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Lucky 13?

For FSU Baseball, 13 Could Be The Lucky Number

Tribune photo by COLIN HACKLEY

Florida State Coach Mike Martin shouts to his family "we're flying to Omaha" after the Seminoles defeated Wichita State 11-4 to advance to the College World Series.

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By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 13, 2008

Updated: 06/13/2008 12:11 am

For Mike Martin, Florida State University's venerable baseball coach, the numbers seem overwhelming.

Seasons - 29.

Career victories - 1,538.

Trips to the College World Series - 13.

National championships - Zero.

Zero!

"Twenty-nine years ago, winning this thing for me was a macho, egotistical desire," said Martin, whose Seminoles (54-12) face Stanford (39-22-2) in Saturday's CWS opener at Omaha, Neb. "I've changed. This isn't about me. Not even close. It's about our team. I want it so much - for them."

But if FSU pulls through - allowing Martin to raise the trophy after so many years of frustration - he will undoubtedly be confronted with one word.

Validation.

A week's worth of good bounces, healthy arms and timely hits could lift Martin's career to another level.

Right?

"The line between getting there and not getting there is razor-thin," said FSU football coach Bobby Bowden, who won his first national title in 1993, after finishing No. 4 or better in the final rankings for six consecutive seasons. "I've said it before. Had Miami not been on our schedule, we probably would've had a bunch of them before then. But they were - dadgum it."

"It's made out like a big breakthrough, but I didn't become smarter," said Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who captured Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season. "We just did the little things a lot better."

The latest college coach to become "validated" was Bill Self, whose Kansas Jayhawks plowed through the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, defeating Memphis in an overtime championship game. Self's previous KU teams had never reached the Final Four (despite a combined 104-29 four-season record).

"I am a total realist about this thing," Self said. "Mario Chalmers hits a 3-point shot to put it game against Memphis into overtime, and now I'm a genius? Come on.

"There's an element of luck involved, obviously. Things had to go our way. People feel that everything is different now that we won. But did we do our jobs any differently? No. I feel great about what happened. Could it have gone the other way? Of course."

Florida men's basketball coach Billy Donovan said he felt the same way.

The Gators won back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007, becoming the first men's team to repeat since Duke (1992). It might have been easy for Donovan to feel vindication - if not validation - after his previous five UF teams failed to reach the Sweet 16.

He knew better.

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world," Donovan said. "I'm 42 years old and I got to experience two of them. Are you kidding?

"Sure, there's establishing a mind-set, a structure. There are ways to prepare your team and motivate the players. But it's not like any of us are X'ing and O'ing our way to a national championship. You'd like to think the longer you're at it, odds are your program will get one."

Or not.

Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, widely regarded as the best all-time in her sport, played in seven Final Fours (and four final games) before the Lady Vols broke through in 1987.

"Now players come to Tennessee with the expectation of winning a national championship," said Summitt, whose program just captured its eighth NCAA title. "But there was a time when we had critics, when we were called the bridesmaid, never the bride. Couldn't win the big one. Couldn't get it done. We heard it all."

So has Mike Martin.

Martin's Seminoles have twice been the runner-up (1986 and 1999, when they lost 6-5 to Miami in the final game). Three times, they have gone two-and-out.

Now the Seminoles can - again - do something about it.

When FSU defeated Wichita State in the Super Regional round, earning the program's first trip to Omaha since 2000, Martin appeared uncommonly emotional about the victory.

"I think it's starting to set in that I'm 64 years old - I may not act it, but I certainly look it," Martin said. "I realize I'm at the back end of this thing now. How many more chances will I get at it?

"I hear that word - validation. All I can think of are coaches who won national titles, then two or three years later, they were replaced. Did that validate their careers? We hold our head high about what the program has accomplished. But in no way does that minimize the importance of winning this championship. We want it. We want it bad."

Reporter Joey Johnston can be reached at (813) 259-7353 or jjohnston@tampatrib.com.

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