Chop Chat
Fansided

FSU baseball: Reactions and paying respects to Mike Martin's passing

ByKelvin Hunt|
2019 Florida State Baseball Season
2019 Florida State Baseball Season | Don Juan Moore/GettyImages

FSU baseball legend Mike Martin left this earth Thursday, and heaven gained one of the greatest coaches and even better human beings from this planet. It didn't come as a surprise, as the Martin family announced he had entered into Hospice care some days ago. Although Mike Martin Sr. coached his final game at FSU five years ago, he was FSU through and through and beloved by all. I never met Mike Martin, but his teams were among the elite when I was playing college baseball in the late 90s. The relationship between a player and his coach is something special, and one of the greatest acknowlegements a player can give a coach is to tell him how much having that relationship improved him as a man and as a ball player.

Since I can't say that, I think the next best thing I could say is I wish I had the opportunity to play for Mike Martin Sr. I have never heard anyone utter one negative thing about him. When I think about legacy, I think of the reverence people have for him. How other big-time college managers almsot deferred to him, and how great he was on and off the field. He was first class through and through and forgotten more about the game than most folks know. The reactions to his death on social media tells you all you need to know:

Reactions and Respect

There are a gazillion of these type responses on social media. The amount of people whose lives he touched is unbelievable. The touch that many people and they all have the same sentiment? Priceless. I think that's the most important thing to remember about Coach Martin. I could post all of the stats and accolades, but it was never about him, and he'd be the first to tell you that from the countless interviews I've seen. I'll say, job well done, and thank you for impacting the world and FSU.

Home/FSU Baseball