 occasions as a catcher within the MLB common season.
As Russell Martin, who will likely be inducted into the Canadian Baseball Corridor of Fame this Saturday, places it, for a child who grew up carrying the colours of the Montreal Virgin Mary Bobcats, that is not all that dangerous.
Amongst these many strikeouts was 1,017 in his second season with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007), the identical 12 months he additionally received a Gold Glove. This was the period of Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley, Brad Penny and Japanese reliever Takashi Saito.
Russell Martin talks to pitcher Brad Penny whereas carrying a Dodgers uniform on June 19, 2007.
File picture, Reuters
CC Sabathia of the Yankees, AJ Burnett of the Pirates, Marcus Stroman and Marco Estrada of the Blue Jays have been later accomplices of his.
“He gave pitchers an opportunity to succeed,” Russell Martin’s good good friend and right-hand man Ivan Nacalata proudly concluded. He has a present for turning sure pitches into strikes by catching the ball behind the plate.
Research your opponents
Martin’s work ethic is considered one of his strengths, as he makes it his mission to review opposing hitters to contribute to the success of his personal pitchers.
One other feat by a Quebec receiver that does not finish there. In 14 seasons in Main League Baseball, he led the workforce to the playoffs 10 occasions. If he is fortunate sufficient to play for a significant workforce, it is value mentioning that the identical was true for his two seasons in Pittsburgh (2013 and 2014).
2013, Russell Martin with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Picture: Getty Photographs, AFP, Justin Ok. Aller
“If I have been to make a film or documentary a couple of profitable MLB profession, I’d copy Russell’s profession and replica and paste it,” Nacalata concluded.
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