Russell Martin

Major League Baseball catcher Russell Martin plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Martin was originally drafted on June 4, 2002 by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 17th round of the MLB Draft.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martiru01.shtml He joined the Dodgers' minor league affiliates for his first few seasons. While in the minors, Martin played in two minor league All-Star games selections.http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=431145

On May 5, 2006, Martin made his major league debut with the Dodgers. He played 121 games his rookie season, finishing with a .282 batting average.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martiru01.shtml Martin finished ninth in the voting for MLB Rookie of the Year. Martin played in 151 games for the Dodgers in 2007, including his first MLB All-Star Game selection. He completed the season with a .293 batting average and was picked for the National League Silver Slugger and Gold Glove awards.http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=431145In 2008, Martin had 13 home runs and 69 RBIs while hitting .280. In 2009, Martin played in 143 games, but he had seven home runs and 53 RBIs.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martiru01.shtml

Martin finished the 2010 season with a batting average of .248. He hit five home runs and 26 RBIs on the year.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martiru01.shtml Martin played in a career-low 97 games during the season as he suffered a torn labrum in his hip on August 5, 2010. The Dodgers placed Martin on the 15 day disabled list, but the injury caused him to miss the remainder of the season.http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/08/vincente-padilla-throws-two-hitter-russell-martin-out-with-hip-injury/1

During the 2010 season, Martin twice had 3 RBIs in a game. The first came on May 11 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The second was on July 9 against the Chicago Cubs. Martin had a season-high 15 game hitting streak from May 5 until May 20. On defense, Martin threw out a career-high 38 percent of base runners trying to steal.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martiru01.shtml

After two consecutive seasons of hitting below his career average, the Dodgers offered Martin a one year contract for 2011 worth $4.2 million. When Martin rejected that deal, the Dodgers released him, allowing Martin to become a free agent to sign with any team. On December 14, 2010, it was announced that Martin had signed a contract to play for the New York Yankees in 2011. The Yankees stated that they would use Martin at catcher to allow Jorge Posada more time as designated hitter. Martin's deal with the Yankees was tentative on the condition that he must pass a physical examination. The Yankees expressed concern about the condition of Martin's injured hip.http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-1215-russell-martin-20101215,0,5326775.story