Kevin Kiermaier takes us inside his plan to become an OF consultant

00:00:02
Speaker 1: Here comes the outlaw, Kevin Kiermeyer, recently retired from the sport, one of the best to watch manning the outfield just like Kevin Plart.

00:00:10
Speaker 2: This is cool for me.

00:00:11
Speaker 1: We got the two Kevin that dominated the highlights for like a decade.

00:00:15
Speaker 2: Kk.

00:00:16
Speaker 1: Great to have you on the show here for the first time. Congrats on retirement and how you doing. Man, how's retired life?

00:00:23
Speaker 2: I'm good, thanks for having me. By the way, retired life is good. A little slow, a little slow, but good. I'm a dad of three now. I had my daughter last December, so this whole year I was super busy and kind of all over and I'm someone who has like severe ADHD, so I need variety and to switch things up. So as long as I'm on the go, I'm in a good place. But once again, I definitely missed the adrenaline, and you know, I missed baseball a ton. But I'm right where I need to be and life is good. So I'm figuring out life after baseball and trying to get creative with a couple of things. So I'm a lucky man.

00:01:01
Speaker 3: Before we get to your creativity and your like job movement creation that you're that you're trying to come up with here, I gotta say, I played with KP. I played with Kevin, the cool Kevin, and I played with the good looking Kevin. Is you now you're better looking because you got the gold gloves? But I know that burns KP up inside? So is there any way you could get like a little mini gold glove for KP? Like, because I feel like I think I forget what year twenty sixteen, he gave you a run for your money and you still took it from him, Like, is there any way you can give my guy because all he was getting was like the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year and that's like it's like a cool second place trophy. So can you help my guy out a little bit?

00:01:51
Speaker 2: You know? I knew I was gonna win it, Like in fifteen, I had my best year ever in one Platinum that season and then that that created like like a different monster in me where I said, I I'm going to win this thing for until further notice type thing. And sixteen I got hurt. I shattered my left hand and I went on the sixty day and that was like May and the gold Glove thing, It's like the way the voting goes and all that, it's like you have to have a certain amount of innings and time played before, like August twentieth or something like that. It's close to that might not be spot on, but it's something along those guidelines. And once again like whenever you win this award, it's it's something that you want to win forever. And me, I was a defensive guy, and it's like, look, if I handle my business and stay on the field, then I think this is my award to lose type of thing. Now. With that being said, though I knew Pilar was always in Toronto, Jackie Bradley in Boston and trout out there like it was, it always seemed like it was like this same guys who were kind of in the running for it. And that was the year where I did not think I was gonna win just because of my time missed. And I would have totally understood that, but you know, I wanted and I was thrilled about that. But I definitely know why kp was, you know, not not thrilled about that. Had every right to be upset, and he pro I don't off top of my head, I don't know how many games you played that year, but I feel like you were always playing one fifty plus and that's something I'm very envious of. And I wasn't on the field as much as I would have liked to. But with that being said, I don't I don't have a little gold Glove award. But he was amazing out there and his highlights and just playing against him nineteen times a year within the Al East was always fun and it motivated me. And you know, I wanted to run the bass hard and I hit the ball to him and I'm sure he tried doing the same to me. But it was always a fun little competition and the ALE East always had plenty of that. And that's why I was so thankful to come up in that league for so long, because the players that I played against over and over, year after year, it was a blessing.

00:04:10
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:04:11
Speaker 4: I think there's this kind of running joke that me and him didn't like each other. We really never really crossed pass. I think maybe the one time when we got David Price, Toronto got David Price. I think he introduced this to each other, but it was all friendly. I wouldn't even say friendly competition. I think we kind of motivated each other to be our best. I obviously wanted to win some awards. He won the awards, but I don't think any less of what I was able to accomplish. He motivated me every time I went on the field. I watched him make plays. I watched the highlights. I wanted to one up them. I think we kind of motivated each other. But I guess the main reason you're on is you came out and talked about wanting to kind of change the landscape of outfield play. And no better a guy to learn from than you. But I guess my first question is you got draft in twenty ten. Tell me a little bit about your scouting report, your skill set, and then how you kind of developed into the outfielder you became.

00:05:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, I was raw forever, never wanted to play pro ball. I just wanted to go play D one like that was my goal. And I wanted to go to Purdue. I'm wrapping my boilers today. I wanted to go to Purdue and I wasn't good enough out of high school. Didn't get good enough grades either. I gotta throw that in there, be accountable for that. But I went to JUCO called Parkland and Champagne, Illinois. Had no idea what to expect, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. In one one night before my Christmas break, going home back to Indiana for a month, there was a scout in our gym. I had no idea. I thought it was someone's grandpa, honestly, and he was there watching a teammate of mine. And then after the practice he came up to me. It's the guy who signed me. His name's Tom Cousten. But he gave me a card like his business card in it, and he's like, I love the way you look, I love the way you move. Will be in touch. You can play. And it was a life chain moment for me, and it was like a surge of motivation that I like, at that moment, I wanted to be a professional baseball player fastward like I was raw. I was an All American both years, and like started to hit for the first time ever. Thankfully, the metal bats back in the day were amazing, and I was hitting homers and all this stuff, and I was told I was going to get drafted eight to fifteenth round, so I had a draft party, like that second day of the draft, my name never got called. My buddies were over like drinking, playing woof the ball, and I'm sitting here at the phone the whole time, never got that call. And sure enough, like the third day of the draft, rounds thirty one through fifty, my name gets called. And I was alone, so no one knew. But you know, for me, it was like all I need is opportunity. I'm ready to play. I'm the youngest celebor by right now, and I'm not much of a school guy, and i want to go throw all my eggs in one basket. Even though I'm a thirty first rounder. I'm going to make this work, and I'm going to make the big leagues.

00:06:58
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00:07:19
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00:07:32
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00:08:00
Speaker 3: Rarely on this show? Can we have somebody that got drafted after me? That was a twenty ninth round, so I know, I know what that third day sounds like and it just gets passed over. I love that. Who was the person for you?

00:08:11
Speaker 2: Who?

00:08:12
Speaker 3: Because you said you were wrong? You came into the Ray's organization and you know, playing for the Phillies, the Yankees, the Blue Jays, we were always playing the Ray's minor league system and everything coming up? Who was that guy for you? And I want to kind of take that and transition it into your unique like job job search that you have, and like, how is that how is that learning process to become Because you don't just become a goal glover, a platinum glover.

00:08:40
Speaker 2: Yep, it's a good question. I didn't really emulate anyone, uh so to say, but I watched. I watch like Jim Edmonds is one that sticks out. Adam Jones for the Orioles all the years. Like love watching him play Tory Hunter. I just I love getting on YouTube and like watching what the best of the best do. And for me, I knew that hitting was always so hard to me, so freaking hard, and it drove me nuts. And I knew defense was going to be my calling card and I was like, man, I think I can be incredible at this because I always felt like I was super athletic, and I always was like obsessed with working on my craft in my arm and how to throw harder and more accurate and get faster, like I had all these things bubbling, and then shortly into my minor league career, like just the way I did drills and did batting practice, I feel like that is what made me so good because I was testing myself every day and then like training my eyes to get reads on the ball. And I feel like when I was in Lowa twenty eleven, I was like, I know, I'm so far away from the big leagues, but I feel like defensively and who what I had? The highlights I see on TV and whatnot, I feel like no one can make the plays that I can, or cover the ground and control the game the way I can. That was a young, clueless minor leaguer, but I always had that confidence in that mindset that I wanted to be great at it, and like even my minor league, my minor league numbers were insane, and then like shortly after that, where I'm like, look, i can't wait to show people when I get to like double A and TRIPLEA, where I can show people what I can do because I'm making plays every night, like at like fifteen outfield assists every year my minor league career. I'm just like, man, I feel like I don't have a weakness out here, and I can't wait to become the player I want to be up in the big league so I can show everybody what I can do in all facets of the game, but especially defense, where I just felt like I've been different for a long time and those are the like defense gave me confidence within the whole game and it's like, look, even though I can, I'll struggle with the bat this and that. I feel like I'm the best out here. My pitchers want me, and I was always confident in that regard. And it's nice to have confidence when you're playing the big leagues because if you don't, the game's already hard enough. So for me, like I always like defense, just help me on the field. Then you know, off the field as well. It kind of paved everything for me in my life.

00:11:08
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean we talked, you know, when I reached out to get you on the show, we spent a little time kind of catching up and talking. I don't want you to give away kind of your secret sauce because you know, going back to you kind of reaching out to all these teams saying you can make these outfielders better. Share with us what you feel comfortable sharing in terms of how you think you can help these organizations without giving away the KK kind of secret sauce.

00:11:34
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, So for me, like I'm obsessed with this, I've been obsessed with it forever. And what I realized, like when you're working with people, coaches or instructors, whatever, it always helps for players. For one, for someone who's been there, done that, but for someone who loves it as much as what I do. And this whole year I was like, you know, I want to see if I can be as good of a coach as I think I can, and all the things that I kind of learned and developed on my own, I feel like I can help players as well, because they might be like a thought or a mindset away from unlocking defensive potential. So for me, even throughout the minor leagues, like I watch house, my teammates and other guys did drills on them backfields and spring training and how guys shagg VP and then throughout the course of the season as well, And I'm sitting here thinking, man, I understand why certain guys are the defenders they are because they don't do they don't practice game speed or like stay like work on their craft and stay sharp way that I feel like I was doing so for me once again, I like when I came into PROBI, I was already a good outfielder, but the steps that I took throughout my whole career made me who I was. And I'm like, man, no one loves this morning me, and no one is willing to outwork or stay keep their body in shape to perform at this level. So that's half the battle. So for me, what I am really good at is creating a mindset for these guys and be like, hey, I know you you hit homers and do this and that, but I want you to sit here and want the team to trust you to be out there for twenty seven outs instead of coming out in the eighth or ninth inning when your team's up two or three. Like, I want guys to be out there and have that confidence out there in the outfield, the same as you know the dudes who crush and have that confidence in the batter's box. But the way we do drills game speed and the way we shag BP and and just how I can like break down balls at the wall and sliding plays like just my insight and the things that you know, you're just trying to make it make sense type of thing. And for me, I feel like there are so many drills that are still done to this day that are just eyewash and they're not getting guys better. It's like I'm going to do the things. I'm going to have you guys do the things that are going to be here and it's gonna like you're going to see it every day. But throwing program, I said, drill work certain speed, and because a lot of times in KP were I was telling you about this in text last week. But I'm like, man, if guys go and do a drill forty to sixty percent over and over, it's like you're you're conditioning your body to know that speed. And then when the game happens and you got to charge the ball and chop your feet and keep the momentum going forward to throw someone out at home. This is the first time that player has like practice or had this play happen where they need one hundred percent effort and they and it's just like not it's like foreign to them because they're not used to it. And you see how plays get sped up on certain guys. So for me, I feel like if you sit here and practice a certain way it gets it'll show on the field because if I can teach these guys to operate one hundred percent and do everything game speed, and there's no adjustment when the light's turn on to the game, when guys have to like turn it on once seven o'clock starts and say, okay, now I need to go one hundred percent. I think those are the guys who are susceptible to uh not being the best out footers, are getting the best jumps or you know, all the little things that matter for being great out there. And that's where I said, you know, you plugged me in and have these guys do it the proper way, then you get so much more out of players and see what kind of defensive potential we can maximize if we go about it and prep the right way.

00:15:24
Speaker 3: KK first of all, comment, then a question. Comment, And my son is a junior in high school. He's a center fielder. So I'm gonna need your I'm gonna need your number from KP after this so you can get you can get you can get my guy going out there because you know, I ain't teaching no mobility nothing. I'm squatting behind the plate. And he's good looking like you, so it's it's good. But my question is I want you to put yourself back in your shoes as a player. And this is where what you were saying when you put posted it on Twitter and Instagram and everything about being a coach for different Orgs. What would you do if the outfield coach from the Yankees came over and was like, KK, I'm working with you these three days in spring training and then yo, I'm going over to Dunedin. I'm gonna be working with the J's for like three days next weekend. How do you feel like you can navigate that without it being a like, you know, come to kk's camp, come to kk's outfield off season camp type of thing. Because when you said it, we even said it on the show here. Aj said a little worse words than I did, but we were kind of like, I don't know how this is gonna work because you can't. You can't work with the Rays and then expect somebody with the Red Sox to listen to you. Also, no matter how much of a g you are at what you teach.

00:16:46
Speaker 2: So that's where I'm going to disagree with you right there, because my phone has been blowing up and I will be going out to a Z in Florida. I will like after a week of this already, like it's already it's taken off, just like I knew it would. And I know for me, like I never go by the book, man, I'm creative and even like the job I held the Blue Jays last year, I'm like, if they agree to this, it's gonna be great. And they did and it was great for both sides. But for me, it's just like you know, all I said, like people go and see a hitting coach in the offseason and whatever. You don't have to be like within your organization. But there's so many guys who I just feel like they're never around the right person to like take that next step defensively, and that's all I have to offer. Like I'm not in batting cages telling guys how to hit. I know I stayed in my lane, but with this, it's one of those things. Even like back in the day, we had a mental skills guy. His name is Vince Lodado and he worked with five or other teams, and it's not like he's in the meeting rooms with other teams give an insight intel. I don't care about that. I don't I'm not gonna be anywhere around that type of stuff. It's just I want teams to view It's like, hey, if you got a chance to work with one of the best that what they did, why would you not take advantage of this type of thing, and once again I put that out there. I wanted to get the word out and just see what kind of buzz I could get from it. And my phone's been ringing off the hook from teams and like guys wanted to reach out individually. And I have that leverage where it's going to sound so cocky and arrogant, but I'm I'm one of the best ever to play the position from a defensive standpoint, and I cracked the code and know what to do, and I just I need to be around just for a little bit of time and just help, Like I just want to help, and that's it. I don't want to be necessarily tied to organizations this year. And I know I saw what aj Persienci said and I saved that video and I'm going to tell like it was funny, but I'm doing it. I already know it's going to happen, and you know, I can say that I'm going to be the first to do it in this regard, but sometimes you just got to shoot your shot. And for me, like the calls I've had with teams so far, it's just one of the things I'm like, look, I question player development, because every year in spring training you hear from teams over and over saying, Hey, we're gonna we're gonna hire the best people, We're going to get the best equipment and do this, this and that to give you guys the best chance of being big leaguers and make you the best players we can be, which I call BS on that in so many ways because I don't think they mean that when they say that. But in my situation, I say, Hey, if teams don't want to reach out to me and use my services to their advantage for their players, then so be it. Like they already know that there's teams out there who are trying to compete next year, and there's teams who are not. I'm not trying to get off track, but the teams who've reached out to me already are the teams who are probably going to have a successful twenty twenty six type of thing. And you know there's certain players in your organization that might need to take that next step defensively. And that's where, like I said, I for like my expertises, and I feel like I'm I'm the best at coaching it. Even after a year into this and I have an ability to break so many different things down other than like a surface sea level, which a lot of coaching can be nowadays, which is okay, But this is what I want to do, and like I said, I'm going to do it. And I've had a ton ton of calls already and it's been a blast. I need something to chase again. I need something to motivate me. And I've always had great satisfaction helping guys out along the way, and now I can kind of do that more on a full time basis without having to worry about anything for my career. I just I want to help anyone and everyone who wants to get better and wants to be around me.

00:20:46
Speaker 4: Well, Cratzy made a great point, because there's things out there like tight End Camp. So OKK, if you start your center field camp, you got my number, I'd love to come out and help out. It'd actually be kind of a cool thing, you know something. Yeah, this is need something to kind of motivate you and Chase. I think it's a great thing.

00:21:02
Speaker 2: Yeah, this is just the start. I said. I want to revolutionize it, and I know the things that I'm going to do with certain guys can can do just that, I promise you. And when I am in a z and Florida spring training, I'm going to send a video to AJ Prazinski because, like I said, I know, I know he said what he said, but and it doesn't seem like it's possible. But once again, like I'm very creative and I have that leverage where certain player development people are gonna want me to be around their players and for me being around the game so long, once again, I know where I need to be on the facility. I know which fields and I know where to bounce around and not over like over. I don't know what word I'm trying to say. I'm not trying to abuse anything, And I said, I want the teams to treat me for the five days or whatever I'm around as if I'm employed, because I'm going to give those players everything I got. I don't care if it's low A, big leagues wherever I go out at once, that's all I know, and we're just gonna see what happens with it.

00:22:05
Speaker 4: I'm gonna throw you a quick curveball here. We have a lot of similarities in our career. I'm recently retired. You've had a full year of retirement. Do you ever sit at home because I get these feelings sometimes and I like or when I watch games, I watch the way people hit or the pay way people work. You ever sit at home and think about, like, damn, I wish I would have done something different offensively and where your career kind of trajectory would have gone. Because I get those feelings all the time.

00:22:30
Speaker 2: The hills all the time, man all the time I and most of it is offensively where I was like man, I and there's no way to justify this. There's no way anyone took more swings from twenty ten to twenty twenty four than me. Not that or it's not even impressive. I drove myself crazy my whole career trying to unlock my offensive potential, and I always felt like I was on my way, and each and every night I took the field, I feel like I did everything to get myself the best chance at success. But I go back and look at video or certain at bats, and I'm just like, goly, what in the world was I doing right there? So could it would have should have? But hitting I don't know. Man, I feel like the the less I knew about it and mechanics and all that, the better I was. And then I just I dug so deep into it and went down so many rabbit holes and tried so many different things and then everything like I tried so many hundreds of stances, and and uh, I feel like I just got comfortable with doing things that were not mechanically or technically right, and that was what was comfortable to me. And then you sit around and watch other great hitters and what they do, and I'm like, man, I can't even do that on a on a dry swing. So yeah, a lot of that could it would have should have. But you know, we had long enough, or I had a long enough time to make those adjustments and be better. And once again, every night, I feel like I gave myself the best possible chance. But looking back on I know I could have been so much better than what I was, and you know it is what it is, all right.

00:24:02
Speaker 3: Last one probably a shorter answer, but I'm not gonna see if you can tell KP doesn't like you because he said with three curveball, he knows you couldn't hit a curveball. This is a straight fastball. Okay, this is a straight fastball. Since you're into the consulting role, did the people putting the roof back on the trap consult you about the color of the roof before they put it back on.

00:24:27
Speaker 2: No, I was not a part of any of those convos. I haven't been a Ray for a while. So they they It seems like they got all twenty six panels up and they're gonna be up and running next year. So I'm pumped about that. But uh no, no, no one hit me up and asked what kind of customization we needed.

00:24:45
Speaker 3: They could have they could have Should it have been black? Because you look down, you got no chance.

00:24:50
Speaker 2: Hey, catching a dirty white ball on a dirty white roof. It never got easier, but it made me. It made me a better outfield. No warning track either, And uh I love man. That's that's my home away from the home. That's where I was born, I feel like in twenty fourteen, so that's my that's my spot man o KK this was awesome, dude.

00:25:09
Speaker 1: Great to have you on, great to talk and elaborate on what you were writing about on social media. Good luck with it and we'll obviously get progress checks, especially through KP as well. Thanks for joining us.

00:25:20
Speaker 2: Man, yep. Yeah, you'll be hearing back from me. And like I said, I'm gonna let Aj Brazinski know, I'm gonna shut them up and it's gonna be a good when I do.

00:25:28
Speaker 1: We're clipping that to run it back next time, please exactly. Kratz and me spend a lot of time with AJ KP a little bit too.

00:25:36
Speaker 2: We're here for it, we're clipping it. Do your thing. We're rooting for you man. All right, sounds good. Thanks for having me, guys,