It used to be a day years within the making for honoring the Florida Utter legacy of Buster Posey.
The broken-down FSU baseball star and three-time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants made a uncommon look abet at his alma mater Saturday. He bought to envision, along along with his wife, Kristen, and 4 teenagers, as his No. 8 changed into the fourth FSU jersey retired within the outfield at Dick Howser Stadium.
And he bought to operate it along with his FSU head coach, Mike Martin Sr., who retired after the 2019 season, in attendance to honor him.
“It be a big honor. It be onerous to build it into phrases…” Posey said. “Whenever you’re going to devour immediate me as a 16-, 17-year former that at some point I’d devour my jersey up there on the wall, I’d devour laughed at you.
“I will snort this too. I know the field is named after him, but I have faith so highly of 11 that it practically doesn’t feel real for my jersey to be there next to his. I have faith fancy his may perhaps per chance also unbiased tranquil stand by myself.”
By all accounts, that will doubtless be essentially the most attention-grabbing summation of Posey. He’s one among essentially the most easy players in FSU baseball – and per chance even faculty baseball – history. His closing season at FSU in 2008, he hit .463 with 26 house runs and 93 runs batted in, worthwhile the faculty baseball Triple Crown and the Golden Spikes Trophy.
As a reliable, he won three World Series rings, two NL Comeback Participant of the Year awards and used to be a seven-time All Star in 12 years with the Giants sooner than retiring in November of 2021.
And but, on a day constructed to honor him, he used to be pushing the praise in other locations.
“There are those which devour doubtless had the same careers, but I fabricate no longer know that there are those which devour carried themselves the kind he carried himself right here and clearly previous,” FSU head coach Link Jarrett said. “He’s down to earth and we’re very appreciative that he would use this time coming abet to enable us to devour a day for him…
“His being down to earth and humble, upright fancy he used to be when he used to be right here, is what stands out to me as great as any of the accolades. He’s a world-class man.”
Posey arrived at FSU as a highly-touted shortstop out of Leesburg, Ga. in 2006. He performed there his first season sooner than transferring to the catcher situation forward of the 2007 season when FSU brought in Label Hallberg, who would depart on to be Posey’s third-unfriendly coach in San Francisco, as a transfer shortstop.
That distress up being transfer for Posey, who took to the online page online alternate exceptionally successfully, going fifth overall within the 2008 MLB Draft and turning into one among essentially the most easy MLB catchers in latest history and a surefire Hall of Famer as soon as eligible.
Posey credits a big deal of this to Martin, who used to be essentially the most attention-grabbing reason within the abet of his selection to play faculty ball at FSU.
“I was zigzag by the atmosphere, the intensity of the kind that 11 coached and I was no longer let down by that when I purchased right here. I seen real away how great he loves the game of baseball. I very a lot benefited on yarn of of that…” Posey said of Martin. “He used to be passionate, even in 97 levels in descend notice. He used to be passionate about bettering, about instructing, about helping folks perceive the vitality of what their mind used to be and how it is going to assist them via hard times. Just a few of those lessons I took the entire formulation via my monumental league career and lessons now as a dad that I devour to instill in my devour teenagers. Rather a pair of times at the same time as you happen to set your mind someplace, your body’s gonna notice you. That is every on occasion a onerous thing to attain as a teen via experiencing loads of difficulties.”
Even in retirement, Posey is keeping himself shiny busy. He’s on the board for Dick Vitale’s V Foundation for Most cancers Analysis and besides enjoying all that comes with being a father of 4.
“Four kids are keeping us busy. I’m in fact enjoying that. I’m within the carpool lane plenty,” Posey quipped.
Posey’s return to FSU came with a annoying time desk, which included more than one interviews, catching up with a host of broken-down teammates, fans and giving his four teenagers a tour of the stadium that he called house for the length of his faculty days.
His 11-year-former son, Lee, even bought to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game, throwing it to his dad within the abet of the plate.
However Posey did set day outing of that busy time desk to take hang of up with the present FSU baseball crew. He sat down with them, talked a pair of few of his accepted memories and moments and answered their questions about baseball.
In justify to suit this in, the Seminoles skipped their pregame infield/outfield warmup reps sooner than Saturday’s game, which they won 5-3 over Pitt.
“My major message to them used to be, as cliche as it is, I operate deem your two, three, four years that you just rating to use at this college for me were a pair of of my easiest memories as a baseball participant,” Posey said. “Not most attention-grabbing upright as a baseball participant, but the time that you just use along with your teammates far from the field. They turn out to be your easiest associates.”
Jarrett added, “I’ll under no circumstances neglect it and our crew, those players will be mindful that without a raze in sight.”
Posey said he continuously tried his easiest to withhold tabs on how issues were going for the Seminoles after leaving, but admitted how significant it used to be given his annoying time desk and living thus far-off on the West Waft.
Alternatively, he continuously made time for neatly-liked take a look at-ins with Martin. And while he may perhaps per chance also unbiased no longer devour a lengthy-standing relationship with Jarrett, he’s starting to alternate that and has a big deal of admire for what he done in his coaching career sooner than taking up his alma mater.
Posey ended his contend with to the fans at Howser, fittingly, by sending his easiest must Jarrett’s effort to operate what so many FSU groups devour reach up upright wanting carrying out.
“Link, factual luck to you guys. Bring a championship abet to Tallahassee.”
