Russell Martin had a good — even great — Major League Baseball career. Not many, however, would call it Hall of Fame worthy.
But as it turns out, there is at least one exception when it comes to Martin’s Cooperstown candidacy. Taking to X on Thursday, Chicago Tribune Cubs beat writer Meghan Montemurro shared her Hall of Fame ballot, with many taking note that she had voted for the four-time All-Star catcher to be enshrined next summer.
At the urging of several followers who took issue with her controversial selection of Martin, Montemurro proceeded to explain her vote.
“It’s important imo to try to be as consistent as possible, which is tough when deciding what to value/limit of 10 votes,” she wrote. “Knowing Yadier Molina will soon be on ballot & that I’ll consider voting for him, I felt Martin’s #s are on par & in some cases better, warranting vote this yr.”
She added: “How to evaluate & value catcher defense/framing has evolved & will likely continue to which adds challenging element. But if defense can & has been valued at other positions when determining HOF vote don’t think catchers should be excluded from that. Realize it’s not popular pick.”
Montemurro’s explanation didn’t suffice for all, with some pointing out that while there are some statistics that might make Molina and Martin’s careers seem similar, the former has a much stronger overall resume. Sure, Martin’s 54.5 fWAR sits just behind Molina’s 55.6. But Molina also lays claim to six more All-Star appearances, eight more Gold Glove Awards and two World Series titles.
Nevertheless, Hall of Fame voting is subjective, and as polarizing as this particular pick might be, it’s not as if Montemurro was writing in a candidate who wasn’t even on the ballot. The Cubs beat writer also deserves credit for publicly explaining/defending her pick, especially since it was one she knew most wouldn’t agree with.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.