There are certain single-game delicacies in baseball that every player dreams of accomplishing — all to make the little boy in them proud.
Throwing a no-hitter or getting a walk-off hit are the first ones that come to mind, but there are other triumphs that reach the upper echelon, once-in-a-blue-moon category.
Buster Posey was a player who did that, . In arguably the best single season by an FSU player, Posey, who’s currently the President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants, accomplished the rare feat in the final contest of a four-game series against Savannah State.
Posey mowed through the nine positions in just seven innings with FSU run-ruling the Tigers, 10-0, and went 1 for 3 with a grand slam at the plate. He became the fourth player to play all nine spots under late coach Mike Martin, joining Mark Barineau (1983), Jose Marzan (1987) and Mike Martin, Jr. (1994).
Here's how he did it:
Posey's road to nine
- 1st inning: Started behind the plate at catcher
- 2nd inning: Took over at first base
- 3rd inning: Moved over to second base
- 4th inning: Shifted to shortstop
- 5th inning: Slid over to third base
- 6th inning: Left field for two outs, went to center for the final out
- 7th inning: Pitched and collected two outs, moved to right field for the final out
Chip Baker, who retired in 2023 after 39 years with the program, said Posey playing all nine positions was the game plan all along.
“(Buster) knew what he could do and he was very confident at what he did,” Baker told . “Florida State didn’t go to the World Series for about six, seven years and finally Buster got them back.”
Baker was an FSU baseball icon — one would think his middle name was "Seminole." He spent 18 years as an assistant coach at Florida State, partially as the third base coach, and 21 seasons as the Director of Baseball Operations. He was a well-known catching instructor, coaching several All-American catchers.
Even though Posey came to FSU as a shortstop and played the position his freshman year in 2006, Baker could tell he’d be a catcher if he made it to the big leagues. Posey eventually transitioned to behind the plate that fall before adding another position to his arsenal later on in his collegiate career.
“Buster obviously had caught here, he played shortstop here and he was our closer,” Baker said. “We used him on occasion — he had six saves (in 2008).
. really 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟 ⚾️
— FSU Seminoles (@Seminoles)
A true legend 🧢
On that historic day where Posey played all nine positions, the Seminoles accommodated by having whichever position Posey went to, that player would go to left field for that inning.
Surprisingly, that wasn’t the most interesting part of the early innings. With bases loaded in the second inning, Posey broke the game open with a grand slam to right field to give Florida State a 6-0 lead. It was his 16th homer of the season and third career grand slam.
“As a shortstop, he hit four home runs as a freshman. Sophomore year as a catcher, he hit three home runs,” Baker said. “He went to the Cape Cod League (before his junior year)...came back and he was the man that fall.”
The Leesburg, Georgia native told reporters after the game that first base was the weirdest position for him to play because he had never played there before. He also used four different gloves.
The Seminoles built a 9-0 lead by the sixth, causing Posey to change positions during innings. He played left and center field in the sixth — his first collegiate appearance in the outfield — and pitched and scooted over to right field in the seventh. He played left and right field in the Cape Cod League the previous summer.
He was lights out on the bump, striking out the two batters he faced. It was his seventh straight appearance that season without allowing a run, as he finished the 2008 campaign with a 1.19 ERA over nine appearances and 10 strikeouts.
“He might’ve gone down (to the bullpen) between innings and gotten loose for pitching,” Baker said. “He came out several times and had to take the catcher’s gear off on the mound.”
Buster Posey
— Scouting_Baseball (@scoutingbasebl)
HS/Col
Drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 50th round of the 2005 MLB June Amateur Draft from Lee County HS (Leesburg, GA) and the San Francisco Giants in the 1st round (5th) of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft from Florida State University.
The accomplishment was just a preview of the catcher’s heavily decorated season, winning every award he was eligible for. No FSU player has played all nine positions in one game since Posey. Texas softball Mia Scott was the most recent college athlete to do it, on May 3, 2025.
A part of Baker’s late-career role at Florida State included giving tours to Seminoles fans during home games. It allowed them to see the clubhouse and other intricacies of Dick Howser Stadium.
But for some reason, Baker started his tours only at the top of the second inning, never the first, no matter the circumstances. When fans asked why, he told them his rationale: Posey hit third and he didn’t want to miss the catcher’s at-bat.
“Buster Posey bats third and I know he’s going to bat in the first inning,” Baker said. “Most of the time, (fans) would miss Buster’s at-bat because they’d be at the back door waiting, and I would watch Buster’s at-bat from the dugout, and then I’d walk inside.”
Baker didn't start his tour in either the first or second inning on May 12, purposely not giving one to allow fans and himself to soak in the unforgettable moment.
