The Pirates knew that they were getting a sure-handed catcher when they signed Russell Martin to a two-year deal in the offseason. While Martin has done a great job on the receiving end of a relatively shaky pitching staff, his defensive prowess stretches past the catcher position. Martin will get the start tonight at third base, which is a position that Martin said he has a lot of experience at.
“It’s [confidence] pretty high. Fielding ground balls and making throws across the diamond, it’s what I’ve done my whole life. Besides my past couple years of my career where I haven’t played there as much, throughout my childhood and throughout my early age, it was my premier position,” Martin explained. “I played college at third base and my first year of pro ball was at third base. It’s kind of like riding a bike. Once you’ve done it, you have the feel and know how to throw the ball across the diamond.”
Martin said that he loves his position, but the change to third base gives him a mental day off.
“It definitely helps you get a breather mentally. All of the preparation that goes into catching mentally, it definitely takes away from that aspect of the grind. It feels like a day off mentally,” Martin said. “I just get to go out there and have fun and compete to the best of my ability and just enjoy a position that I have a lot fun at.”
Martin said that Manager Clint Hurdle approach him about a week or so ago and told him to take grounders at third base because you never know what can happen. The last time that Martin played third base in a big league season was in 2008 when he made eight starts at the position. Hurdle, who was the manager of the Colorado Rockies at the time, said he saw Martin play third and he knows he can play the position.
While he can play the position, is Hurdle confident in placing Martin out there?
“I wouldn’t put him out there if I wasn’t,” Hurdle said. “I’ve seen him play third with my own eyes.”
As the Pirates approach game three of the three-game set with Atlanta, Hurdle wanted to load up his lineup with all right-handers – James McDonald excluded – to go after former Pirates pitcher Paul Maholm. While it’s a good move on paper, he’s also sitting Pedro Alvarez who has gone 2-9 off Maholm in his career and is coming off two home runs in as many days.
“I just wanted to go ahead and throw the right-handers out there, all of them,” Hurdle said. “As we continue to attack this 20-day period, Pedro will get a little break today. Everybody will get one sometime.”
Despite spending the majority of his career as a catcher, Martin explained that coming up through the ranks, he was actually an infielder who was converted to a catcher.
“I got pulled out of extended spring training in 2002. The head-scouting director was there and they brought me in to catch one bullpen. At the time, the guy was “Jumbo” Diaz. He threw like 100 MPH and they brought me in the cages and made me catch this guy,” Martin explained. “I caught a little bit in college and when I was a kid and I was sticking every ball. They saw that I had good hands and they felt like that was going to be a good fit for me with the Dodgers with my footwork and arm strength and felt my bat was adequate for catching.”
Martin’s coach at the time, Luis Salazar, tried to tell the organization that Martin shouldn’t be moved from his natural position of third base. In hindsight, Martin said he has no regrets.
“They kind of sold me that I was going to have a better chance to make the Majors if I went to catcher. I said, ‘Okay, fine, I’ll do it.’ In the meetings that they had, Salazar went to battle. He said, ‘I don’t think this guy should be a catcher.’ They opted for me to go catch and I worked as hard as I could,” Martin said. “I would have fought to the death to make it wherever I played. I don’t regret anything because I’m happy with where I’m at now. It definitely was a step back going to catch because it was learning a whole new position and learning a whole new aspect of the game.”
Despite Alvarez’s early struggles at the plate again this season, he’s played a very stellar third base. Martin said that he talked with shortstop Clint Barmes about their gameplan going into the contest.
“I talked to him and said, ‘A lot of range. Lot of range on the left side today,'” Martin said with a laugh. “Not that Pedro doesn’t [have range]. Pedro’s been playing the heck out of third base. I got some big shoes to fill tonight. I’m going to go out there and have fun.”
Photo Credits: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America
