Fastball

Former Toronto Blue Jays' All-Star Earns Election to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

Former Toronto Blue Jays' catcher Russell Martin and three others with ties to the organization were elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

Brady Farkas

Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Russell Martin (55) double during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 2018.
Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Russell Martin (55) double during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in 2018. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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Congratulations are in order for former Toronto Blue Jays' catcher Russell Martin, who was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

The Blue Jays put out the message on social media:

Congrats to Russell Martin, Paul Godfrey, Ashley Stephenson and all of today’s @CDNBaseballHOF inductees PLUS 2023 Jack Graney Award Winner Buck Martinez

Martin, 41, is a Canada native who also got a chance to play for the Blue Jays from 2015-2018. Overall, he was a 14-year veteran who made four All-Star teams and won a Gold Glove. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, and Jays. He hit a career-high 23 homers in 2015 with Toronto and also stole 21 bases back in 2007. He helped the Blue Jays get to the ALCS in back-to-back years (2015-2016). Ironically, he was also originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 35th round of 2000 MLB Draft, but he elected to go to college instead.

Though not mentioned in that previous post, former Blue Jays' pitcher Jimmy Key also was inducted on Saturday night.

Key spent 15 years in the big leagues with the Blue Jays, Yankees and Orioles. He was a five-time All-Star who won two World Series titles. He won a title with Toronto in 1992 and with the Yankees in 1996. With Toronto, he led the majors in ERA (2.76) in 1987.

He won 116 games as a member of the Blue Jays from 1984-1992.

Stephenson is currently a coach in the Jays' minor league system.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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