Quebec catcher Russell Martin is among the players who can hope to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.
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The Montrealer’s name was included on the list of the Association of Baseball Columnists of America unveiled Monday. Several players like Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner headline the group of candidates.
Since 2014, 16 athletes have been inducted into Cooperstown in their first year. Martin’s great versatility will be his main argument for becoming a legend.
The 41-year-old is one of three catchers in major league history to have more than 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases. The other two, Carlton Fisk and Ivan Rodriguez, have their place in the Temple.
Additionally, Martin appeared in the All-Star game four times and won a Gold Glove and a Silver Bat. He played 14 seasons at the highest level, wearing the uniform of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays.
Other players whose names will appear on the ballot for the first time are Dustin Pedroia, Felix Hernandez, Carlos Gonzalez, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, Ian Kinsler, Brian McCann, Hanley Ramirez, Fernando Rodney, Troy Tulowitzki and Ben Zobrist .
