A New Martin for the Collection

I declare that Russell Martin is the best defensive catcher in Baseball.  Really, he's that good.

So good, in fact, that I believe he helped stabilize a fledgling pitching staff that had floundered in the past.  The Pittsburgh Pirates went from losing 83 games in 2012 to winning 94 the next.  It was a spectacular turnaround that saw the team become playoff contenders for the first time in recent memory.  Not one of their regular starting pitchers had an ERA above 4, and team ERA improved by over half a run.  He also helped keep base runners at bay by throwing them out at a 40% clip.

With all of this in mind, I am happy to share the newest Russell Martin autographed card for my collection.  It is a 2007 Bowman Best card.  It is super shiny.

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