R.I.P. Mike Martin
FSU’s legendary baseball coach passed away today at the age of seventy-nine.
YouTube | @Florida Stste Seminoles
Today, the Florida State family got some very sad news. Mike Martin, or more affectionately known as 11, passed away just days before his 80th birthday. Coach Martin’s passing comes after a three year battle with Lewy body dementia. There are two figures synonymous with Florida State. The first one is Coach Bowden, and Mike Martin is right behind him. One cannot simply tell the story of college baseball without including 11.
Mike Martin was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 12th, 1944 and success in baseball didn’t take long to come. 11 began his collegiate career at Wingate Junior College, where he earned all-American honors. He soon transferred to Florida State University to finish out his collegiate career. Martin played centerfield during his two years at Florida State, and helped lead Florida State to the 1965 College World Series. He soon embarked on a professional career, playing in the organizations of the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets for three seasons. Coach Martin then decided to return to Tallahassee to begin a coaching career.
Ironically, Coach Martin’s career did not begin in coaching baseball. His start as a collegiate coach began as a basketball coach for Tallahassee Community College from 1970-1971. Coach Martin then moved to Godby High School and coached the boy’s basketball team from 1971-1974. 11 was reunited with his alma mater in 1975 when Woody Woodward became the manager of the Florida State baseball team.
Martin served as an assistant for four seasons under Woodward and Dick Howser. Coach Howser stayed one season and was offered the managerial position for the New York Yankees. Understandably and unsurprisingly, he took that offer and Florida State named Mike Martin as the new baseball manager in 1980. As the saying goes, the rest is history.
Coach Martin’s accolades as a manager are immense. He retired in 2019 as the all-time winningest coach in the history of college baseball, a record that I believe may never be broken. Coach Martin won nineteen conference tournament championships, and won nine regular season ACC championships. He also led Florida State to seventeen appearances in the College World Series, and finished as the runner-up twice.
11 didn’t just win, his program became a factory for producing future Major League Baseball players. Buster Posey, J.D. Drew, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Deion Sanders are just four of the many names that came from Martin’s tenure. More than 70 of his former players were named All-Americans, and he produced four winners of the Golden Spikes Award which is the top individual honor in amateur baseball. 11’s professional accomplishments speak for themselves.
However, Mike Martin’s true legacy lies in what he did off the field. He was active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and was a sought-after public speaker. 11 carried himself with integrity, and was revered by both the Florida State fan base and rivals. The lives he impacted off the field will carry far more weight than any championship that can be won.
George, Jen, and I of the Renegade Report offer our deepest condolences and prayers to the family of Mike Martin Sr. His life was one that was well lived and will echo in eternity.