Luers Grad Ends Career as World Series Champion Throughout the course of his last Major League Baseball season, Kevin Kiermaier pushed through the pain of a tired and aching body every time he took the field. But on his final sprint out of the dugout, pain was the last thing on his mind. The 2008 Bishop Luers graduate and backup center fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers danced onto the Yankee Stadium grass without feeling his feet touch the ground. After trailing 5-0 in Game 5, his Dodgers had just completed a historic comeback to win the World Series on Wednesday, October 30 – three months to the day after Kiermaier was traded to Los Angeles from the Toronto Blue Jays. “It’s been a whirlwind,” Kiermaier told Today’s Catholic several days later. “It’s been amazing – just the ultimate sendoff I was hoping for to end my career as a World Series champion. I was there four years ago [in the World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays], and when we lost, it stung for me. I wanted to win this thing so bad, and I’m fortunate to be able to do that. For everything that came my way in my career, you just can’t write this up any better. To end my career as a champion – and as my last memory – it’s the most special thing that I’ll hold onto forever.” Photo provided by Kevin KiermaierKevin Kiermaier holds the Commissioner’s Trophy with his family – wife Marisa and sons Karter and Krew – after ending his major league baseball career as a World Series champion with the L.A. Dodgers. For Kiermaier, who had announced that the 2024 season would be his last, getting dealt to the Dodgers not only meant one last shot at an elusive title – it also meant accepting a reduced role. In 34 games with L.A., Kiermaier logged just 64 plate appearances and batted .203. The trend continued in the postseason, where Kiermaier served as a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch runner in the National League Championship Series and managed to score two runs in four games. He was left off the active roster for both the National League Division Series and the World Series. Kiermaier said embracing his role was key to fitting with his new team. “I knew with the way I played early in the season, I couldn’t expect a ton of playing time,” Kiermaier admitted. “As time went on and my playing time was at an all-time low, I knew that is why they traded for me: to put me in games late to play defense and pinch run, to do what I thought I was going to do. It makes it easier when you accept that, whatever your role may be. I did early on, and as my tenure went on, I knew what to expect coming to the field every day. It gives you peace of mind, knowing what to expect.” However, few expected the Dodgers’ improbable five-run comeback in the decisive fifth game of the World Series. Kiermaier had a front row seat to witness the historic victory but first had to sweat through the final moments alongside his teammates in the dugout. “The last three outs were stressful,” Kiermaier said. “It’s a different level of anxiety when you’re not playing in the actual game and you know you have no control over what happens next. All the guys next to me thought the same thing. I was bracing myself, hoping to run onto the field. When they struck out for the final out, at that point, it was pure joy, pure bliss, hugging everyone and having the time of our lives. Knowing that we were champs was just the best feeling I could ever imagine. It was a crazy game in general to come out victorious, so we were relieved and happy to get it over with and come out victorious.” It was also a joy for those who have played a role in Kiermaier’s baseball journey. Gary Rogers, who coached Bishop Luers to a 2008 state title in Kiermaier’s senior season, has never watched any other former player make it to the big leagues in more than 30 years of coaching – let alone win the Fall Classic. “I never envisioned anything like that happening,” admitted Rogers. “I really feel fortunate that I was part of that. I can’t tell you how many games I’ve watched him play. … Just being able to watch him on TV and see him every once in a while in the dugout, or celebrating with guys like [Shohei] Ohtani – wow, what a great experience for him with those people around him.” Rogers remembered Kiermaier coming into high school small in stature – assistant coaches called him “Squeaks” as a freshman – but developing into an outstanding athlete, especially after experiencing a growth spurt and hitting the weights at Parkland College. Through the years, Rogers stayed in touch with his former player, who would occasionally give field access to Rogers for pregame batting practice or tickets to his family members. Kiermaier never forgot his Bishop Luers roots, as he shared advice, training drills, and even extra bats with his alma mater. “When I was at Luers, he would come back and talk to players during practice,” recalled Rogers. “Those things mean a lot to kids going through the program. For guys that played after him at Luers, he was a big deal to them.” Kiermaier’s storybook ending is also a big deal to former teammates such as Tyler Watts, who played with Kiermaier both at Luers and at Parkland College. Watts recalled Kiermaier’s determination at Parkland to “do whatever it takes to get to the Bigs,” which eventually produced an 11-year major league career. “I am just so happy for Kevin, and of course, Marisa and the boys,” said Watts, who was there when Kiermaier lost in the 2020 World Series – to the Dodgers – and wasn’t sure he would ever get another chance. “I wrote off the possibility of him winning a World Series unless [Toronto] traded him to a contender. When he texted me, saying, ‘I’m going to L.A.; I got traded to the Dodgers,’ I was ecstatic. I remember thinking he might finally get that championship, and he did. I can’t think of a better way to end a career. He deserves it.” After a parade through Los Angeles and a celebration at Dodger Stadium, Kiermaier returned to his Tampa home and plans to make it back to Fort Wayne in the coming weeks to visit family and friends. In the meantime, he’s trying to adjust to a normal lifestyle at home – or, at least, whatever the new normal will look like for the Kiermaiers now that his MLB playing career has ended. “It still hasn’t really hit me,” Kiermaier said. “I just told my wife as we’re just sitting at home, ‘Wow, I don’t have a job anymore.’ I’ll definitely stay occupied to keep my mind busy, but I’m so excited about not having to get ready for a game ever again. … It’s the ultimate reward to know that I’m retired at age 34 and can do whatever I want moving forward – be a family man, first and foremost, be devoted to my wife and kids for all the support they’ve given me over the years. It’s the position I’ve worked for my whole life: a husband and father.” The post ‘The Ultimate Sendoff’ appeared first on Today's Catholic.