'A tremendous honor' ... Buster Posey grateful to have Florida State jersey retired
Buster Posey felt like a Seminole long before he ever wore the garnet and gold for Florida State.
As a young baseball player in south Georgia, Posey would make the two-hour trip to Dick Howser Stadium to watch J.D. Drew crush homers over the short porch in right field.
At the time, Drew, another south Georgia native, was arguably the best player in college baseball. But it was head coach Mike Martin who really captured the young Posey’s attention.
He loved Martin’s fiery demeanor and competitive spirit. He appreciated the spirited way Martin’s teams played. And he was taken by the fans and atmosphere of Dick Howser Stadium.
“When I got to come to some games in high school, I was hooked,” Posey said. “I was hooked by the atmosphere. The intensity of the way that ‘11’ (Martin) coached. And was not let down by that when I got here.”
Posey, of course, went on to his own record-setting career with the Seminoles. And like Drew, he was named the Player of the Year in college baseball. In his final season, 2008, Posey he hit .463 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs.
On Saturday afternoon, Florida State made sure Posey’s name will be remembered right alongside those of Martin and Drew by retiring his No. 8 jersey before the Seminoles took on Pitt at Howser Stadium.
There are now four retired Florida State baseball numbers: Martin’s 11, Drew’s 39, Howser’s 34 and Posey’s 8.
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“It’s a tremendous honor,” Posey said. “It’s hard to put into words. … If you would have told me as a 16-, 17-year-old that one day I’d have my jersey up there on the wall, I would have laughed at you.”
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During a 10-minute session with the media before he was honored, and then again during the ceremony, Posey reflected on the many things he learned from his legendary head coach.
He said it was Martin who taught him the importance of mental toughness and inspired him to work harder than he even thought was possible. He also proclaimed that Martin is, “the greatest college baseball coach of all time.”
Martin, who was seated on the field with Posey’s family and current Seminoles head coach Link Jarrett, received a loud cheer from a capacity crowd that filled Howser Stadium a full 30 minutes before the game.
It was a surreal moment for the man of the hour.
“I know the field is named after him, but I think so highly of 11 that it almost doesn’t feel right, to me, for my jersey to be up there next to his,” Posey said. “Like I feel like his should stand alone.”
Earlier Story: Seminoles thrilled to honor Florida State great Buster Posey before today’s game
Posey speaks with reporters before the ceremony
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