Grae Kessinger at Fan Fest

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Are joined by some current Astros anda guy who finished the season with the
Astros last year get some playing timein some big in a big playoff spot
as well making a huge defensive playwhen they need it at most. But
Greg Kessinger, the pride of Oxford, Mississippi, sitting down with us.
What's up? Great? What's goingon? How are you all? I
didn't even recognize you, dude?What the what the new? Do is
it different? Right? Yeah?I cut it off. Okay, Yeah,

(00:22):
it's got a little hot Okay,yeah, a lot of that right
now. Right, No, No, it's a little right now. But
when it gets warmer, that's whenyou're kind of off. There you are.
You're born in Oxford. I thinkyou went what Oxford, Oxford High
School? You go to old missI mean you're like Mississippi through and through
being here in Houston and getting Imean know this cool weather. None of

(00:44):
us are used to this. No, no, I'm not used to this
cold. However, there's some gamesin oxtionor Mississippi a swayzy field that get
pretty chilly. So uh yeah,Oxford born and raised, that's home and
uh yeah home been there forever.You got to like what the season at
Old Miss, right, I mean, you'll go beat the heck out of
Penn State in the in the bowlgame, or what eleven wins, Lane
Kiffin, he's doing a pretty goodjob there, right, Oh yeah,

(01:07):
eleven wins things the school record,first time they got eleven wins in the
football history. And then uh,it's a lot of high recruiting is going
great, and you know, beingin a ale Miss football fan, there's
been some some tough times that enjoyingevery moment of the Lane Kiffin, I'm
on the lane train. It kindof stinks you missed that il by a
couple of years. You could havebeen getting paid man in ails h.
I think it's great. Yeah,I'm all on board for that. A

(01:30):
few years are earlier would have beenCool City Grocery. And look your boy
up right here now. You know. One of the things I talked with
Alex Pregnant upstairs, and you know, just ask him what's been the key
for you guys here, And hetalked about, guys are from winning programs.
You played in the winning program,he played in the winning program.
Guys kind of having that mindset alreadycoming into the building. I mean,

(01:51):
is that something that benefited you andyou felt like coming into this clubhouse that
you knew like, hey, Iknow what winning looks like. I know
what it's supposed to look like.Kind of just you know, blend in
and go with it. Yeah.No, I think that old saying winners
win. There's a lot to that, and I think it starts with great
leadership. It's such a great groupof guys that we have. I think

(02:12):
it's a belief in yourself, abelief in your team, and and those
things that you know. I thinkcoaches and players they throw around those words
a lot, but if you trulybelieve it, and you know, you
play that way and you have themindset and you approach your daily work that
way, that that's why the bestplayers and the best teams, you know,
they all say the same things becausethat all those things are true.
Had to have a chance to talkwith you. Since the catch, the

(02:35):
one that you made there in Gamefive up in Arlington, can you just
I mean, did you black out? I don't know it? You know,
was it slow motion? Like takeus through that play of it's right
off the bat and then it's rightin my glove. Yeah, Well,
a few innings earlier, I wastold, hey, be ready, you
might get in this game, andyou know, game happens, and all
of a sudden I was in thegame. So there's a little stretch of
time where I was like, what, I'm okay, here we go,

(02:59):
you know, like, and thenonce we got out there, though,
the nerves kind of calmed down andjust became baseball and runner got on.
I guess a couple of runners goton, And then in my head,
I was like, all right,ball can't get to the outfield. Whatever
happens. If ball can't get tothe outfield, send me and hits me
a little knuckleball, and uh,yeah, I don't know what happened.
I just know that I had togo grab it. Yeah, all those
great outs in the L two ahome run, we like to think of

(03:20):
the season ended that night. Nothingelse happened after that, and we reraced
that from our memory. But youknow, obviously you get you get a
chance to get up here to thebig leaves, get a little playing time,
and get to play for a legendlike Dusty Baker, and then you
know, he walks off into thesunset and there's a manager search and I
think a lot of people were kindof pushing for Joe Aespota to get the
job. But when you find outJoe is gonna be the guy, what's

(03:42):
kind of been your relationship with withhim? And how excited were the guys
to for Joe to get a chancedown to prove what he can do.
Yeah, I want to you know, Dusty, I think, uh,
you know, he was great.He's a legend, and you know,
I appreciate everything he did for me. And then Joe, Uh, Joe's
the man, I think the oldall the players, Uh, we all
have a great relationship with him.I think he takes pride in his relationships
with this guys and he does somuch. I think, you know,

(04:05):
the last few years, you knowmaybe say behind the scenes or whatever where
he's uh, you know, he'sjust super involved and super smart baseball guy.
And I think personally for me,you know, he's he's told me,
you know, he's believed in me. You know, he's just always
supported me. And I think,uh, you know, a belief from
your coach and go a long way. And uh, I think we're all

(04:26):
super excited to you know, startuh start the season up with Joe at
the home can you just expand onthat a little bit, the relationship with
the players exactly, just is ittalks, is it texting, is it
video sessions things like that? Whatgoes into that When you're talking about having
a great relationship with Joe spottam Yeah, for me, it's it's very intentional.
You know, when he's talking toyou, he's talking to you,

(04:46):
he wants you to get better.When when you're talking defense, you're talking
situations. He's just he's just veryin tune with what's going on. And
and once like engaged, Yeah,engaged, he's very engaged, you know,
with with all of these guys andlike and he makes it never he
walks through the locker, O,and what's up Gray, what's up?
Pana? What's you know? Imean, it's very he wants you know,
he cares about you and that uh, he wants you to be the

(05:08):
best you can be talking with greatKessinger and uh, you know, it's
it's interesting when you get called upand you get a chance to come up
here to a big league club likethe Astros that's playing for a World series,
making these deep playoff runs. Isthere's a little bit of a long
hand you got, there's Payana,there's Brugman, there's those guy Altuve.
But injuries happened, and and obviously, you know, playing time opens up

(05:29):
here and there, and really youneed somebody who can be that that platoon
that can play multiple positions and allthat, and this team having a Marastio
Dubond but having you as well.Man, I mean, it just seems
like that that versatility that you havecomes into play where you can kind of
hey, I'll play this position.I'll play this position wherever you need me,
absolutely, and I want to youknow, you said Dubon Man,

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that guy, Wow, he's agreat player. It's so many different positions
and he can do so much forus. And I learned so much from
him, you know, how togo about my my daily routine, not
knowing when I'm playing, not knowingwhere I'm playing, you know, even
in the fourth, fifth, sixthinnings, not knowing if I'm getting in,
when I'm getting in and where I'mgetting you know, And so how
he had approached his day. Really, you know, he rubbed a off

(06:11):
a lot on me and taught mehow to stay prepared and how to get
my work in and just stay focused. And I think the biggest thing is
being locked into the game because youcan, you know, no matter like
you said, any at any pointanytime, I could be in there.
So it's just how to stay focusedis a big part of it. Yeah.
The baseball bags themselves have changed somuch over the years. But in
addition to the catcher, the utilityguys, the bags are always the funnest

(06:33):
to look into. How how manygloves are in there for you, how
many you are trying to bring outto the field. Yeah, I traveled.
I traveled with four of them.I had my corner, my third
base glove is a little bit biggerthan when I played short and second,
and then I had a first baseI carried a catchers met around with me
so and then I had my justin case. Yeah, and then I
had my kind of like my practiceglove that I did all my ground ball

(06:56):
work with because if I'm not mistaken, you were the third emergency catcher,
right, Yeah, you need togo to you. Yeah, I got
a little work and just kind oftried to get as comfortable as I can
back there, you know, callbetween anythings some so I got to see
all of our like you know,relievers and you know guys that if I
had to get back there, thenyou know who I'd me face and try
to jump out there and catch thoseguys. So learning curve, but I
felt more comfortable by the end ofit. Well, if you had to

(07:18):
be an emergency catcher here, youbetter be that they love better be able
to catch flames. Would you makeof the signing of Josh Hater adding him
to the back end of this bullpen? Obviously an elite arm I thought,
you know, I think we're superexcited to go get a guy like that.
Anytime you can get you know,those top level guys, I mean
what a boost is to the team. I think we're all excited for him
to get over there and you know, hopefully help us make another run at

(07:41):
this thing. All right, good, yeah, I mean you know you're
talking about making another run at thisand I mean you were in the clubhouse
lash year when JV made that speechof just I mean, do you as
you're going through it kind of say, hey, don't think about it,
just go like, let's try fornumber eight or is it one of those
of you stuck you know, stopingand look around every once in a while
and say, this is pretty darncool we've been able to do. Yeah,

(08:03):
No, I think that the youknow, our leadership in the clubhouse.
You know, these guys just knowhow to prepare, they know how
to come in and stay focused,and you know, after you know we
we won the division again, andyou know, then you get to enjoy
that moment. You know you winthe DS, you enjoy that moment.
But when you're going through, it'sjust there's such an intensity and a focus
that all the guys when they walkin the clubhouse that then it's easy to

(08:24):
stay locked in with this group ofguys. It's special, well more real
quick when you see when you're onAlvarez walks to the plate and just crushes
one. I mean, it's funny. We've caught the the dugout reaction of
Mauricio Dubond just shakes his head likeit's ridiculous. I mean, is that
the reaction from all the rest ofyou, like, my god, this
guy. I mean, we're lookingat one of the greatest hitters of all
time. Possibly, Yeah, youcan't do things that you are on Alvarez

(08:48):
does. I'm not sure it's possible. And such a pleasure just to you
know, share a field with himand just watch him approach his at bats,
because I mean, even when he'snot playing an op to that,
when he's just talking the game andthe dugout, and I try to listen
to everything he says because he's justso smart and obviously just incredibly talented.
How's your Spanish? I don't haveI don't have great Spanish, but I'm

(09:09):
starting I'm starting to understand more.Yeah, I'm starting to understand more.
So Bredman learned. That's good.He's really good. Now, absolutely all
right, that's great. Cassinger herewith us on news radio seven forty k
t r H. Great. Thanksfor the time, man, and good
luck and this upcoming season. Thanksguys, appreciate I appreciate it