By John Klima

Olympic Stadium of Montreal was an antique by the time Russell Martin found his way to his first Major League games. The concrete dungeon of the National League could be cold and dank, but for Martin, ambiance meant nothing next to his ambition.

Martin would make it to games when he could, and in the days when the crowds were sparse, he would watch closely, try to imagine himself playing at that level, and see what he could learn by watching older players. Occasionally – and Martin’s memory is firm on this fact – he would watch Mike Lieberthal when the Philadelphia Phillies came to Quebec.

Now, a few years later, Martin is sitting one locker stall away from the 35-year-old Lieberthal. The 24-year-old Martin has a secret he doesn’t want to tell the veteran catcher. It’s kept out of respect and, just maybe, because there’s a piece of Martin that likes to remain connected to the inner-kid sneaking away to the ballpark.

“I don’t tell him that,” Martin said with a smile. “I don’t want to make Mike feel old or anything, but I’m positive I’ve seen him play when the Phillies used to come through Olympic Stadium.”

The chances are that Martin saw Lieberthal swing the bat well. Lieberthal hit his second career home run in Montreal in 1996. He hit more home runs (eight) in Olympic Stadium than he has hit in any other park except for Turner Field in Atlanta. Lieberthal was a career .315 hitter in Montreal and tied a career-high with six RBIs in a 1999 game in which he hit two home runs. He also had the last four-hit game of his career in 2003 and had a pair of three-hit games there.

The fan is now a man and the star is now a supporting player, but the role reversal time has evoked has benefits for both catchers, and leaves the Dodgers very sound behind the plate. There’s little question that Martin saw Lieberthal at his two-time All-Star prime, and now, the Quebec native is the beneficiary of the experience Lieberthal has to offer him. Once more Martin is continuing to learn the game by watching an older player.

“I can draw quite a bit from him,” Martin said. “We talk a little bit about everything. He’s there if I have an at-bat where I look like I was scuffling, or if my set-up is different on certain pitches. Anything that he sees, he let’s me know. It’s always nice to have a veteran guy who has so much experience that he can tell you those things. I really get along with him. He has a good way about him when he explains the game.”

Lieberthal enjoys that aspect of the game, though he believes Martin is capable of guiding himself through the process of learning at the Major League level.

“I don’t feel like I need to add too much to his game,” Lieberthal said. “He’s pretty impressive behind the plate. He’s fine defensively and he’s always going to be able to hit, so hopefully he’ll be here for the next ten years. For me, it’s just a matter of helping him where he needs it. He’s only been around for two years, but it seems like he’s been around a lot longer.”

Lieberthal has probably been around longer than it seems. His first season in Los Angeles is his 18th year in professional baseball and his 13th in the big leagues. Like Martin, Lieberthal was an infielder who was converted to catcher. Unlike Martin, Lieberthal had to sweat through parts of three seasons before Philadelphia finally made the former first-round draft choice their starting catcher.

During that time, Lieberthal got his fill of back-up duties, playing behind Darren Daulton and Benito Santiago. He wondered if he would ever get his chance to play every day in Philadephia, but his patience was rewarded when he won the starting job in 1997. It began a stretch in which he was the Opening Day catcher for the next ten years, a Phillies franchise record.

This time, it’s different. Lieberthal embraces his role as an insurance policy and will assist Martin’s development as needed.

“It’s a part of the cycle of the game,” Lieberthal said. “At some point, everyone’s role will change. Part of playing for a living is being able to adjust every day. You have to be able to do that. I’m happy to be home, so as long as whatever I do helps us win, helps Russ help us win, I’m fine with that.”

Lieberthal finds himself reverting to memories of his own past, including the garrulous Mark Parent, who played for seven teams and finished his career as Lieberthal’s back-up with the Phillies in 1997 and 1998.

“You kind of learn as you go,” said Lieberthal, who brought a lifetime .275 average and 150 home runs to the Dodgers. “You learn from experience. There were guys that were fun to be around. Mark Parent, he was one of my favorite back-ups. He was very funny and helpful. I liked him a lot.”

Martin appreciates the camaraderie and respects Lieberthal for pulling for him rather than trying to push him out of a starting job.

“It takes away some of the pressure,” Martin said. “It’s helpful and it’s also nice to know he’s the backup and he’s here to help me. It definitely helps. I’d rather have a guy that’s there pushing for me than a guy who’s trying to fight for the job with me.”

The end result is that Martin has the space to continue to grow. He established himself by hitting .282 with 10 home runs and 65 RBIs after the Dodgers recalled him from Triple-A Las Vegas on May 5 last year. Martin responded by adeptly handling a veteran pitching staff, earning the respect of Dodger starters and the trust of Manager Grady Little. He endeared himself to Dodger Stadium fans with a pair of memorable home runs.

His home run in the bottom of the 10th inning on August 13 against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium gave the Dodgers a 1-0 victory in a memorable pitching duel between Greg Maddux and Jason Schmidt. On September 18, he tagged Padres relief ace Trevor Hoffman for the third of four consecutive home runs in what became an 11-10 Dodger victory.

Martin’s penchant for memorable clutch hitting continued into this season when he hit a 10th inning walk-off grand slam against the Pirates on April 21. His jubilant dash around the bases was completed when he tossed his batting helmet into the air in celebration and joined his teammates for a group hug as he crossed the plate.

It’s not hard to see that Martin remains connected to the inner-kid who saw Lieberthal play in Olympic Stadium.

“I think everything sank in at the end of last year,” Martin said. “During the season, you play every day and you don’t really have time to think. You just go out and play. But at the end of the year when it was all said and done, I sat back and thought for a second that I just played in the Major Leagues. It was a tremendous feeling. Now I have to just stay focused and keep pushing ahead.”

Lieberthal believes Martin is just starting to become the kind of hitter and catcher he can become. He’s probably got the best view of that development. Lieberthal was a shortstop and Martin was a third baseman before both turned to catching. Both players used infield skills and instincts to become standout catchers.

“Usually the better catchers are ex-infielders,” Lieberthal said. “Those guys develop the soft hands and the quick feet and can make that transition to catching. I think Russ has those skills. He knows how to make plays on the run. I think that the skills that he learned as an infielder have contributed to his success behind the plate.”

Dodgers manager Grady Little believes Martin possesses a rare ability among modern catchers, the philosophy that defense and handling a pitching staff is as valuable a contribution as is putting up offensive numbers. It’s an attitude that Little loves because he believes it leads to victories.

“One of the biggest assets that Russell Martin has is that he never lets his offense affect his defense,” Little said. “He goes out and does his job behind the plate. I think he’s an all-around good player. When he’s got his equipment off, he’s offensive-minded. When he’s got his equipment on, he’s defensive minded.”

Martin’s enthusiasm has also made him a fan favorite. He didn’t have to wait long for his chance, but he maximized it when it arrived. The energy he helps create in Dodger Stadium is far removed from the cold caverns of an empty Olympic Stadium.

“It feels great. It happened fast, too,” Martin said. “I go out and play and have fun and give a good effort and I think the fans see that. The fans have been great to me. I always feel love from them. I always feel strength from them and I use their energy in certain situations. It’s just been a blast. I hope I can stay here forever.”

Told that Lieberthal predicted another ten years, Martin seemed as pleased as the times he saw his back-up play years ago.

“That’s good,” Martin said. “I’ll take 10. That would be fun.”