"One of the more pleasant, under-the-radar developments with the Yankees this spring has been Russell Martin's gradual easing in as the No. 1 catcher. But it's more than just demonstrating his skill at handling the pitchers that has been most satisfying to the Yankee brass, it's a sense of relief that Martin apparently won't be this year's version of Nick Johnson. In regard to the latter, there were skeptics aplenty when camp opened and Martin, coming off major hip fracture and knee surgery that prompted the Dodgers to non-tender him, was on a restricted work load. As recently as two weeks ago, when the Yankees opened the Grapefruit League season, Martin had not participated in the full range of catching drills and was still experiencing some soreness in the knee. What prompted the apprehension was GM Brian Cashman's proclamation upon signing Martin to a one-year $4 million contract last Dec. 16 that the catcher "would be back to normal in a month." Well, it's actually 2-1/2 months later, but the good news is that Martin is just about back to normal." Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...reassuring_behind_the_plate_as_long_as_h.html
