The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Brooks Kieschnick press conference
03.29.2009 | Baseball
March 29, 2009
Brooks Kieschnick
On the having his jersey number retired: It's definitely like I said, besides getting married and my two kids being born, you can't get any better than this. You come to this university, which obviously in my eyes is the best university in the world and have the privilege of playing baseball here for three years. Then who knows 16 years later, you have your number retired so you're basically immortalized at this university. When you come in as a freshman, yes, you want to do good; yes, you want to win the College World Series; yes, you want to hopefully get into the Hall of Honor. But to know that number 23 will never be worn again is just ... if you could describe it I would love to hear it because I can't.
On his reaction to knowing his number would be retired: I don't think it really hit me until today. You think about it sometimes, you think about how this is really cool. When I'm dead and gone, my name and number are still going to be sitting up there so my legacy will be left behind with my family, kids and grandkids and their grandkids.
On his best Texas baseball memory: One of the greatest games I think maybe ever played here at Disch-Falk Field, which in my eyes is when we were down 9-to-1 against Miami and came back to win that baseball game. I thought at the bottom of the ninth I hit a meaningless homerun to make it like 9-to-2 or 9-to-3, and we rallied and scored six home runs to come back to win it in the tenth inning. That was one of the main games that stick out.
On the emotions of today: During the video, I was really holding them back because this brings back so many memories. Some of my best friends are the guys that I played with at Texas. It's hard to believe I've known Coach Harmon probably 18 years. All the other guys I came in as freshmen together with, we basically have grown up together. Watching that video just brought a lot of things into perspective.
On what The University of Texas means to him: It means the world to me. This is where I grew up. This is where I basically became a man. I will always be a part of this university. Like I said at the end of my speech, I bleed orange and I always will until the day I die.
