Russell Martin (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Russell Martin |
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Martin with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: February 15, 1983 East York, Ontario, Canada |
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| debut | |||
| May 5, 2006, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 2019, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .248 | ||
| Home runs | 191 | ||
| Runs batted in | 771 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2024 | ||
Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin Jr. (born February 15, 1983) is a Canadian former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for several teams. These include the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays.
Russell Martin was chosen for the MLB All-Star team four times. In 2007, he won two important awards: the Gold Glove Award for best defense and the Silver Slugger Award for best hitting at his position.
Martin became the main catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers right after he started playing in MLB in 2006. He stayed in this role for almost five years. He played very well in his first three years, both hitting and defending. Later, he signed with the Yankees, then the Pirates, and finally the Blue Jays. In 2019, he returned to the Dodgers.
Contents
Russell Martin's Baseball Journey
Starting in the Minors (2002–2006)
Russell Martin was first picked by the Montreal Expos in the 2000 baseball draft. But he decided not to sign with them. Instead, he went to Chipola College for two years.
In 2002, the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him again. He was chosen in the 17th round. At first, he played as a third baseman. He started his professional career with the Gulf Coast Dodgers.
After his first season, he changed his position to catcher. In 2003, he played for the Ogden Raptors and then the South Georgia Waves. He hit 9 home runs and had 50 RBI.
In 2004, Martin was an All-Star catcher for the Vero Beach Dodgers. He hit 15 home runs and had 64 RBI. He also played in the Arizona Fall League.
By 2005, he was playing for the Double-A Jacksonville Suns. He was an All-Star there too, hitting .311. He started 2006 with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s before moving up to the big leagues.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006–2010)
Russell Martin joined the Dodgers on May 5, 2006. This happened because their starting catcher got hurt. In his very first game, he got two hits. A few days later, he hit his first major league home run.
On June 6, 2006, Martin and Éric Gagné made history. They were the first French Canadian "battery" in MLB. A battery means the pitcher and catcher working together.
Martin played so well that the Dodgers traded their other catcher. On August 13, 2006, he hit his first "walk-off" home run. This means his home run won the game in the final inning.
On September 18, 2006, Martin was part of a rare event. He hit one of four home runs in a row for the Dodgers. This tied the game in the 9th inning. It was the first time this had happened since 1964.
In 2007, Martin hit his first "grand slam." This is a home run with all bases loaded, scoring four runs. He also broke a Dodgers record for most stolen bases by a catcher in one season.
Fans voted Martin to be the starting catcher for the 2007 All-Star Game. He was the first Canadian-born catcher to start this game. At the end of 2007, he won both the Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award.
In 2008, Martin played in his second All-Star game. He caught for 10 innings in a long 15-inning game. In 2009, his hitting numbers dropped a bit. He hit .250 with 7 home runs.
In 2010, Martin's performance continued to decline. He also got a hip injury in August. This injury kept him from playing for the rest of the season. Because of his injury and lower performance, the Dodgers let him become a free agent.
Joining the New York Yankees (2011–2012)
In 2011, Russell Martin signed a one-year contract with the New York Yankees. He became their everyday catcher. Fans voted him to the 2011 American League All-Star team.
On August 25, 2011, Martin was part of an MLB record. He and two teammates, Robinson Canó and Curtis Granderson, each hit a grand slam in one game. The Yankees won that game 22–9.
Martin signed another one-year contract with the Yankees for the 2012 season. He continued as their main catcher. He played 133 games, hitting 21 home runs. He also played in all 9 of the Yankees' postseason games.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates (2013–2014)
In November 2012, Martin signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He became their everyday catcher. On June 8, 2013, he hit his 100th career home run.
On October 1, 2013, Martin had a great game in the NL Wild Card Game. He hit two solo home runs. His first home run gave the Pirates momentum to win the game. This was their first postseason win in 21 years.
In April 2014, Martin was involved in a fight during a game. He was suspended for two games by MLB for his part in it.
Time with the Toronto Blue Jays (2015–2018)
On November 18, 2014, the Toronto Blue Jays signed Russell Martin to a five-year contract. Early in spring training, he practiced catching R. A. Dickey's special "knuckleball" pitch.
On April 3, 2015, Martin received a big cheer from fans in Montreal. On April 19, he caught for Jeff Francis. This was the first time two Canadian players formed a "battery" for the Blue Jays.
On June 2, Martin stole home plate. This was a rare play and he was the first Blue Jay to do it since 2012. He had a career-high 23 home runs in 2015. He also had 77 RBI.
In 2016, Martin played 137 games for the Blue Jays. He hit 20 home runs and had 74 RBI. He struggled a bit during the postseason games.
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On April 29, 2017, Martin reached a milestone. He became the 15th catcher in MLB history to record 10,000 "putouts." A putout is when a player records an out.
On June 20, 2018, he became the 11th catcher to reach 11,000 career putouts. His hitting numbers were lower in 2018. In the very last game of the 2018 season, Martin even managed the Blue Jays team!
Returning to the Dodgers (2019)
On January 11, 2019, the Blue Jays traded Martin back to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent the 2019 season as a backup catcher.
On March 30, 2019, Martin did something very unusual. He pitched the ninth inning of a game for the Dodgers. He became the first position player to pitch a perfect ninth inning in a winning game since 1925.
On August 28, 2019, he pitched again in a shutout victory. This was the first time a position player had done that since 1917! In his final MLB season, Martin played 83 games. He hit six home runs and had 20 RBI.
Retirement from Baseball
On May 28, 2022, Russell Martin announced that he was retiring from baseball. He shared this news on his Instagram page.
Playing for Team Canada
Russell Martin first played for Team Canada in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
He considered playing shortstop for Team Canada in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He had played third base in the minor leagues before becoming a catcher. However, he later decided not to play due to soreness.
In 2016, Martin committed to play shortstop for Team Canada in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. But he was later removed from the team. This was because of insurance issues related to a knee surgery he had.
Russell Martin's Life Story
Russell Martin was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He spent his early childhood in Montreal and Chelsea, Quebec. After he became a successful baseball player, a ballpark in Chelsea was named after him.
Besides baseball, Martin also played hockey when he was young. He went to Chipola College in Florida for junior college.
Martin's father, Russell Martin Sr., is Black Canadian. His mother, Suzanne Jeanson, is Franco-Manitoban. His full name is Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin Jr. He was named after his father, a great-grandfather, his mother's family, and the musician John Coltrane.
His parents separated when he was two years old. His father used to play the saxophone in Montreal subway stations to help pay for Russell's baseball training. His father even played O Canada on his saxophone before a Blue Jays game in 2015.
When Martin was nine, his mother remarried and moved to Paris, France. For a year, Russell split his time living with his mother in Paris and his father in Montreal. In 2009, he changed the name on his jersey to "J. Martin" to honor his mother's family name, Jeanson.
See also
In Spanish: Russell Martin para niños
- List of Canadian sports personalities
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a catcher leaders
- Los Angeles Dodgers award winners and league leaders
