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Kevin Pillar's goodbye post to Toronto is clouded in mixed messaging

Andrew Zuber
Now that Kevin Pillar is settled in San Francisco, he passed along some kind words for the people of Toronto.
Now that Kevin Pillar is settled in San Francisco, he passed along some kind words for the people of Toronto.

Now that the dust has settled on Kevin Pillar’s hasty exit from the Toronto Blue Jays organization, the outfielder finally took some time to officially say goodbye to the city that he called home for a little over six seasons.

Pillar, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants last week, posted his message on Monday via Instagram, saying goodbye to the fans and the only organization he’d known for his entire career.

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I don’t know where to start but the last couple days have been some of the most difficult and challenging days of my career. After trying to get myself and family settled in a new city and organization, I have finally had a chance to process my feelings… Thank you isn’t enough Toronto. I gave you my heart and you gave me yours back. I was just a California kid who always had a dream of playing in the big leagues. Never in my wildest dreams would I be playing 3,000 miles away from home in a different country. On August 14, 2013 I made my MLB debut in Toronto but what I didn’t know is you would be my home for the next 7 years of my life. To AA, Paul Beeston, and especially the guy who drafted me, Kevin Fox, thanks for believing in a 21 year old D2 baseball player. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to prove that I could not only reach the big leagues but become an everyday center fielder. To the staff, trainers, stadium employees, clubhouse staff: thank you for your constant love and support and always making me and my family feel like family. You all touched my heart in a way that I will never forget. To my teammates: thank you for the most unbelievable ride. We had some challenging years but we also had some pretty magical and incredible years. Despite the ups and downs of a season, you guys were the ones who made me want to play as hard as I could every single day, regardless of the score. To the fans: Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have been the most incredible, honest, passionate fans from coast to coast. You will always have a special place in my heart and for that, I can’t thank you enough.

A post shared by Kevin Pillar (@kpillar11) on Apr 8, 2019 at 12:02pm PDT

I don’t know where to start but the last couple days have been some of the most difficult and challenging days of my career. After trying to get myself and family settled in a new city and organization, I have finally had a chance to process my feelings… Thank you isn’t enough Toronto. I gave you my heart and you gave me yours back.

To the fans: Thank you, thank you, thank you! You have been the most incredible, honest, passionate fans from coast to coast. You will always have a special place in my heart and for that, I can’t thank you enough.

Pillar, who was emotional in his exit interview on the day of the trade, spreads the thank-you’s around to every corner of the Blue Jays organization in the post. Clubhouse attendants, Paul Beeston, scouts, trainers, staff, and especially the fans all receive their due acknowledgements.

A 30th-round pick who worked his way up to an every-day player in centrefield for a two-time ALCS team, Pillar was a fan favourite in Toronto. His defensive highlight reel spoke for itself, and his hustle-first attitude was a perfect fit in the city’s sport zeitgeist.

But as Pillar continues to settle in with the Giants, the outfielder seems to be finding that the grass may be a bit greener in San Francisco. His thank you to the fans in Toronto comes just a couple of days after he shared with reporters just how much he’s been digging the vibe in the Giants’ clubhouse.

It’s a little cryptic, but the video below could create some fairly mixed messaging when coupled with Pillar’s thank you note to the Blue Jays organization.

“Coming in after the win, to see this environment, it was something I haven’t experienced in all my years in the big leagues,” Pillar shared with the media on Saturday after a win over the Tampa Bay Rays. “Just coming into the clubhouse with these lights on the the fog machine, you just see guys genuinely happy for each other.

“There’s no one who’s feeling sorry for themselves after maybe shovelling at the plate a little bit, or maybe not getting some outs on the mound. Everyone was genuinely happy for Connor [Joe Connor] getting his first hit, and Breg [Travis Bergen] getting his first win. I just can’t thank these guys enough for the way they embraced me and made me feel a part of their family.”

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