Former Dodgers catcher Russell Martin announces he is retiring
After 14 seasons playing catcher in the big leagues, former Dodger Russell Martin is calling it a career.
Drafted in the 17th round of the 2002 MLB Draft, Martin broke through with the Boys In Blue in 2006, hitting .282 with 10 home runs and 65 RBIs in 121 games as a rookie.
After spending his first five seasons in Los Angeles, Martin went on to play for the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively, before returning to the Dodgers in 2019, which was his last season.
A native of Canada, Martin finished his career with a batting average of .248 to along with 191 home runs, 771 RBIs and 101 stolen bases.
Martin quickly made a name for himself, becoming a fan favorite in his rookie year playing alongside a young Dodgers brass of players like Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney and Kenley Jansen, among others.
Martin won his first and only gold glove in his sophomore season in 2007. He appeared in two All-Star games with the Dodgers, once with New York and once with Toronto.
His last official game came in Game 3 of the National League Divisional Series. Martin went out with a bang, going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a double, to go along with 4 RBIs.