Toronto Blue Jays: Russell Martin and Other Bizarre Moments

Just when I thought we had survived Celebgate, Closetgate, Donutgate, and Nipplegate – all completely legitimate scandals and gates with varying degrees of salacious media coverage, is it possible that we are now on the brink of Saunagate?

Russell Martin’s untimely knee injury suffered during a recent off-day left an indelible mark on what was a genuinely disappointing weekend of mediocre baseball against the Seattle Mariners. It meant adjusting a formidable lineup which suddenly featured Darwin Barney leading off and Josh Thole batting ninth. It also meant having Josh Thole behind the plate and watching Josh Thole run the bases.

Needless to say, some fans were left scratching their heads and wondering if they were getting the full story from management as to how their beloved starting catcher injured his knee while falling asleep in the shower after a broiling sauna experience rendered him nearly comatose. 

It all seems plausible enough and will most likely be forgotten in a few weeks, but this might be the perfect time for us to look at back at three former Blue Jays who found themselves mired in bizarre circumstances which briefly rivalled their accomplishments on the diamond.

Marty Cordova aka Human Torch

This former American League rookie of the year burst on the scene in 1995 as a highly touted outfielder with impressive power and a solid eye at the plate – his first two years in baseball had him trending above the likes of players like Shawn Green and Garrett Anderson. The sky seemed the limit for Marty if not for a litany of back injuries which plagued him between 1997 and 2000 – forcing him to miss 240 games during the early stages of his career before finally leaving the small-market Twins and signing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000 – a team featuring seven position players  all in their prime hitting 20 or more home runs and some young kids named Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay.

Only later would stunned Orioles fans discover that their starting outfielder couldn’t play because he essentially burned his face for aesthetic purposes and felt he wasn’t getting enough sun at Camden Yards on a Sunday.

With stops along the way in Cleveland and Baltimore, Marty would finish with a .274 average, 122 home runs, and 540 RBI in a respectable nine-year career, retiring at the relatively young age of 33. However, he would best be remembered for an infamous moment on May 20^th, 2002, when he accidentally fell asleep while on a tanning bed.

One can only imagine the sheer exasperation on the face of manager Mike Hargrove after hearing his left fielder’s alibi before drafting an official one for the local media which generously employed the phrase “undisclosed upper body injury.” Stunned Orioles fans would later discover that their starting outfielder couldn’t play because he essentially burned his face for aesthetic purposes and felt he wasn’t getting enough sun at Camden Yards on a Sunday.

Glenallen Hill aka Spider-man

A familiar name with mature Toronto fans, Hill was a ninth round draft pick selected by the Jays in 1983 and made his debut with the big club on July 31^st, 1989. The promise of his raw power appealed enormously to management and some might remember him for the kind of moonshot that only a Marvel superhero could muster, while an insufferable few simply remember him for being the worst defensive player in the history of the franchise. His career as a Blue Jay was largely uneventful and he was traded to the Indians before joining several National league teams for a few cups of coffee.

It wasn’t until the 1998 season that a suddenly resurgent Hill began fulfilling much of his promise and eventually found himself dealt to the Yankees in time for their 2000 World Series crusade. In medieval fashion Glenallen destroyed the cover off the ball and in 40 regular season games belted 16 home runs as New York stormed into the post-season. While this renaissance of primal power would eventually disappear during the playoffs, Hill walked out of the experience with a championship ring and finished an otherwise unremarkable career with a .271 average, 186 home runs, and 586 runs batted in.

Eventually fans would learn of his link to the notorious Mitchell Report which revealed multiple kits of human-growth hormone (HGH) purchased from ex-teammates while with the Yankees and the Mets. Yet, it was his escapade with a spider which garnered him the most notoriety of all and remains one of the stranger moments in the sport.

During the summer of 1990 and around the same time the film Arachnaphobia was released, Hill found himself on the disabled list after he stumbled and fell through a glass table and horribly bruised his knees, elbows, and feet. Apparently the big slugger was in the throes of a terrible nightmare involving a species of South American killer spiders and consequently suffered…the kind of injuries normally associated with stumbling and falling through a glass table. And thus you have one of the more surreal explanations which I’m certain manager Cito Gaston welcomed with open arms and a furrowed brow.

Jeff Kent aka Ghost Rider

Toronto fans will never forget one of the more controversial trades in team history when uber prospect and third baseman of the future Jeff Kent was traded for David Cone during the 1992 season – effectively bolstering the starting rotation and enabling the team to win their first ever World Series crown.

Eyewitnesses had spotted their hero performing motorcycle stunts and “wheelies” with a group of friends, and that his alibi was a sad attempt at avoiding any violation of his professional contract.

Kent would go on to have several MVP caliber seasons with the Mets, Indians, Giants, Astros, and Dodgers before calling it a career with 5 All-Star selections, an NL MVP and 4 silver slugger awards. His accomplishments make him worthy of Hall of Fame consideration – the man was a force to be reckoned with – but it was his shenanigans on March 1^st, 2002 which are often remembered.

On that day news reports confirmed that the former MVP had broken a bone in his wrist and would miss the rest of spring training and likely the start of the year. The Giants front office considered the case open and shut, but fans were puzzled as to the timing and nature of his injury. Apparently Jeff had been washing his truck and slipped off the over-sized bumper while using his hand to break the fall – hardly an unusual occurence.

Only later it was discovered that eyewitnesses had spotted him performing motorcycle stunts and “wheelies” with a group of buddies along the highway, and that his excuse was simply a sad-sack attempt at avoiding any violation of his professional contract. Although he would miss only four games and ended up having one of the best years of his career hitting behind Barry Bonds, Kent is still remembered to this day for his vehicular shenanigans and dubious claims.

Next: Blue Jays AL East recap and deadline outlooks

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