PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — For 10 seasons, nobody played the centerfield position like the man they called “The Outlaw,” Kevin Kiermaier.
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This year, Kiermaier is back in Port Charlotte, but this time he is here to help the current Tampa Bay Rays outfielders.
“This organization gave me the world, and I am at the point now where I want to give back to them and help the next group of young players coming up,” Kiermaier said on Wednesday.
After retiring with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024, the four-time Gold Glover returned to Tampa and formed his own company called The 3-9 Effect LLC.
The goal is to help young players from college to the pros learn the ins and outs of playing the outfield from one of the best to ever play it.
“I love teaching and I love kind of living vicariously through guys and watching guys have success,” he said.
The former Ray is only in Port Charlotte for the first five days of Spring Training, with his sole purpose of coming back, to pay it forward.