Russell Martin of the LA Dodgers

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Ranked #792 in Sports, #23,268 overall

Our Favorite Martin

Less than a year after settling behind the plate at Dodger Stadium on May 5th, 2006, Russell Martin had become the face of the Dodger franchise. True Blue fans pray he will remain so for many years.

This Russell Martin fan page was started before the 2007 All-Star Game to show baseball fans why he deserved their ASG vote. I update throughout the season with links to video highlights, interviews, news, stats, pictures, and more!

Russell Martin Awards and Accolades

  • Player's choice voted in for the 2008 All-Star Game
  • Voted in as starting NL Catcher for 2007 All-Star Game
  • Gold Glove, National League Catcher 2007
  • Silver Slugger, National League Catcher 2007
  • 2007 Roy Campanella Award as the "Most Inspirational Dodger," chosen by team
  • 2007 Dodgers' "Heart & Hustle" Award, voted on by MLB Alumni Association
  • Nominated for 2007 Hank Aaron Award
  • 2007 Tip O' Neal Award from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Along the way he broke records and notched up some pretty good stats:

  • Stole 21 bases to set Dodger franchise record for a catcher, beating 1892 record of Con Daily
  • Led all NL catchers in hits (157), homers (19), runs (87), stolen bases (21), batting average (.297), on-base percentage (.380) and slugging percentage (.477)
  • Led all Major League catchers with 145 games played, 1,254 innings. 3.95 catcher's ERA, 4th best in NL.
  • Met or tied so many franchise records that you'll have to check Russ Martin's Player Profile for the whole list.

Psst! By popular demand: Russell Then and Now; scroll down for Little League team photo!

Full Name: Russell Nathan Jeanson Coltrane Martin Jr
Birthdate: February 15, 1983

For 2009, Russell is using "J Martin" on his uniform in honor of his mother, maiden name Jeanson.

Photo Credit: Malingering on Flickr. A very heartfelt thanks to her for making her pictures available through Creative Commons.

Russell Martin News and Media 2009 

The Latest Russell Martin News, Articles, and Interviews

Which Martin will we see this year -- 2007 or 2008? It sounds like he realized he can't always be a 162 game player. The yoga and girlfriend (French-Canadian model/actress Marikym Hervieux) should help!

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Dodgers fans will see a new Russell Martin - Los Angeles Times
Pre-season update on Russell Martin and manager Torre's insistence that he play only 140 games this year.
2009 Russell Martin Learning From His Mistakes-- And Torre
[2.22.09] Russell Martin has been seeking out ex-catcher Joe Torre a lot more this off-season, to help him handle the ups and downs in 2009.
Why Does Russell Martin's Jersey Say "J Martin?"
[1.29.09] "Martin Changes Name, Attitude For '09." Article on Dodgers' official website: most of the same information, but a few extra tidbits about what went wrong for Martin last season and what he's done differently to prepare.

Martin Video Highlights

Quick link: Russell Martin Video Highlights for the last 3 months of play. While watching videos, click the "Russell Martin" tag to get all Russ Martin videos in the archives.

Russell Martin in World Baseball Classic '09 

CAN@USA: Martin's homer gets Canada a run closer - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia
Team Canada's catcher Russell Martin connects with a solo HR in the 7th inning
CAN@USA: Martin throws out Rollins trying to steal - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia
Canada's Russell Martin throws out Jimmy Rollins attempting to steal second base
Photos of Russell Martin at WBC 2009
Russell Martin of Team Canada (and Tommy LaSorda) at the World Baseball Classic '09.

Russell Martin: the 2008 Season! 

The Latest Russell Martin News

Russell Martin Current News Russ faced a new challenge at the beginning of 2008: his first slump! It was a strange spring, with a new manager and spring training cut short by half the team going to China. Dodger faithful and fantasy baseball GMs were asking anxiously, "What's up with Russell?" On April 20th, he was batting .197.

The next week his bat came to life, and seven days later he'd pulled his average up to .280, and soon he was hovering back around .300 again. The question once again become, "How can the manager keep Russ from playing every game?" Russ hates to sit anywhere but behind home plate, and the team misses him when he's on the bench.

Torre found a creative solution after Russell ripped off his catcher's gear and ran over to the dugout to say he could fill in in at 3B on April 25th, after Nomar came out with an abdominal sprain: put Russ at third on his "day off"! Martin was originally drafted as a third baseman before being converted to a catcher.

Incidentally, in his first game playing 3B in the majors, Martin was 4 for 4 with 2RBI including a game-winning sac fly in the thirteenth. He's played there several times since.

So how did the rest of his first half go? He was playing All-Star baseball while the rest of the Dodgers, hampered by injuries to starters and nearly every vet, failed to make headlines. Going into the final week of the ASG vote, Martin was leading the Dodgers in average (.306), runs (47), walks (48) and OBP (.403), and had 9 home runs and 8 steals.

Link: Russell Martin's 2008 video highlights, first half

The Dodgers' flat first half explains why Russell Martin was voted 6th among NL catchers in the fan All-Star vote, even though his stats were comparable (apart from his 10 steals by the break, typical for him but abnormal for catchers). However, players voted him in when the fans didn't, and Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, who had seen Martin's skills and endurance, put him in for innings 4 to 14.

Russell Martin catcher 2008 All-star game

Post-game article: Martin Happy to Log 10 Innings for NL.

During the All-Star game, announcers raved about Martin's "magic" hands on several plays at the plate plus throwing out the Rangers' Ian Kinsler, only the second time he'd been caught stealing this year. In offense, he was 1 out of 3 with a sac bunt.

Would the NL have won had Russell Martin, not Brian McCann, still been at home plate to make a close play that Russ had pulled off twice in previous innings? We'll never know.

Will baseball fans remember Russell's highlight-reel plays in the 2008 ASG when it comes to voting next year? Time will tell.

As for Martin's second half, he was a quietly solid producer. It wasn't as magic as the 2007 season, and there were some signs of fatigue-- and frustration, at times, especially evident in the NLCS against the Phils. Nonetheless, Martin once again finished among the top catchers in the Majors offensively and defensively. Here's the wrap:





Fantasy Baseball Quick Reference Stats and News:
MLB Player Profile :: Rotoworld :: Yahoo :: ESPN :: FOX Sports

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Russell Martin Video Highlights 2008 

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Russell Martin's hard work has paid off in the Majors - Player Profile
MLB Profiles: Russell Martin has spent a short time in the majors, but in that time he has accomplished a great deal through hard work
Martin had 18 SB, smacked 13 HR, and 90 BB in '08 -- Season Recap
2009 Fantasy Forecast: Russell Martin led all catchers with 18 SB, smacked 13 HR, and drew a career-high 90 BB a season ago
Traces: MLB.com traces Russell Martin's journey to LA -- Player Profile
MLB.com traces Russell Martin's journey from his youth in Canada to behind the plate for the Dodgers
Third Baseman Russ Martin Goes 4 for 4
4.25.08. Col @ LA. 4hits, 2RBI, and Russ taking off his catcher's gear to fill in at third!
Martin throws out Taveras while playing third.
5.3.08 Martin playing 3base against the Rox.
Martin goes 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
6.11.08. Russell Martin goes 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
"Martin brings in another run despite being caught in pickle"
5.02.08. FLA @ LAD. Martin scores two while dancing around in a rundown.
Ethier and Martin save a shutout to end game.
7.31.08. Great throw, great block at the plate. Always good to beat the Giants!
Martin starts the double play to retire the side.
8.20.08 Martin as catcher starts double play.

Russell Martin Items on eBay 

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Russell Martin THEN: Past Seasons 

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Russell Martin: Past Seasons

2007: An All-Star Is Born 

Russell Martin's First Full Year in the Majors

For the first half of the 2007 season, Martin led all NL catchers in nearly every offensive category, and at times led in ALL categories. His defense was been on a par with the other leading NL catchers, with his 33% rate of nabbing base stealers an important contribution to Dodger pitching. By the end of the season, playing 145 games -- the most of any Major League Catcher -- he was tired but still managed to hold onto his offensive edge, leading NL catchers in hits, homers, runs, stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and slugging. In defense, he kept pace with his peers.

2007 Season Stats: Leading National League Catchers
Russell Martin 2007 stats, offense

Source: Yahoo Sports: MLB Stats


Martin is exceptional as a catcher in three ways:

Russell Martin candid photo
Photo Credit: Malingering on Flickr

  • A truly five-tool player. He hits for power, he hits often, he runs bases like a rabbit, his defense is excellent, and his is often the game-winning hit.

  • Stolen bases. On June 24th, Martin passed the Los Angeles Dodgers' all-time single-season steals record for a catcher (12), set in 1962. On August 1st, he tied the single-season Dodgers record (18) for steals by a catcher set by Con Daily in 1892 (or perhaps he'd beaten it already, due to despite some irregularities about early MLB recordkeeping), and he passed it for certain with two steals on August 18.

  • Endurance. Martin played more games than any other Dodger infielder, and more than any other catcher in MLB. 2006's backup catcher, Toby Hall, asked to be traded. One can't blame him: Martin once insisted on catching during a day game after catching 17 innings the night before.

2007 Season Defensive Stats: Leading National League Catchers
2007 Russell Martin defensive stats compared to other catchers

Source: Yahoo Sports: MLB Stats


On top of everything else, Martin is an incredibly humble guy who gives all the credit to teammates, even in games where he's instrumental. Which is most nights.

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Russell Martin Video Highlights 2007 

Offense: Power and Speed

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Russell Martin Home run
Photo Credit: Malingering on Flickr

Martin's All-Around Night
LA @ MIL 4/3/07. Single, RBI double, throws out runner, HR.
Martin's First Walk-off Grand Slam
4.21.07 PIT @ LAD. Scully calls it.
Game-winning 2RBI Home Run
5.22.07 MIL @ LAD. Ending a team skid. Scully calls it.
Game-winning Triple
5.23.07 MIL @ LAD. Scully calls it.
Game-winning Home Run
6.1.07 LAD @ PIT.
Home Run for Home Crowd
LAD @ TOR. To the cheers of Jays fans, Martin hits his first homer in a Canadian ballpark with family and friends watching.
First At-Bat vs. Randy Johnson: HR
6.28.07 LAD @ AZ. Martin's 2-run homer soars well over the 413 mark, 1st inning. You'd never know it was a road game from the cheers.
Another Great Night's Work
7.2.07. Great hustle on this one. Martin goes 4-for-5, mostly against Braves ace Smoltz, steals a base against his All-Star backup McCann, and scores. Too bad they didn't also include his great throw to nail a baserunner.
Russ 2 for 2 in victory over Marlins
7.8.07. FLA @ LAD. 2-RBI homer in first inning and a scoring single later in the game leads the fish fry.
Russ 3 for 3 in victory over Giants.
7.13.08. LA @ SF. Always great to beat the Giants on their own turf!
Martin's first 2 homer game.
8.15.07. HOU @ LA. Martin sparks slumping Dodgers with much-needed victory.

Russell Martin Video Highlights 2007: Defense 

Front Row Fans... PAY ATTENTION! That Fence Doesn't Slow Him Down!

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catcher=
Photo Credit:
Malingering

Defense doesn't make the highlight reels as often -- Dodgers fans have seen lots more like these!
Martin's Trademark Hockey Block
4.6.07. LA @ SD. Giants announcers impressed.
Martin Tags Two
4.28.07. LA @ SD. Martin chases down two runners for a DP.
Martin's Wild Catch
5.27.07. CHC @ LAD. Martin tumbles into stands to catch a fly. Scully calls it.
Martin Tags Out A-Rod at the ASG
7.10.07. All-Star game. Russell fields a long, tricky throw from Griffey to nab A-Rod in front of the plate.
Martin Catches Ball, Spills Beer
7.18.07 PHI @ LAD. I was right above this play in the Top Deck. Martin was staring straight into the sun. On top of all that he had to pull up short to keep from body slamming the fan who was trying to grab the ball.
Snap throw to 1st, picks off runner.
7.23.07 LA @ HOU. Beautiful play.
Martin guns down Frandsen.
8.1.07 SF @ LA. Great throw by Russ nails a would-be base stealer.

Unique "My Favorite Martin" T-Shirt 

"My Favorite Martin" T-Shirts Available Through Printfection.com.

Available in several colors and shirt styles.

Long-Sleeve T-shirt: 23.99

Short sleeve T-shirt: 19.99

Sleeveless T-shirt: 20.99

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Great Russell Martin Blog Article

Russ fans, you'll want to read Russell Martin Jr. The Backstop of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, covering everything from his All-Star play to praise from teammates and opponents, Mom and Dad to being mugged at gunpoint in the minor leagues.

Russell Martin, All-Star Catcher: 2007 All-Star Game 

High Praise From Lo Duca During All-Star Race


(Me on the ASG streetcar in Dodger Stadium parking lot)

When the All-Star ballot started being reported in May, Russell Russell Martin was only fourth in ASG voting, yet he was the leading NL Catcher in every offensive category except doubles (tied for second) at the time and keeping up with the best in defense.

Fans mobilized -- this page was my contribution! -- to get the word out about his stellar season. The Dodgers organization stepped in as well, starting a "Vote For Russ" campaign on Dodgers.com. Meanwhile, Martin kept stepping it up.

When asked about his rival for the All-Star roster during a mid-June Mets/Dodgers series, Lo Duca had nothing but praise for Martin:

"He's the complete package. His makeup is what makes him so good," said Lo Duca, who befriended Martin when he was the Dodgers' starting catcher and Martin was a young farmhand.

"He does everything the right way, and that's hard to find," Lo Duca said. "I wasn't as talented as Russell at his age. He's so polished behind the plate. Pitchers are comfortable throwing to him, he understands the game and he's an unbelievable offensive player."

~ San Jose Mercury News, 6.14.07


On the last day of All-Star voting, Martin led NL catchers in almost every offensive and defensive stat:

Russell Martin 2007 stats
Source: MLB.com Sortable Stats

On July 1st, what fans already knew became official: Russell Martin was an All-Star catcher. Here's Russell Martin's post-game interview after the news was announced.

Final 2007 All-Star Votes for National League Catcher
  1. Russell Martin, Dodgers, 2,039,130
  2. Paul Lo Duca, Mets, 1,742,182
  3. Johnny Estrada, Brewers, 1,460,902
  4. Bengie Molina, Giants, 1,383,753
  5. Brian McCann, Braves, 971,502
So how was Russell Martin's first All-Star Game?

He held his own defensively, but he'll have to show off his slugging and steals ability next time.
  • Caught the first six innings for Jake Peavy, Brad Penny, Ben Sheets, Cole Hamels, Chris Young, and Francisco Cordero. McCann of the Braves came in for inning #7 to catch for Saito (fooey).
  • Peavy, Penny, Sheets, and Hamels were scoreless, but Young gave up an inside-the-park 2RBI HR to Suzuki and Cordero gave up a solo homer to Crawford.
  • Russell was 0-for-3.
  • Biggest moment: Video Highlight: Russell Martin tags out A-Rod at the plate
The game came down to the wire. Bottom of the 9th, NL had the bases loaded but it wound up AL 5-4. Russ was out of the game by then, taking in the game from the dugout.

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Russell Martin Videos on YouTube 

(And one for Sammy)

I know Russ won't mind giving fellow All-Star Sammy a little of the glory! Both started mid-season 2006 and were at the ASG in 2007.

Vote For Russell Martin

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6276 views
31 Comments:


Dodgers Russell Martin walk off grand slam to win game

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32176 views
60 Comments:


RUSSELL MARTIN

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2941 views
10 Comments:


Russ Martin Grand Slam Dodger game

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13023 views
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Takashi (Sammy) Saito Dodgers

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13551 views
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curated content from YouTube

That's Our Russ 

Russell Martin Tidbits and Trivia

  • On team flights, Russell reportedly goes to the back, covers a bank of seats with blankets to make a dark cave, and sleeps on the floor.
  • 7.3.07. Backup catcher Mike Lieberthal, a longtime veteran from the Phillies, comes to his locker to find it filled with balloons, flowers, and a card saying "Congratulations" -- just because he was getting a start. Martin still came in for closer Saito in the 9th, since Lieberthal hasn't seen him since Spring Training.
  • For a kid in his first full year in the bigs, Martin catches on fast. On June 13th, he spotted Shawn Green relaying his set-up locations from second base, and trotted out to the mound to warn Penny. Penny had a few firm words with his former teammate at the end of the inning.
  • Martin often expresses gratitude for his father's support and sacrifices which helped get him to the bigs. Read Martin's article talking about his Dad and his own upbringing in the July 2007 edition of Guideposts Magazine: "Saxophone Man".
  • 4.26.08. Rockies announcers noticed Russell Martin running laps around the field before the game-- on a rare day when his backup was getting a start. Not the first time! Russ reportedly does this to burn off energy and anxiety when he's not starting.

2006: Russell Martin's First Year in the Bigs 

A Rookie Retrospective

May 5th, 2006. 23-year-old Russell Martin was called up from AAA Las Vegas for his major league debut to replace the LA Dodgers' catcher, Dioner Navarro, put on the DL by a wrist injury.
June 21st, 2006. 33-year-old All-Star veteran pitcher Derek Lowe was getting frustrated after too many good outings without run support. Martin jogged out to the mound to check in.
"Relax, bro," said the kid.
Lowe glared.
"I'm not leaving until you've calmed down," Martin insisted.


Russell Martin on Dodgervision
5/23/06: A sign of things to come
Photo Credit: Malingering on Flickr

Lowe was the first pitcher to sing Martin's praises, but within a few months Dodger pitchers from sensational rookies Billingsley, Broxton and Saito to veterans Brad Penny and Greg Maddux would speak highly of their young batterymate. Navarro never got his job back; he was sent to Tampa Bay.

Martin racked up milestones quickly: his first major league home run in his third game, catching for Gagné's last game with the Dodgers in June, a walk-off home run to finish a sweep of the Giants in August. Naturally, Martin's was one of the four back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs in LA's record-making come-from-behind victory on September 18th, 2006. For good measure, he hit that one off closer phenomenon Trevor Hoffman.

Russ became just the third rookie catcher in MLB history to make the playoffs. It was a topsy-turvey season, but one fact stood out by October: the Dodgers' record was 71-43 in games where Martin was the starting catcher and 17-31 when he wasn't. The Dodgers and Padres reached the post-season with identical season records, but the Pads had the edge in head-to-head play. So LA had to settle for the Wild Card. It's a pity Martin didn't catch a few more.

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Russell Martin Video Highlights 2006 

La Dodgers #55: The Five-Tool Catcher of Cinquo de Mayo

Russell Martin races for second base
Photo Credit: Malingering on Flickr

Martin's First Hit
5.5.06. MIL @ LAD. 2RBI double. Scully calls it.
Martin Blocks Plate in First Game
5.5.07. Minor play, but a preview of things to come.
Martin's First Home Run
5.7.06. MIL @ LAD. Go-ahead HR. Scully calls it.
Martin's First Walk-off Home Run
8.13.06 SF @ LAD. Fun way to finish a sweep of one's arch-rivals.
Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back Home Runs
9.18.06. SD @ LA. Martin's Dad came down from Montreal for this one; he's the fan in the yellow shirt.
Russell Martin Sr. Plays Star-Spangled Banner
9.20.06. The father who helped pay for his son's baseball dreams playing as a subway musician in Montreal plays the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium.

Even More Russell Martin Pictures 

Dodgers vs. Nationals - 5-31-07 by dizzy-eyed

Dodgers vs. Nationals - 5-31-07 by dizzy-eyed

curated content from Flickr

"My Favorite Martin" Gear on CafePress 

Go to www.cafepress.com/martin55 for many more products featuring this design -- including mini buttons and magnets.
My Favorite Martin Women's Cap Sleeve T-Shirt

My Favorite Martin Women's Cap Sleeve T-Shirt

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My Favorite Martin Kids Baseball Jersey

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My Favorite Martin Infant/Toddler T-Shirt

My Favorite Martin Infant/Toddler T-Shirt

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Sources Used For This Lens 

Their Favorite Martin
Hey, I started calling him "my favorite Martin" in June 2006!
The Official Site of The Los Angeles Dodgers: Team: Player Information
Stats, career, and official Russell Martin information from Dodgers.com.
Wikipedia: Russell Martin
Fan-compiled information on Russell Martin. (Remember, Wikipedia is written entirely by net users like us... it's not always 100% accurate.)

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Russell Martin Fan Mail 

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No, Russ will probably never see this page, but we can still share our True Blue loyalty! Please, no spam or foul language. Remember, we gotta live up to Vin Scully's pride in us as "The Best Fans in Baseball!"

For real fan mail, you gotta use that old-fashioned method called pen, paper, stamp and envelope, addressed to:

Russell Martin
c/o Los Angeles Dodgers
Dodger Stadium
1000 Elysian Park Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012-1199

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