The Longhorns’ lineup received a
Texas sized bump when junior outfielder Kyle Russell declined
to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals after being drafted
in the fourth round of last year’s MLB amateur draft.
Russell was a consensus All-American in 2007 after launching
an NCAA-leading and University of Texas record breaking
28 home runs last season. He was named the Big 12 Player
of the Year and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors after
hitting .336 with 71 RBI, 68 runs scored, 11 doubles, five
triples and ten stolen bases.
Russell’s
return to the ‘Horns, along with catcher Preston Clark
(.286, 8, 45) who also turned down an offer to go pro, puts
UT not only a short list of teams to compete for the Big
12 title, but challenge for a spot in the College World
Series and a national championship as well.
The Longhorn outfielder took some time out to discuss with
Ping! his future draft prospects, improving his game and
how two little cups of chocolate and peanut butter transformed
him into an All-American player.
PING!:
Had UT fared better in the postseason in ‘07 and
made a run to Omaha, would there have been a better chance
you would have traded your burnt orange jersey for a cardinal
one?
RUSSELL: I don’t really think there
would have been a better chance. It would have depended
on how I did if we had that chance to go to Omaha. I really
thought there was more I could do to help the team at
the end of the season and I look forward to taking that
opportunity again this year.
PING!:
When the next amateur draft comes along is there any team
you hope more than others will be calling your name?
RUSSELL: Not really.
The draft is so unpredictable that there really is no
telling what team will draft you. And when you do get
draft, percentages usually dictate that you’ll eventually
end up in another organization if and when you make it
to the Major Leagues.
PING!:
How did you spend your off-season? Baseballwise, was there
any particular aspect of your game that you concentrated
on improving?
RUSSELL: I spent my
summer in Santa Barbara playing for the Foresters. During
my time there, I really just focused on having fun with
my teammates on the field. It was a more relaxed environment
to play on and this gave me time to just get away for
a while and get ready for another year of school.
PING!:
As a tall, thin and strong left-handed outfielder, you’ve
grown comparisons to Shawn Green. Additionally your game
has been compared to Adam Dunn with better defense. Do
you feel those comparisons are accurate or would you say
a different resemblance is more fitting?
RUSSELL: Those comparisons
are flattering to hear considering both those players
have been very successful at the major league level. I
feel though that I am just trying to be like Kyle Russell.
I have had many players that I have looked up to my whole
life, but I can’t say I am totally identical like
Shawn Green or Adam Dun. Every individual has their own
‘style’.
PING!:
Minor League Baseball’s 2007 Draft Report lists
your running speed and base running ability to be "slightly
below average". A puzzling analysis considering you
stole ten bases and legged out eleven doubles and five
triples last year – numbers that would have been
even greater if you hadn’t been launching so many
pitches over the wall. How do you rate your game on the
base paths?
RUSSELL: Well, everything
that is reported isn’t going to be positive. If
they think that, than I take it as an opportunity rather
than an insult. I have an opportunity to get better at
my speed and steal more bases. Nobody is perfect, but
we work to get better every day.
PING!:
You led the nation with 28 home runs last season that
obliterated the Texas record by eight. What was your favorite
long ball of the year?
RUSSELL: My favorite
one I hit would have to be #21, which broke the school
record. It was against our rival Rice in Houston. I am
from Houston so it was special to have my friends and
family there to see it.
PING!:
The home diamond of the Longhorns, UFCU Disch-Falk Field,
has undergone an $18 million renovation to be completed
for the start of the next season. Are there any aspects
of the project that you are particularly excited about?
RUSSELL: There is so
much that has changed since my freshman year, so there
isn’t just one thing that I can pick out. I’m
just excited to be the first team to play on the newly
renovated Disch-Falk Field.
PING!:
Baseball players are notorious for having superstitions.
Are there any rituals or habits that accompany you to
the diamond? If so, where is its origin?
RUSSELL: The only real
superstition I stick to every game is to eat two Reese’s
Peanut Butter Cups. It started my sophomore year when
we were about to play Stanford and I didn’t eat
before the game. The only thing I had in my locker was
two Reese’s cups, so I ate it. I hit two home runs
that game, so I decided that was my good luck charm. I
now eat two Reese’s cups before every game.