Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER

Subject: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: PoppaGator
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 04:20 PM

During last night's broadcast of the (baseball) All-Star Game, I learned that Russell Martin, outstanding young catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers and a starter for the National League All-Stars, lists his father's occupation as "busker."

The sportscasters had a few laughs about never having heard of the word, but one of them ~ Tim McCarver ~ volunteered that he had looked it up in the dicitionary and learned that a busker is someone who plays music in public for tips. He elaborated, telling us that Martin grew up in Montreal, where his father was a jazz musician who regularly played on the streets during daytime hours, came home for a couple of hours to play catch with his son and teach him baseball, then went back out at night again to play music.

Any Candadian Mudcatters have any idea who the elder Mr. Martin might be?

Subject: RE: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: bobad
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 04:41 PM

What I've been able to garner from the web:

His name: Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin Sr.

"Russell's father used to play saxophone in Montreal subway stations to help pay for his baseball training."

"...his father, Russell Sr., is an accomplished saxophone player and he played the National Anthem on his sax before the Dodgers' contest with the Pirates last Sept. 20."

Subject: RE: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: Jim Lad
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 04:52 PM

Bobad: How do you know this stuff?

Subject: RE: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 05:01 PM

I just googled his name and "busker", and the very first link is http://dodgers.cc/discussion/29/the-russell-nathan-coltrane-jeanson-martin-jr-marching-chowder-society/, which gives all that.

Subject: RE: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: bobad
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 05:07 PM

As George points out Jim Lad, Google is your friend.

Subject: RE: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: PoppaGator
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 05:29 PM

Interesting that both the young ballplayer and his saxophonist father (Jr. and Sr.) have "Coltrane" among their middle names.

Grandpa was obviously musically inclined as well...

Subject: RE: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: PoppaGator
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 05:42 PM

By the way, thanks for the quick answers...

PS: I went looking for reponsses under "BS" and couldn't find this thread. Fortunately, I had put in in my "tracer" and found it that way

If it does belong "up" in the music section, maybe someone can delete the "BS" prefix ~ or, if it belongs down below as I figured it would, maybe it should be moved...

Subject: RE: BS: Baseball star is son of Canadian BUSKER
From: GUEST,Tom Nelligan
Date: 11 Jul 07 - 06:16 PM

There was also a nice article on Russell Martin in the July 2nd issue of "Sports Illustrated" that included a photo of his father and discusses his musical career.

I too was amused that the Fox broadcasters didn't know what a busker is, but then again they were probably too busy not saying anything bad about alleged biochemistry researcher Barry Bonds.