‘That is the place I wished to be’: How Mike Martin constructed his legacy at Florida State

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — He met his future bride once they unintentionally knocked heads on the water fountain in highschool. After apologizing, Mike Martin checked out her and thought, “That is one handsome girl!”

Three years later, Mike and Carol married, they usually set off for his or her honeymoon in his 1963 Falcon. The Falcon had 83,000 miles on it and no air-con, nevertheless it must do for this journey. They left Charlotte, North Carolina, and drove south down nation roads and some greater highways, passing via Athens after which Macon in Georgia, earlier than ultimately hitting Thomasville Highway, its moss-covered timber making it laborious for the younger couple to consider that they had arrived at their remaining vacation spot.

Tallahassee had not one of the palm timber or tropical panorama they envisioned once they left for Florida. However it hardly mattered as soon as they arrived on campus at Florida State College in June 1964. Mike had the chance to switch there to play middle area on the baseball staff, and as he and Carol appeared round, they determined they might keep.

Fifty-five years in a while a moist Mom’s Day afternoon, Mike and Carol walked across the baseball area that now bears his identify, greeting followers that turned out for his remaining dwelling recreation after a 40-year profession as Florida State’s baseball head coach. The sport capped a weekend that included a celebration for Mike during which 600 folks turned out, together with former gamers from throughout the many years, every sharing a narrative that personified how he modified their lives.

Mike Martin modified Florida State too. No person has extra profession wins than the 75-year-old in any NCAA sport (2,022). His groups have gained 40 or extra video games and made the NCAA match yearly he has been head coach. This season, nonetheless, has not come really easy. Headed into ACC match play Tuesday in Durham, North Carolina, Florida State (35-20) must make a run to maintain each streaks alive.

Maybe the Seminoles launch an extended shot bid on the School World Sequence. Maybe they fall in need of 40 wins. Irrespective of how this season ends or when, Martin has his place in school baseball historical past. Whether or not anybody can high what Martin achieved will probably be topic to debate for years to return.

“I do not even know tips on how to ponder or fathom all of it,” mentioned former Seminoles slugger J.D. Drew, the one participant in Division I historical past to hit 30 dwelling runs and steal 30 bases in a single season. “It would not make sense to me, as a result of no person does it. If you proceed to churn it out yr after yr, it is exceptional, and the one commonality is the top coach.

“His dedication to the sport and to the extent of the sport … he created this ambiance. We’re all taking a look at 2,000 wins and the way miraculous that is and, “Oh, it have to be good to be Coach Martin.’ He actually remodeled Florida State baseball into what it’s.”

Martin is Florida State baseball, a coach as synonymous together with his staff as Bobby Bowden is with Florida State soccer. Their longevity and sustained excellence, oftentimes concurrently within the 1980s and 1990s, remodeled a regional college right into a nationwide model.

Martin acknowledges the gang at his remaining regular-season dwelling recreation. Florida State Athletics

However Martin would be the first to inform you that he by no means dreamed he would coach baseball. The primary teaching dream concerned basketball. We’re speaking a couple of Carolina boy, in spite of everything. When his enjoying days ended, he began the junior school hoops program at Tallahassee Neighborhood School within the early 1970s. The varsity had no dwelling gymnasium, so the staff practiced and performed its dwelling video games at an area highschool.

He did that for a couple of years earlier than transferring on to educate highschool basketball.

Someday within the mid-1970s, a pal named Woody Woodward referred to as and mentioned he thought he may be a candidate for the Florida State baseball job.

“I mentioned, ‘I inform you what. In the event that they give you the job, I am going to go along with you,” Martin mentioned.

Two days later, Woodward obtained the job at Florida State. He referred to as Martin again and requested him to hitch his employees. Martin liked his job teaching basketball, however there was no approach he may flip down his alma mater. So, Martin grew to become an assistant baseball coach in 1975, incomes $2,000. To make ends meet, he additionally needed to train on the native center college.

When it got here time to decide on his uniform quantity, the No. 15 he wore as a participant was unavailable. Martin had final alternative, and just one uniform left match him: No. 11. Not too lengthy after that, a participant screamed throughout observe, “Hey, 11, when is batting observe!” The nickname caught, and Martin got here to be often known as 11 for his whole teaching profession.

It was not till 1980 that he took over this system, and even then, there have been some who puzzled whether or not Martin had what it took. (Florida State had employed Dick Howser in 1979, however when he left for the New York Yankees after only one season, the Seminoles wanted a fast rent.)

“We misplaced the primary couple video games that yr, and once I gave him the sport ball for his first win, he was proud but additionally very relieved to get that first one,” mentioned Craig Ramsey, a captain on Martin’s 1980 staff. “So had been we. Making the transition from assistant coach to a head coach with the identical group and staff, it was powerful, nevertheless it was nice. He is a stickler for the basics however can be an encourager and constructed confidence in you as a participant.”

Martin, proper, mentioned he nonetheless runs drills in observe much like his early years at Florida State. Florida State Athletics

Florida State made the School World Sequence that yr and gained 51 video games.

“We knew there was one thing particular after we obtained going,” mentioned Ramsey, whose son James later performed for Martin and made a School World Sequence in 2011.

Quickly, Martin widened his recruiting circles to incorporate Puerto Rico, the place a prospect named Luis Alicea lived. Alicea spoke no English and had no concept the place Florida State was, however he determined to play for the Seminoles in 1984 as a result of he appreciated their recruiting brochure.

When Alicea arrived in Tallahassee, Martin and his son, Mike, got here to select him up from the airport. They requested Alicea what he wished to eat. Alicea stared at them, unable to know a phrase they mentioned. Lastly, the youthful Martin mentioned, “Chocolate!” and Alicea nodded his head. Alicea obtained a chocolate shake.

Within the months after he arrived, Alicea studied English and the coach saved a Spanish-English dictionary helpful to assist with translations. If all else failed, Martin drew Alicea footage.

“You herald a child that does not converse English from one other nation — he made positive I had no matter I wanted to really feel comfy,” mentioned Alicea, who performed 13 seasons within the majors. “Because of that, I used to be in a position to have the profession I had in school, go on to have a profession within the majors and open the door for gamers that got here after.”

A type of gamers who got here after to Florida State was Eduardo Perez, who grew up enjoying basketball and baseball in Puerto Rico.

“We walked in and we knew that each one eyes had been on us: Wow, right here comes Florida State, it doesn’t matter what college needed to play us,” mentioned Perez, who spent 13 seasons within the majors and now could be a baseball analyst at ESPN. “And it is not as a result of we gained nationwide championships. It is due to consistency and the way in which we beat you. We may beat you with velocity. We may beat you with energy. We may beat you with protection. We may beat you on the basepaths. That consistency was at all times there. We performed the sport the best approach.

“His dedication to the sport and to the extent of the sport … he created this ambiance. … He actually remodeled Florida State baseball into what it’s.”

J.D. Drew on Mike Martin

“Our practices had been generally an hour of bunting. I had 13 or 14 bunt base hits one yr, but I may additionally hit the ball out of the ballpark, but I may additionally steal 30 bases. The consistency of tips on how to take a lead. All these little issues, they gained video games — suicide squeezes, security squeezes. We had been like a chameleon.”

Martin’s consideration to the basics, to the nuances within the recreation, to the pure pleasure he obtained out of educating, wanting forward and by no means backward, allowed the coach and his groups to win yr after yr, decade after decade.

Martin mentioned he runs a lot of his drills the identical approach he did in 1980, a testomony to his reliance on staying with the three fundamentals he emphasizes to his gamers within the dugout earlier than every recreation:

“Pitching. Protection. Baserunning.”

Because the wins piled up, Martin drew curiosity from different baseball applications. The varsity that was probably the most intrigued was Georgia within the early 2000s.

“I occurred to be in the home when [athletic director] Vince Dooley referred to as,” mentioned Mike Martin Jr., who has labored alongside his dad as an assistant for 22 seasons. “I finished in my tracks. He did all the things he may to get him to depart.”

However the elder Martin would have none of it.

“I could not depart as a result of this was dwelling,” Martin mentioned. “And that is the place our kids had been born and raised. That is the place I wished to be.”

But Martin virtually retired earlier than attending to 2,000 wins. Martin at all times wished to depart on his personal phrases, and he deliberate to retire following the 2018 season. However a shocking late-season surge obtained Florida State a top-Eight seed within the NCAA match. Then-athletic director Stan Wilcox referred to as Martin into his workplace and mentioned, “Mike, 2,000’s not a nasty quantity.”

Martin had no concept what to say. Wilcox checked out him, ready for a solution.

“You actually need me to go one other yr?” Martin requested.

“Like I mentioned, 2,000’s not a nasty quantity,” Wilcox replied.

Martin went dwelling to speak it over with Carol. He determined to educate yet another season. He instructed the staff final June that this may be his remaining season.

“In his trend, it was very low-key, and it was very fast,” mentioned present Seminoles third baseman Drew Mendoza. “Instantly, he turned to saying, ‘It is all about us, and we have a very good staff; let’s make a run for it. After which it was again to enterprise.”

Martin has wished to maintain the eye off himself and the distractions to a minimal, nevertheless it has been not possible. At one level this season, Florida State was an uncharacteristic 21-13.

Earlier than turning to teaching, Martin was an outfielder at Florida State. Florida State Athletics

“It has been powerful,” mentioned the youthful Martin. “School children have sufficient of their noggins. We had been in a demise spiral for some time. It was as unhealthy as I might ever seen it, however he walked in sooner or later and mentioned to the teaching employees, ‘I am going to hearth you if one individual on this room tries to do something with the temperament or mindset of this staff. I’ve obtained this.’ And we pulled out of it. Thank goodness we did, as a result of it was unhealthy.”

Gamers mentioned they weren’t urgent, however it’s laborious not to wonder if all of them really feel a rare quantity of stress to get the coach the one victory that has eluded him most. Although Martin has made 16 School World Sequence appearances and has these 2,000 victories, he has by no means gained a nationwide championship.

“I believe it bothers all of us,” Perez mentioned.

“It does,” mentioned Drew, who performed within the majors 14 seasons and gained a World Sequence with the Boston Crimson Sox in 2007. “I made two runs at it. … School baseball, it is such a troublesome factor, and you have to be sizzling on the proper time and pull the best strings on the proper time. And for no matter cause, you are a bunch of 18-year-olds, 19-, 20-year-olds attempting to win a nationwide championship. It is a very troublesome activity at hand for a bunch of children which might be studying to play the sport the best approach.”

No person will ever catch Martin complaining in regards to the unhealthy luck that has appeared to harm his groups probably the most in Omaha, Nebraska, dwelling of the School World Sequence. Martin desperately needs to win a nationwide championship, however listening to from gamers similar to Ramsey, Alicea and Perez at his retirement celebration solely bolstered why he obtained into teaching within the first place.

As Alicea instructed the gang that day, “Have a look at all these trophies that you simply constructed. You’ll be able to’t take the plastic factor with you, however you may take the reminiscences of all these guys you have helped. That to me is extra essential than anything in life.”

Martin mirrored on his storied profession and what’s most essential.

“If I ever mentioned [I had bad luck] to myself, there may be a number of voices saying, ‘You’ve gotten a pleasant home. You’ve gotten probably the most unbelievable spouse a person may ask for. You’ve gotten three wholesome youngsters. You’ve gotten absolutely anything a person wants, and also you’re griping about by no means profitable a nationwide championship?'” Martin mentioned.

“How in regards to the variety of younger males that got here as much as me at that celebration and hugged my neck and mentioned, ‘I like you, 11?’ That is much more essential. That is what I get out of teaching. Do I wish to win it? Dadgum proper. I would not work so dadgum laborious. However I am not going to say woe is me.”

Mike and Carol Martin on the Seminoles’ remaining dwelling recreation of the common season, on Moms’ Day. Florida State Athletics

The day after the retirement festivities, Martin ready for his remaining dwelling recreation, his No. 11 gold uniform hanging crisply in his locker an hour earlier than first pitch. He smiled his trademark huge smile as he sipped espresso, wanting again at how his love for baseball took maintain in an deserted lot off Freeway 74 close to his home in Charlotte. His daddy by no means wished him to play baseball, however that simply made Martin wish to play much more.

“I simply grew very, very enamored with the sport of baseball and what it creates,” Martin mentioned.

When it got here time to stroll to dwelling plate to greet the umpire and Richmond head coach Tracy Woodson earlier than the sport, Martin approached the way in which he at all times does. All of it appeared so routine, till Woodson produced a baseball and requested Martin to signal it.

Martin remained at dwelling plate for a short ceremony, throughout which the general public deal with announcer learn off his many accomplishments to the adoring crowd. The coach tipped his cap, and his gamers joined him at dwelling plate, clapping alongside too.

Florida State accomplished the much-needed collection sweep, and Mike emerged afterward with Carol.

You would say, in a approach, the honeymoon by no means ended.