Martin sees less pressure, more fun in second pre-season visit to Montreal

MONTREAL – The Toronto Blue Jays’ pre-season visit to Olympic Stadium was an exhilarating but stressful time for catcher Russell Martin a year ago.

But now that the Toronto-born, Montreal-raised Martin has been through it once, he just wants to enjoy the atmosphere this time around.

“I’ll be a little bit looser and just play the game instead of worrying about how I’m going to play in front of my people,” Martin said Friday before the Blue Jays faced the Boston Red Sox in the opener a two-game exhibition set. “Now it’s just going out there and having some fun.”

It is the third straight year that the Blue Jays will finish their pre-season with two games at the sold-out Big O. Last year, Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds were the “visitors.” Martin had just joined the Blue Jays on a US$82-million, five-year contract.

He hadn’t yet played a game that counted in the standings when the team stopped in Montreal and he found himself the star attraction, drawing long ovations from sellout crowds.

“Last year was a surreal moment,” he said. “It was a dream come true.

“One of the ultimate goals was to put on a major league uniform and play in front of my family and friends. Then my dad (jazz musician Russell Sr.) playing the anthem — it was emotional. And I did put a bit of stress on myself. I wanted to do really well and that was on my mind. This year I’m just very happy to be here. It’s fun. Montreal’s excited about baseball.”

Martin, a 10-year veteran, carried that into a solid first season in Toronto, with a career-high 23 home runs, 76 runs scored and 77 RBIs in a lineup loaded with heavy hitters.

More than 106,000 tickets have been sold for the two games, which have become both a happening in themselves and a way for Montreal fans stung by the Expos departure in 2004 to demonstrate their support for bringing back Major League Baseball. Many Boston fans were also expected to attend.

“It would be nice if Montreal had an American League team to rival Toronto,” said Martin. “It would be good for baseball.

“I don’t know all the different aspects of the business and how it works, but I definitely feel the city is ready for a baseball team and that it’s just a matter of time, hopefully.”

Martin carried the energy from the Montreal stop to a solid season with the Blue Jays, a team that turned some inspired deadline trades into a 40-18 finish to make the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. One of the in-season acquisitions, pitcher David Price, is now with Boston.

Martin called Price “one of my favourite teammates of all time. I wish him the best against everybody except us.”

Even without Price, Martin said the Blue Jays have the pitching and hitting to be contenders again.

“We definitely want to pick up where we left off,” he said. “We have some unfinished business this year, but there’s a long season ahead and it’s going to be a grind. It’s an exciting time for us and we just want to get the ball rolling.”

The Blue Jays arrived from Dunedin, Fla., and will fly back after the mini-series to open the regular season at Tampa Bay on Sunday.