Jose Rueda Sr. • 3B/1B	Every year that went by I would look forward to reading the Senior Salutes from my teammates hoping that I was cool enough or had made an impact on them to be included in it. I did make it once so I suppose all the reading was worth it. But it seems just like yesterday when I was first approached by a 6-foot-3 guy (Matt Rink) that introduced himself to me on campus asking me if I was going to batting practice. So I was encouraged to go out and meet my teammates who were to become the best group of guys I had ever met. My years at Saint Mary’s helped me to become what I always hoped to be and baseball was one of my most favorite and beneficial classes. I would like to start by thanking my parents, because if it was not for their efforts I would never have stepped foot on this campus. Thank you for going through all the struggles to put me where I am. Thank you for being so unselfish and giving me an opportunity that you never had. I am very proud of you. (Spanish Translation): Me gustaría empezar por darles gracias a mis padres porque sin ellos nunca hubiera venido a esta universidad. Gracias por todos los esfuerzos que hicieron para ponerme donde estoy. Gracias por ponerme primero en frente de todo. Estoy muy orgulloso de ustedes. Los quiero mucho y siempre los cuidare pase lo que pase. To my brother, Zeus, I want to say thank you for everything that you have done. You were always there for me when I needed you and it didn’t matter what I wanted. You would always give me what I needed, whether it was a summer job, computer, baseball bat or glove, bike, or 2 a.m. brotherly talk. Thank you for spoiling me. even though sometimes I didn’t deserve it. Coach Whaley, I would like to thank you for giving me that opportunity to play college baseball. I have enjoyed every minute. Coming to Saint Mary’s, I never expected to become a college baseball player, and thanks to you, I became that player on and off the field. I would like to extend that thank you to coach/teammate/friend Tony Cicallelo aka Bones. You’ve had various job titles, but you have exceeded in all of them. Thank you for helping me every year to develop on the field, in the library (JK), and out in the real world. Steve, you are going to be one great head coach. Some coaches forget about the fun in baseball and you are not going to be one of them. Donny, it was fun having you on our Florida trips and thank you for doing such a great job so that our parents, friends and significant others can be informed about athletics. Some words of wisdom, you might want to stop working out twice a day because you will never look like me. To all my teammates who have come and gone, IT WAS FUN!! I walk away being impacted by all of you. Every one of you had something positive and different to bring into my life. Rinker, thanks for being that role model even though as much as I tried I could not catch up (maybe I should have taken those steroids). Ryan, Juice, and Jake, it was awesome to play with you guys all four years. I will never forget all the fun times we shared. Popek, all I can say is don’t change. To those teammates who will come back next season just remember that some day you will not be reading other people’s Senior Salutes, but writing you own. So play hard and have fun because in baseball I have learned that those are the only two things that you can control. I know that I am going to get fined for this next paragraph, but it will be worth it. I would like to thank Ms. Ann Kennedy for showing me that there is more to life than work. Thank you for teaching me that life should not be taken so seriously and like Tim McGraw sings, “Live like you were dying.” Thank you for teaching me that I should do what I want to do and not what will make others happy. Thank you for everything and to top it off, which will be a Max Fine from my teammates, I love you. Finally, I would like to thank all of my professors, advisors, friends, residence life, campus safety, and all those that have helped me have an unforgettable experience. Special shout outs to Heiberg (thank you for helping me out, because I would have been lost without you this year), my roommates Kuhn and Marie (quiet down), Vickers (keep it real because there is no future in fronting), to my sister Lisa (thank you for being there for me through the ups and downs!), Brady (keep being gross), Matt Popek (keep throwing curveballs at life), Petey (smile once in a while), Shatoshi (keep smiling), Kevin (keep being that leader), Hawk (you might want to take out a loan for your court dues for next year), Bujold (keep hitting those grand slams), Reiter (keep being that silent leader and it was fun playing summer ball), Grant (keep being that great guy), little guns (maybe some day you will get to play instead of just talking about it), Daniel (Sigue contando chistes), Dave (BULLDOG!!), Cosgrove (HAHAHA!), Chambers (great huddle talks and slow it down to 99MPH), Brandon (Lourde kids are always a bit different), Missiles (I wonder what face you are making right now), Kreiser (Nice Calves), Lynch (quit stealing my ground balls), Flynn (we really were separated at birth), Morse (keep after it man and thank you for being such a great friend), and lastly to all the parents whom I consider my own (thank you for all of the wonderful meals, Mrs. Pedersen, Mr. and Mrs. Majerus, Mr. and Mrs. Rink, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson, and all those whom came to the games and gave me energy and support) Well, I am not one to babble, but it is hard to squeeze in four years into a few paragraphs. So to all those that made an impact on my life, I thank you and I hope that in return I have done the same. And to let you all go I will let you in on a little secret, nobody whoever gave it their best regretted it. Everything that I've got Is just what I've got on I ain't got a dime But what I've got is mine I ain't rich But lord I'm free —George Strait “Amarillo by Morning”