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LeClair Speaks About Life After Baseball
By Chris Kline
Keith LeClair learned early on how to adapt, succeed and ultimately flourish. LeClair went from walk-on at Western Carolina to Southern Conference tournament MVP in 1988. Just four years later, he took over as the Catamounts head coach when Jack Leggett left to coach Clemson. As a 25-year-old head coach, he took Western Carolina to within one game of the College World Series. He was named the Southern Conference coach of the year three times before leaving to take over the East Carolina program in 1998, continuing his success with the Pirates and turning the program into a perennial contender. But two years ago, a meteoric coaching career suddenly hit an unavoidable roadblock. "Not long ago, baseball absorbed my life 365 days a year," LeClair said. "I gave the profession of coaching everything I had until after the 2002 season, (when) a doctor said, 'I'm sorry, but you have ALS and there is nothing I can do to help.' All of a sudden, baseball seemed to not matter a whole lot to me anymore. Instead, my thoughts were focused on God and my family." LeClair was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. First, he felt weakness in his hands, then the disease affected his speech. The disease progressively destroys muscle tissue, resulting in total paralysis. While there is no known cure for ALS, LeClair isn't about to stop battling. He had to give up coaching, but these days settles down in front of his computer, his main means of communicating with the world outside of eastern North Carolina. "It's a pretty simple routine," the 38-year-old LeClair said via e-mail, "I always start the day with a daily Bible devotion, and from there I return my e-mails and go online to check out what's going on in world news and the latest news in sports. I usually have a lot of friends and former players stop by throughout the day to talk and keep up on the latest events." In addition to that, LeClair writes a weekly column for an East Carolina Website, sounding off on various baseball issues of the day. He's even considering writing a book about his life. In short, he keeps himself busy. And his sense of humor--throughout everything--is unbelievable. "Even while I am very busy with everything, I do sneak in a round of golf every so often on my computer," LeClair said. "I've even won a tournament or two." LeClair doesn't have the luxury of sitting down at his computer, clicking a mouse and connecting to the Internet. He uses what is called an eye gaze machine, which is controlled by a camera that focuses on his eye, allowing him to move an infrared light around to various letters. When he holds his focus on a letter it appears on his computer screen. "(The system) also has a speak control (feature) that also allows me to verbalize what I have typed," LeClair said. "I can then go to another panel and access my e-mail and the Internet. I also have Word Perfect that allows me to write letters and print any material I may want to save, but the majority of my communication is done through e-mail." E-mail is the primary way LeClair keeps in touch with friends around the country, but it is not the only way. Current Pirates head coach Randy Mazey and volunteer assistant Nick Schnabel stop by to catch up. "Nick stops by a couple times a week for dinner and we will talk baseball," LeClair said. "I still have several guys on the team that we recruited when I was head coach, so I always like to keep up with their progress." That said, LeClair has a deeply rooted knowledge of this year's Pirate team. He is quick to give an in-depth scouting report from what he's seen from attending Pirates home games. "I still try to attend every home game and lend my support to the players and the coaching staff," LeClair said. "I find myself coaching the game inside, pitch by pitch. I guess some things will never change." Obviously, the passion for the game will never go away, but LeClair has newfound appreciation for all things in his life. His perspective changed suddenly and without warning. "I still love the game and appreciate all that baseball has done for me in my lifetime, but it's no longer the number one priority," LeClair said. "Do I miss coaching? Most definitely. Writing about the game is therapeutic for me, without a doubt, but once I watch a game or write about it, I wheel away in my wheelchair and don't think twice about it again." LeClair continues to serve as a special assistant to the athletic director, but since his coaching days ended, he has also served as an inspiration to the program. The underdog Pirates claimed the 2002 Conference USA tournament title in Kinston, N.C., with LeClair meeting with the team after every game in a van behind the fence in right field. "What gets lost in the emotions of that season is the job Kevin McMullan, Tommy Eason, George Whitfield and Eddie Loesner did in coaching that team," LeClair said. "I may have inspired some kids to give a little extra effort, but the coaches had that team prepared to play day in and day out. "I was so proud of that team, because of all that they went through in seeing my health decline right in front of their eyes and the effort they gave on the field. They won that year, not because of me, but the character and heart in each one of those players." Senior starting catcher in 2002, Clayton McCullough tends to disagree slightly with LeClair's assessment. "Coach LeClair has always been a very selfless person," said McCullough, now in the Indians organization. "He had a personal relationship with every one of us. It was a tremendous lift to see his van out behind that fence during that tournament. We weren't the most talented team there, but whenever anything got us down we caught ourselves. I mean, how could we think we were having a bad day with everything he was going through? It made us raise our game up and carried us through." After the tournament win, ECU went on to face Clemson in the final game of the NCAA regional, which it lost, 21-1. LeClair went on to face the fight for his life--one that continues to this day and beyond. "It's so frustrating each day that it feels like you're battling a mental war to keep pushing on," LeClair said. "I am dependent on somebody 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that can become very frustrating for both the caregiver and myself." His wife, Lynn, has been his rock since his diagnosis, and he has friends such as Leggett whenever he needs them. Friends, family and his faith are where LeClair draws his inspiration from. "Lynn has basically sacrificed her life for the past two years to keep me going," LeClair said. "It's been a tremendous challenge and has taken a lot of courage on her part. But through our faith in Jesus Christ, we ultimately get through one day and onto the next. God has given me the ability to reach out and touch people's lives in a much different way than when I was a coach. "If I can bring hope to just one person through this disease, it will be worth all the pain and suffering my family and I have gone through." The hope LeClair has spawned through his courage has certainly touched more than just one person. The Greenville, N.C. community embraces him as a local legend. But if you are looking for one individual, you need look no further than Leggett, LeClair's best friend and mentor. "As a player and a coach, he is exactly the way he is now--a battler and a fighter and a real student of the game," Leggett said. "I always knew he was going to be a great coach. He's a real competitor, and he's tough as nails. "He's a brother and a son and a best friend all rolled into one. He's an inspiration to me every day of my life. Nothing bothers me anymore because you see what he's going through and you don't take anything for granted. He's just a special, special person and he deserves a lot of credit for the way that program is rolling right now." That's credit LeClair doesn't exactly accept or expect. He says it's Mazey's program now, and he just tries to stay out of the way. In fact, he refers to himself as "just a fan that loves the program and wants to see the dream of Omaha become a reality." While waiting for the trip to Omaha, LeClair's favorite activity is spending time with his children, Audrey, 9, and J.D., 6. The three play computer games regularly together, and he enjoys watching them run around in the front yard. Audrey and J.D. took turns throwing out the first pitch during the Keith LeClair Invitational tournament Feb. 27-29, during which the Pirates swept Clemson and Georgia Southern (coached by former LeClair protégé Rodney Hennon). "That was very tough because Coach Leggett has meant so much to me personally, and he's the reason I had the opportunity to become a coach," LeClair said. "It was tough seeing him get beat, especially when you know how much he hates to lose. But somebody had to, and I was just glad it was the Tigers and not the Pirates. As many times as coach Leggett has kicked my rear end over the years, I guess a couple of loses won't hurt him that bad." Once a fine player, then a successful coach and now fighting for his life each day, LeClair still holds things in perspective and remains thankful for each day he endures. "It astounds me to think of all the help God has provided for our family, and that keeps me going to see another day," LeClair said. "Without Lynn's support, there is no way I could continue living at home. I am constantly getting letters or e-mails from the baseball community to hang in there and keep fighting. Those letters seem to always come on days that are not going particularly well for me. "But without my family and without my faith, I would have given up a long time ago."
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