Speaker 1: We are here with America center fielder brand new Dodger
Speaker 1: Kevin Kiirmeyer. Thanks a lot for the time, appreciated.
Speaker 2: Thank you thanks for having me.
Speaker 1: I mean, after gain to know me for the first
Speaker 1: few minutes, I feel like I'm very thankful that you
Speaker 1: decided to agree to this.
Speaker 2: You asked me to be available here, I am, Yes.
Speaker 1: You are, and you've been available for the Dodgers. How
Speaker 1: refreshing or rejuvenating has been on this team been for you?
Speaker 2: It's been great. They pumped life to me, honestly, coming
Speaker 2: to a winning atmosphere, this is what you want to
Speaker 2: be around. And for me, this is just put pep
Speaker 2: in my step and uplifted me to be quite honest,
Speaker 2: and I feel like the best I've felt all year.
Speaker 2: So this is the atmosphere you want to be around.
Speaker 2: So I'm pumped and I just want to, you know,
Speaker 2: keep showing these guys what I can do.
Speaker 1: Is that something tangible. We always talk about the numbers
Speaker 1: in the game, but just coming from where you were
Speaker 1: to being in a pennant race and a team that
Speaker 1: has championship as inspirations, I'm sure, like you said, it's big.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, winning, winning is fun and it just
Speaker 2: it brings the best out of everyone. And in Toronto
Speaker 2: this year, we weren't winning as much as we wanted,
Speaker 2: and you know, our season was was kind of over
Speaker 2: by the deadline. And here I am just the matter
Speaker 2: of a trade put me in a in a losing
Speaker 2: atmosphere to a winning atmosphere, and and what a dream
Speaker 2: to be a part of this great organization with these guys.
Speaker 2: They treat me great and make me feel like I
Speaker 2: belong and I'm a part of this. So once again,
Speaker 2: I just want to give them my best. Play hard
Speaker 2: as I can each and every day, go out there
Speaker 2: and play go glove defense and do whatever I can
Speaker 2: help the team win.
Speaker 1: We always see the highlight plays like last night, but
Speaker 1: can you take us inside how you're able to make
Speaker 1: those plays? I mean, obviously athleticism is a big part
Speaker 1: of it, but I'm sure there's a lot more into
Speaker 1: you being able to get the jumps that you do.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Just uh, you know, I've been doing it for
Speaker 2: a long time and I feel like I prepared the
Speaker 2: right way throughout my whole career to put myself in
Speaker 2: these positions to make these plays. And you know, yesterday
Speaker 2: I was long tossing with Clayton arm was ready to
Speaker 2: go and got an opportunity there in the first thing
Speaker 2: to let it eat a little bit, and it made
Speaker 2: a huge play. And you know, I dream of those opportunities,
Speaker 2: so I know what I need to do. Come in
Speaker 2: this field each and every day once again, prepare, envision
Speaker 2: all these plays happening whenever seven o'clock happens, and I
Speaker 2: have those plays present to me. I just want to
Speaker 2: execute and make those plays and you know, create momentum
Speaker 2: for the team anyway I can.
Speaker 1: Kavin, how important is visualizing making plays like that or
Speaker 1: coming up with a big bass sit? When do you
Speaker 1: start doing that.
Speaker 2: Every day in the off season spring trend every day.
Speaker 2: I told the guys a couple of days ago, I said,
Speaker 2: I'm gonna make a great play in left center one
Speaker 2: of these four days. And and I'm not starting today,
Speaker 2: so I don't know if I'll actually have the opportunity.
Speaker 2: But you get like feelings like that and and and
Speaker 2: and the game works in mysterious ways and those things
Speaker 2: end up happening. But uh, I don't know. It's just
Speaker 2: like you have a I go out there when I
Speaker 2: when I take center field, I just have a certain
Speaker 2: mentality and a mindset. But I'm thinking about stuff at
Speaker 2: the hotel before I get to the field. And uh,
Speaker 2: you just always want to be prepared and ready for
Speaker 2: any possible outcome. And and uh, you know that's a
Speaker 2: huge part of it.
Speaker 1: You always hear about pictures having to evolve in their careers.
Speaker 1: How have you evolved from where you were, say, even
Speaker 1: five years ago.
Speaker 2: Well, I said years ago, I want to age like
Speaker 2: a fine wine. And there's times where I feel like
Speaker 2: I have and there's other times where I feel the
Speaker 2: farthest thing from that. But I don't know. Every year
Speaker 2: is has been different throughout my whole career. Uh. You know,
Speaker 2: me coming over here, I know my role. I'm gonna
Speaker 2: hit at the bottom of the order and I'm gonna
Speaker 2: just try to get on base and let show Hey
Speaker 2: and Moki and Freddie and all these these big boys
Speaker 2: drive me in and gonna go try to run the
Speaker 2: bases and create havoc out there and once again play
Speaker 2: Gold Globe caliber centerfield defense. Uh that's what I'm at.
Speaker 2: So that's what I need to evolve to right now.
Speaker 2: And Uh, once again, like knowing your role is is
Speaker 2: have to battle and I know what they expect me
Speaker 2: to do. I know what I expect out of myself,
Speaker 2: and this is so fun, so exciting for me, and
Speaker 2: I just want to give them the best I got.
Speaker 1: I've loved watching you have unselfish at bats or understanding
Speaker 1: what the team needs in a certain situation. Do you
Speaker 1: believe that's contagious?
Speaker 2: Yeah? Uh, in a way, but not everyone UH has
Speaker 2: We have a We have a bunch of boppers on
Speaker 2: this team. So for me, if I need a sack
Speaker 2: bunt to get someone in scoring position for show Hey
Speaker 2: right behind me or Mokie, Uh, that just puts us
Speaker 2: in a better position, and uh increases our chances of scoring.
Speaker 2: So contagious and in some ways, but with the way
Speaker 2: our lineup is constructed, there's just certain guys asked to
Speaker 2: do certain things. Show Hey is you know, he's not
Speaker 2: asked to hit homers, but everyone kind of expects him
Speaker 2: to do crazy stuff up there. And you know, I'm
Speaker 2: like a table setter at the bottom of the order,
Speaker 2: And I got no problem with that at all. I'm
Speaker 2: skin It's just knowing your role and if I can
Speaker 2: do that the best I can, then you know, it
Speaker 2: just makes our lineup that much more dangerous.
Speaker 1: A great understanding of baseball. Kevin Kiermeyer and also the
Speaker 1: kier Myer families. Baseball lineage does not stop with you.
Speaker 1: Your brother, Dan ker Meyer is one of the groundskeepers
Speaker 1: at Wrigley Field.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's the head guy Wrigley Field. He's been there
Speaker 2: since twenty fifteen, but head groundskeeper for three or four
Speaker 2: years now. I don't know off top of my head,
Speaker 2: but he loves it and he's he's in the big leagues.
Speaker 2: I'm in the big leagues. I broke in a little
Speaker 2: bit earlier. But he's got a World Series ring from
Speaker 2: twenty sixteen. I don't and you know, I hope to
Speaker 2: catch him here this year.
Speaker 1: Yeah, hopefully so twenty twenty four. Two rings and the
Speaker 1: keer Meyer family thanks a lot for the time. Really
Speaker 1: appreciate it. Great to see that beautiful beard in person
Speaker 1: in HD.
Speaker 2: Thank you, David, appreciate it.
Speaker 1: There is America center fielder Kevin Kiermyer