Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
Let’s hope it stays that way for the rest of Mike Martin’s tenure at Florida State.
The arch-rival Miami Hurricanes ended the Seminoles season… again. Regardless of whether the Canes can come back to win it all, there is a sense of satisfaction sending Florida State home early after a 7-5 win on Monday.
Miami’s last two-and-out in 23 College World Series appearances was in 1979, while this is the fourth “0-and-2 and a barbecue” on Martin’s resume in 13 trips to Omaha.
Florida State provided some fireworks in the ninth, rallying from a 7-2 deficit and making it 7-5, with the bases juiced and the potential winning run on first.
Carlos Gutierrez finally got that much anticipated third out, ending the rally after giving up four hits, two walks and three runs. When the ended, Miami players and coaches let out their collective sigh of relief, congratulated each other and then lined up for the traditional high-five train at home plate.
Jim Morris waited behind his team for a visit from the opposing head coach, but it never came.
While Miami and Florida State bid adieu on the field, one individual chose to sit out this portion of the game; Martin.
The sixth all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division-I college baseball history chose to watch from the dugout, instead of doing what he’s seen done in thousands of games as a head coach and player – offering congratulations to the winning bunch, or accepting if his team was victorious.
Everything anyone wants to know about Martin was summed up Monday afternoon when ESPN’s cameras panned to a 64-year old man pouting in the dugout like a six-year old girl who just had her Barbie taken away.
Martin is another fossil that’s overstayed his welcome in the college game. He sees the hands of time turning and knows each season in Omaha might be his last. He wants one title on his resume and his talented squad squandered away another chance in 2008, blowing game one to Stanford and leaving an NCAA-record 17 runners stranded on base against Miami.
Instead of blaming himself, he chose to take it out on the team who broke his heart this year and did the same in the 1999 championship game; Miami.
Morris and the Canes are such a thorn in Martin’s side, it makes him sick. Florida State is the big time state school with the big time state funding, yet the little private school in Coral Gables is the one with four rings and the real tradition.
When Miami heads north to Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium, it’s never a spirited competition. Noles fans shout obscenities and racial slurs towards the Hispanic contingent on the Canes’ squad – too ignorant to realize the majority of their own team are of Hispanic decent as well.
The Canes took the regular season series in Tallahassee this year, 2-1, despite the atmosphere. An ‘almost brawl’ that incurred when Martin’s sour bunch lost 11-10 in game three, shortened due to a travel curfew.
Like their class act coach in Omaha, the Noles stayed in the dugout on April 20th, refusing to shake hands with the Canes when the game ended prematurely, on a called third strike in the seventh. Miami started a little bit of uncalled for taunting and only then did Florida State get off their collective ass and decide to ‘meet’ at home plate.
Like a rotten fish, the Noles baseball program stinks from the head down. Martin’s true colors are coming out as he’s getting older and more bitter as each title-less year passes. Monday’s dugout performance is just one more reason to hate Florida State if you don’t already.
As for this article? Just another Cane trying to point out what the national media chooses to miss. Karl Ravich and Robin Ventura mentioned Martin staying in the dugout at game’s end, but neither put Old Man River on blast for his antics, afraid to speak out against the legendary head coach, much like college football analysts are too afraid to call b.s. on Bobby Bowden for his laid back approach to disciplining thug players.
Enjoy the flight back home Noles and enjoy the 0-and-2 BBQ Brisket Special, Miami style.