Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Day

Russell Martin was surprised when he first walked into the plaque room at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (CBHOF).

“There’s footage of pretty much just the history of baseball in Canada … it feels like a movie, it doesn’t even seem real,” said the former Toronto Blue Jay, who was inducted into the CBHOF this year. “I have to pinch myself because it feels like a dream.”

Martin was one of the participants in attendance at the CBHOF on Saturday. He joins Ashley Stephenson, Howard Birnie, Rod Heisler, Paul Godfrey and Jimmy Key as inductees.

“It’s pretty hard to process that this image is going to be there, you know, for the rest of my life,” added Martin, who played 1,693 games in the Major Leagues. “When those days are over, he’ll still be up there. A lot of these pictures, like, especially the older ones, I don’t know who these guys are, but they obviously played a big part in Canadian history.”

Russell Martin looks at his plaque at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont. on June 15, 224. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)Ashley Stephenson becomes the first woman in the modern era to be inducted into the gym.

“It’s like the old saying, if you can see it, you can be it,” said Stephenson, a former member of Canada’s national team.

“Growing up playing, I didn’t see anybody on TV, especially watching the Jays like everybody else. I saw Devon White, Joe Carter. They were excellent people and great role models. Now you can turn on the TV and see women. Hazel Mae is one we see every day when we turn on the TV, and women are starting to break down barriers. I’m happy to be a small part of that,” Stephenson said.

Inductees (L-R) Russell Martin, Ashley Stephenson, Rod Heisler, Paul Godfey at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont. on June 15, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)She said she always played the game because she enjoyed it, but is happy to be considered a “pioneer or trailblazer.”

“I hope I inspire the next generation of young girls,” said Stephenson, who coaches for the Canadian Canadians, an affiliate of the Blue Jays. “There’s a lot of things to do to continue this movement forward, but if you think about the WNBA, the new Canadian women’s soccer league and the PWHL, those are all really, really positive things for women.”

Former Toronto Blue Jays catcher and current broadcaster Buck Martinez is in town.

He is honored as the winner of the Jack Graney Award for making “a significant contribution to the game in Canada”.

“Jack Graney and I had a lot in common,” Martinez said. “He was a former player who went into the broadcast booth for the Cleveland Indians and actually broadcast more than he played, just like me. I was fortunate that at the time, that TSN gave me the opportunity to get into television (in) 1987, and I thought, wow, this is going to be something. I was lucky to have a lot of great people around me who helped me.”

Inductee Rod Heisler looks at his Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame plaque in St. Marys, Ont. on June 15, 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)Martinez was excited to be among those celebrating this special weekend as he made his way to the small Perth County community.

“First time I’ve been to Saint Marys,” Martinez said.

“It’s a wonderful community, obviously, a lot like Cooperstown in New York. To have my family, my wife, some special friends here to share this day with me and the whole weekend, was very special. The Canadian Hall of Fame did a great job making us feel honored.”