Buster Posey/Florida State

Quick question for the TBR baseballers:

Is it considered disrespectful and/or poor baseball etiquette to allow FSU catcher, Buster Posey, to play all 9 positions in a 10-0, 7 inning win over a much lessor opponent? Or, is it deemed an acceptable tribute to a great player on his way to the pro's?

Have any of the coaches on TBR ever done that before with their own players/teams? Just curious.....
DDD

 

No disrespect.......

Listening to previous games, I believe they made reference to it before and I would guess that the opponent was informed of it beforehand and if so, I don't think they did it to show anyone up or disrespect an opponent, but rather to pay tribute a player that gave up being a shortstop to become arguably the best catcher in college baseball, and added to that becoming the closer for one of the nations top teams. A true team player that did what the team needed to make them better, probably won't be around as a senior to be honored, so he was honored in this way.

 

Makes sense...

You explain it very well....guess I wish they would have explained it better in the paper. When I read the article, it seemed arrogant. When you explain the situation, it seems like a nice tribute to a class player.

Interesting to have two very different views on the same subject, merely based upon how it was explained. Thanks!
DDD

 

I don't think people would consider it arrogant if Martin would have pulled the same stunt against UNC, Miami, or higher caliber team than Savannah State. I can see where it comes across as a spectacle. If you want to pay tribute to Posey, retire his number. He is a tremendous talent.

 

It's a little surprizing to see this thread here, as there's a perfectly good message board called "The Next Level" to accomodate college and professional posts.

Be that as it may, I think it depends upon whether FSU coach Mike Martin discussed it with Savannah State's coach before doing it. If Savannah State's coach was all right with it, I suppose it was okay. In the absence of that conversation, regardless of how tremendous a player Posey is (and, he is), I think it would have been disrespectful.

A broader question would be why FSU scheduled a 4-game series late in the season with a team that came in with the 285th RPI in Division I baseball. Despite the fact that FSU shellacked Savannah State in all 4 games, it actually lowered FSU's RPI a couple of weeks before the NCAA tournament selection committee meets.

 

just to clarify -- it wasn't buster's idea to play all nine positions. it was mike martin jr.'s -- he was the last FSU player to do it (14 years ago). he approached buster about the idea last week.

“I didn’t have a whole lot of time to think about it,” Posey said of the chance to play all nine positions. “It’ll be something that I’ll be able to look back on down the road and remember.”

Savannah State interim coach Emanuel Wheeler had no problem with any of it.

"It's baseball," Wheeler said. "If the kid has the ability to play all the positions, why not? If you can do it effectively, which he did. I wish him the best.

"I'm just happy my guy got him out one time."

He's a great college player. He was a star pitcher in high school, yet made freshman all-american at FSU as a shortstop. He converted to catcher the next season and became an all-american at that position. He's also one of the closers on the team, coming in from catching to throw in the high 90s at the end of the game. He's an all-acc academic performer, too, with a 3.9 GP in finance last semester.

Here's his stats from this season:

.469/16 HRs/66 RBIs/20 2B's/.851 Slug./.571 OB%/Only 17 K's in 194 AB's

he leads the ACC in batting average, homers and RBIs.


Here's his bio off the FSU site:

2008: A Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List candidate...Collegiate Baseball first team, preseason All-American and NCBWA third team, preseason All-American.

2007: All-ACC first team in 2007...first team All-American by Collegiate Baseball...a finalist for the 2007 Coleman Company - Johnny Bench Award becoming the first sophomore student-athlete to be named a finalist for the Bench Award...finished the season ranked fifth in the ACC in hitting (.382), second with 21 doubles, third in hits (94) and RBIs (65) and fourth in runs scored with 66...made the transition from a shortstop to a catcher as a sophomore...started behind the plate in all 62 games this season....named ACC Player of the Week for his performance against Virginia Tech and Jacksonville where he hit .412 with six runs, four doubles, two RBIs and was perfect from behind the plate in 29 opportunities...named to the NCAA Tallahassee All-Region team after leading led all starters with a .500 batting average in four games...hit his first career grand slam in the second game against Miami en route to driving in a career-high seven RBIs...registered a hit in 51 of 62 games, while recording multi-hits in 32 games...had a streak of at least one RBI in nine straight games (2/4 - 2/23)...his seven RBIs against Miami in the second game of the series was a team high in 2007...had four RBIs against Wake Forest in game one of the ACC Tournament...tied for second on the team with four 3-RBI games...posted a career-best 15-game hitting streak this season (2/4 - 3/4)...led the team in RBIs with 66 surpassing last seasons RBI total of 48 as a freshman...successfully advanced runners 101 times out of 171 opportunities at the plate, good for second on the team...had a streak of 37 straight games without committing an error come to an end in game one vs. Miami (2/16 - 4/22) - committed just three errors all season in 478 chances...finished the season on an 18-game errorless streak...led the league with the fewest number of stole base attempted as the opposition attempted 44 all season long...posted a team-high six pickoffs on the year...threw out 40.9% of base stealers on the season...made one appearance on the mound pitching a scoreless inning in relief against UNC Asheville.

2006: Started all 65 games for the Seminoles and was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American at shortstop...named to the All-ACC Tournament team and was selected to the SEBaseball All-ACC second team...led all Louisville Slugger freshman All-American shortstops in hits...the only freshman All-American shortstop with 20 or more extra base hits and an average above .300...finished the season ranked among FSU's offensive leaders in eight categories...second on the team with a .346 batting average and 85 hits...his 85 hits were the most by an FSU freshman since Matt Diaz in 1998...recorded 20 extra base hits and was only held without a hit in back-to-back games twice all year...Posey recorded a hit in 52 of FSU's 65 games and of those 52 games with a hit, 27 were multi-hit games...second to only Shane Robinson in multi-hit games...third on the team with 13 multi-RBI games, 58 runs scored, 48 RBIs and 38 walks...surpassed the hit total for FSU's starting shortstops from 72 games in 2005 in just the first 44 games of the season...the freshman scored 10 more runs, had 26 more hits, eight more doubles, two more triples, 14 more RBIs, 32 more total bases, 14 more walks, 17 fewer strikeouts, five more steals and 11 fewer errors than FSU's 2005 starting shortstops combined...12 game hitting streak was the fourth-longest by an FSU player in 2006...led FSU with a .371 average versus left-handed pitching...hit .368 with runners on base, tops on the team...recorded 14 two-out RBIs...recorded at least one hit in 20 of the season's last 25 games...tied for third on the team with nine steals and the only player with more than three steals who was not thrown out all season...started all 29 conference games...hit .324 and slugged .429 in his first ACC season...posted a .415 on base percentage, which was the third-highest on the squad...third in doubles and home runs as well...hit three of his four homers versus ACC teams...reached base safely 50% of the time he led off an inning...hit over .300 with runners on and with runners in scoring position...finished the year with hits in five straight ACC games and had a hit in nine of the final 10 conference contests.

HIGH SCHOOL: One of two AFLAC All-Americans to join the Seminoles...World Wood Bat Association top 15 prospect...named the nation's 18th-best prospect by Prospects Plus...Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year...Louisville Slugger State Player of the Year...EA Sports All-American...Baseball America second team All-American...2004 1-AAAAA Player of the Year in Georgia...drafted by the California Angles in the 50th round of the 2005 draft...selected to attend the 2003 Georgia Dugout Club Showcase and the 2003 Perfect Game/Baseball America World Wood Bat Association Fall Championship...member of the 2003 Perfect Game All-Tournament team...named to the All-Tournament team at the Sunbelt Classic as Team Georgia won the title...2003 second team 1-AAAA All-Region shortstop...2003 Lee County Trojan baseball team MVP...in 104 at-bats as a senior, hit .462 with 40 RBIs, 48 runs scored, just five strikeouts and a school record 14 homeruns...on the mound in 2005, went 12-0 in 13 starts with 108 strikeouts and a 1.06 ERA...had a monster junior season setting the record for the highest batting average of all-time (.544) and the record for RBIs with 46...hit seven homers, nine doubles and three triples...his 56 hits were a school record and in 103 at-bats, he struck out just nine times...also scored 23 runs...went 10-1 on the hill with a 1.53 ERA...had a 4 to 1 ratio of strikeouts to walks and is fourth all-time with 102 strikeouts...allowed just 14 earned runs in 64 innings of work...has 106 career RBIs to go along with 24 homers and 105 runs scored in his high school career...23-4 all-time on the mound...clinched the Region 1-AAAAA championship with a grand slam...accumulated a 3.938 GPA and was ranked fourth in his class of 302 students at Lee County High School.

TEAM USA: Played in Taiwan as a member of the 2004 USA Junior Olympic team...the only pitcher on the USA Junior Olympic team to start two games on the hill at the 2004 IBAF World Championships...pitched more innings than any other hurler on the Olympic team and posted a 1.23 ERA with seven strikeouts...recorded a hit, drove in a run, recorded a run and drew a walk versus Korea in the championship game...picked up a win on the hill versus Cuba in an international exhibition game...went 3-for-4 with two triples, three runs scored and three RBIs in an exhibition game versus the Missouri All-Stars with the USA Junior Olympic team...went 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBIs in another exhibition game this time versus the Kansas All-Stars...at the USA Tournament of stars, had five hits in five games and allowed just one hit in three scoreless innings on the mound.

PERSONAL: Son of Demp and Tracy Posey...oldest of four children (Jack - 18, Samantha - 16 and Jess - 13)...dad played one year of college basketball...brother Jack plays baseball at Florida State...All-ACC Academic Team (2006 & 2007)...two-time member ACC Academic Honor Roll (2005-06, 2006-07)...President's List Spring 2007 (4.0 GPA)...Dean's List (Fall 2005, Fall 2007)...major is finance...born on March 27, 1987.

 

Posey is quite a talent. Was privileged to see him play earlier this year when son’s team went to FSU to play them in a two game set. He had two very good games and you could tell he was a real talent. Their fans, several thousand for two weekday games, were very appreciative of him – and the team. They really support their baseball down there and have truly amazing baseball facilities for a college program. With all the offensive punch those guys have in their lineup, it is hard to see how they ever lose.

Mike Martin also seemed to be a pretty decent guy. Before the game he came over and asked if anyone was from the Charlotte area. My son said he was so Coach Martin sat there and talked to him for some time about being from the Charlotte, NC area and how much he had enjoyed growing up and playing ball there. I believe he played at Garinger.

 

hey! you should have looked me up when you were here!

 

Good analysis above. Newberry College did this against Belmont Abbey in their last non-conference home game 2 weeks ago. The kid had a big day too.

As a fan, I felt no disrespect & found it to be fun to watch. There wasn't a bunch of hoopla made about it other than keeping track of it on the video scoreboard.