ST. MARYS, Ont.—Two of the greatest players this country has ever produced Saturday, headlining the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum induction ceremony.
and topped a bill that included fellow inductees Paul Godfrey, Rod Heisler and Howard Birnie, as well as Jack Graney Award winner Former Blue Jays pitcher Jimmy Key was also inducted, but couldn’t attend. Martin, who broke down several times while paying tribute to parents Suzanne Jeanson and Russell Martin Sr., was a four-time all-star over a 14-year big-league career.
Born in East York and raised in Montreal, the Gold Glove winner tops the list of Canadian-born catchers in almost every offensive category. The 41-year-old Martin made 10 trips to the post-season, and the closest he came to the World Series was with the Jays in 2015. Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers that year — — ranks at the top among baseball memories.
The plaque for former Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont. “I could have been remembered as the guy who messed up the season for the Blue Jays,” said Martin, who hit batter Shin-Soo Choo with a return throw to the pitcher in the seventh inning, ushering home the go-ahead run for Texas.
“Luckily my junior college teammate from back in the day, had my back ...
and the rest is history. It could have been: ‘Do you remember that play where you hit the guy in the hand and you lost the game?’ I could.