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 A permanent replica of Keith LeClair's #23 on the |
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April 12, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. - The following is a complete transcript from the pre-game ceremony as Western Carolina retired the number 23 of Hall of Fame player and coach Keith LeClair.
Photo Gallery from the pre-game Keith LeClair number 23 Retirement Ceremony
Opening Statement from WCU head coach Todd Raleigh
"I want to welcome everyone here for their tremendous support by everybody to come out on a Tuesday night. But, everyone is here for the one reason and that is for Keith. I want to say thanks to you, Lynn, Mr. and Mrs. LeClair, Mr. and Mrs. Winchester and Keith, you too. I know it was a tremendous sacrifice for you to come here tonight. This night is for you.
"I just want to say a couple of things. I can over-do it sometimes, but tonight is a celebration and I will do my best. Just a few things about Keith as a player. He is just one of the greatest players I have ever played with. He a just a complete player. He could run the bases, hit, hit for power; just a consummate team player. He won four championships while he played here and the last time I checked that is a record, one that will probably never be broken. He continued that as a coach. It seems like I am always following behind him. I remember when I was a player, I was a freshman and every time I did something wrong, coach (Jack) Leggett would always say `you need to do things more like Keith.' He would give me the story about how Keith worked hard and what he did. Keith was a tremendous influence on me. I was a freshman and he just showed me how to play. He showed a lot of people how to do that. I can't say enough about what kind of player he was. But that is not why we are here.
"We are here because of what he did besides the playing. He was a tremendous coach, but, more importantly, a tremendous human being. He has everything that I want all my players to have. He has everything I want my son (Cal) to have. Courage. Integrity. The work ethic. The competitiveness. The ultimate team player and the ultimate team coach. What ever it took and what ever needed to be done, Keith got it done. If you cut Keith open, you cut me open and cut these guys open, we bleed purple. The facility doesn't make the program. The bats don't make the program. The uniforms don't make the program. The people make the program. I haven't been here forever, but I have been a part of this program for the last 20 years. I can't think of anyone more deserving than Keith for this honor. I think the people that know him know what I am talking about. I am just glad that we are here, Keith is here and his family and we could just bring some joy and satisfaction to Keith for this honor because he is certainly most deserving.
"I want to introduce Coach Leggett. He is certainly a part of this whole thing. What a tremendous influence he has had on Keith as a player and a friend. I think it is very appropriate tonight that we do this while coach (Leggett) is here because I know how much they mean to each other. Although, I do have some good news, Keith, for you and some bad news. The good news is they (Clemson) are not pitching Kris Benson. There is a little joke. One of Keith's last years here, Kris Benson, who pitches now in the major leagues, was the national Player of the Year and Keith says he pitched against us three times that one year. He wanted to know if coach was still playing conference games. The other news is, Keith, he is going to come out here and give us one of those talks again. So one more talk for you on this field.
"As I think everybody here knows (coach Leggett was Keith's coach while at Western), I'm sure everybody other there knows too. Like I said, you are a Catamount. It is the people that make the difference and you are a part of that. I love you. We all love you and we are all behind you. This night is for you and you are so deserving. Now I want to introduce coach Leggett."
Clemson head coach Jack Leggett
"Thank you Todd. It is always with mixed emotions when you come back here because you know you will be up for a battle. But, it is a great, great situation to come back. I would like to say a couple of things.
"The first thing I would like to say is, I would like to commend the University, the athletic department, Todd and his baseball program, his coaches and players because it is not easy to make a decision to retire someone's number. There are a lot of great players in the past here. But when you do make that decision to retire someone's number, you are making a statement and that statement is simple. It's that someone who wore that number and it will be very difficult for someone else to fill those shoes and fill that uniform. In Keith's case, this is certainly the truth. Back in 1985, when I was just a young buck coaching here a couple of years, we had this young man fly in from Walpole, New Hampshire. I remember getting him at the airport and showing him around campus. He came by himself and his parents had enough trust in his maturity to be able to make a decision on where he wanted to go to school. I remember showing him around and I remember thinking to myself, `what would this young man have to offer this University and this baseball program.' We didn't have any scholarships. We just had an opportunity and that, in its self, speaks to what Keith is all about. He ended up coming to school here and his parents made a sacrifice to send him and trust him into our baseball program. But the biggest thing that happened was that we all became better people because that young man came all the way down here from Walpole, New Hampshire, to come to school. His tenacity, his integrity as Todd mentioned, his competitive spirit, his work ethic, his unselfishness, his team manner, his willingness to do whatever it took to win and his ability to be coached is unparalleled. I have had a lot players in 29 years, and I guess if you put together an All-Leggett team, he would be my captain. That says everything that you need to know about Keith LeClair.
"But far beyond what he did as a baseball player, not just as a player, not just as a captain, not just as an assistant coach here at Western, not just as head coach, he was a winning in every sense of the word. He was discipline off the field. It did what it took and was very discipline in the classroom. But, above and beyond everything, he was a tremendous example for every single person who came through this baseball program. I was very fortunate to get an opportunity to go to Clemson. I was without question, the most difficult decision I've ever had to make. But what made it easier was that I knew to program would be left in good hands. That is what made the decision easier for me to leave. When you come to a university and you come to a situation, there is one thing everybody has in mind if you have any pride at all; you want to leave the place better than when you found it. I left this place better by leaving Keith LeClair in charge. Six year later and three (regular-season) championships later, Keith had the opportunity to move on to East Carolina University and it became their great fortune to have him as a coach. But, great people are never forgotten. People who make a tremendous impression on your life are never forgotten. And, even though we learned a lot of baseball from Keith, that pales in comparison to what we have learned about ourselves and learned about life. Every single player that he has come in contact with - this (pointing out the players on hand for the ceremony) is just a small example, a pebble on the ocean and the sand, of the people he has touched. There are not that many people in a lifetime that can say they have made that much of an impression on that many people.
"I just want to tell you in front of all of you, how proud I am to have been part of Western Carolina University, this baseball program and being friends with all the people that are here and being friends especially with Keith LeClair. He is a son, he's a brother, he's a best friend and he is in my heart forever. If our team ends up in Omaha, or Western Carolina ends up in Omaha or East Carolina ends up in Omaha sometime, Keith LeClair will be there with them.
"I appreciate all of you coming out. You are honoring a tremendous person tonight and he is deserving of everything that comes his way. We all love you Keith."
A statement from Keith LeClair, read by close family friend, Chuck Young
"I wantto thank everyone who made this all possible, especially Coach Raleigh and Coach Leggett. It is hard to believe that 22 years ago I arrived at Western Carolina University. I remember riding in from the airport with my one big green Army duffle bag, all set to walk on and make the baseball team. I had only met Coach Leggett once before, but I figured a guy from Vermont would give a kid from Walpole, New Hampshire, a fair shot. Much has changed between then and now. I want everyone to know that I am very honored to be here tonight among former teammates, players, coaches, friends and family. I pray that in the year's to come, when people see this 23, they will not think of an individual, but of a team of unity. Without the support of others, none of this would have been possible. Thank you Coach Leggett for giving me the opportunity to play. Thank you Coach Setzer and Coach Leggett for giving me the opportunity to coach. And, thank you Coach Raleigh and Western Carolina University for honoring me tonight. God bless you all."
WCU head coach Todd Raleigh
"Now we have a few gifts that we wan to give Lynn, the LeClairs and the Winchesters, some memorabilia to remember tonight. These are just a small token of our appreciation for everything you guys have done. But most of all, we want to honor Keith with what I think is the ultimate honor. I think every person wants to be remembered and that is what we are doing tonight. And, Keith, you will always be remembered. I have a jersey here, number 23."
(Coach Raleigh presents Keith LeClair with a framed #23 WCU jersey and the crowd is directed to left field as a permanent replica jersey is unveiled on the "The Purple Monster." The ceremony concludes with WCU athletics department secretary Kim Jamison singing "God Bless America." Phi Mu Alpha symphonia sings "The National Anthem." The players leave the field. Keith LeClair's children, daughter Audrey and son JD, throw out the first pitch. Game begins.)
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