It was a day years in the making for honoring the Florida State legacy of Buster Posey.
The former FSU baseball star and three-time World Series Champion with the San Francisco Giants made a rare appearance back at his alma mater Saturday. He got to witness, along with his wife, Kristen, and four children, as his No. 8 became the fourth FSU jersey retired in the outfield at Dick Howser Stadium.
And he got to do it with his FSU head coach, Mike Martin Sr., who retired after the 2019 season, in attendance to honor him.
“It’s a tremendous honor. It’s hard to put it into words…” Posey said. “If you would have told me as a 16-, 17-year old that one day I would have my jersey up there on the wall, I would have laughed at you.
“I’ll say this too. I know the field is named after him, but I think so highly of 11 that it almost doesn’t feel right for my jersey to be there next to his. I feel like his should stand alone.”
By all accounts, that may be the perfect summation of Posey. He’s one of the best players in FSU baseball – and possibly even college baseball – history. His final season at FSU in 2008, he hit .463 with 26 home runs and 93 runs batted in, winning the college baseball Triple Crown and the Golden Spikes Trophy.
As a pro, he won three World Series rings, two NL Comeback Player of the Year awards and was a seven-time All Star in 12 years with the Giants before retiring in November of 2021.
And yet, on a day built to honor him, he was pushing the praise elsewhere.
“There are people that have probably had similar careers, but I don’t know that there are people that have carried themselves the way he carried himself here and clearly beyond,” FSU head coach Link Jarrett said. “He’s down to earth and we’re very appreciative that he would spend this time coming back to allow us to have a day for him…
“His being down to earth and humble, just like he was when he was here, is what stands out to me as much as any of the accolades. He’s a world-class guy.”
Posey arrived at FSU as a highly-touted shortstop out of Leesburg, Ga. in 2006. He played there his first season before moving to the catcher spot ahead of the 2007 season when FSU brought in Mark Hallberg, who would go on to be Posey’s third-base coach in San Francisco, as a transfer shortstop.
That wound up being a perfect move for Posey, who took to the position change exceptionally well, going fifth overall in…