"It was gonna be hard to outplay or out care me": Kevin Kiermaier looks back at his journey with Blue Jays as he enters '2 weeks of retirement'
Former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Kevin Kiermaier went out on top. He spent part of this past season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning a World Series championship before retiring following the victory.
Kiermaier hung up the cleats after 12 years in the big leagues. He spent 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, two in Toronto and half a year with the Dodgers.
While he spent the majority of his career in Tampa Bay, his time in Toronto meant a lot to him. He delivered a special message looking back at his career on the clubs' social media accounts.
"Look, I'm two weeks into retirement, fresh off a World Series, happy as can be to end my career going out like that, as a champ, 14-year pro career, a lot of ups and down, but it was the best journey I could ever ask for," said Kevin Kiermaier.
Kiermaier goes into detail about just how special his time in Toronto was and what it meant to him not only as a player but as a person.
"Part of that journey was my year and a half in Toronto. Let me focus on the Bue Jay fans because I love you people, I love you so much. The way you treated me from the get-go, what a dream. What a dream to be in that situation and be viewed the way I was," said Kiermaier.
"As a player, you just want recognition for how muh you care and how much effort you put in out there, and I always say I'm not the best player on the field by any means, but it was gonna be hard to outplay me or out care me," said Kiermaier.
Kevin Kiermaier looking to keep relation with the Blue Jays ongoing
Kevin Kiermaier is looking to keep his relationship with the Blue Jays intact as he moves forward in retirement. He teases a potential return to the Rogers Centre and would love to help the club in any way he can.
"I don't want this relationship to end with the Jays. So, I got a lot more to offer. I don't know what that means just yet, but I can't wait to be back in the Rogers Centre. Whatever way I can help the Blue Jays, I'm gonna do it," said Kiermaier.
Toronto certainly made an impression on this slugger. Not many teams get this kind of message from a player who only played there for two seasons. Fans will have to wait and see what the future holds for this former slugger.