ST. PETERSBURG -- Brett Phillips has a new uniform with the Rays.
The fan-favorite outfielder, who grew up rooting for the team before playing a big part in one of the franchise’s most memorable moments, the walk-off win in Game 4 of the 2020 World Series, has rejoined the organization as the Rays’ new brand engagement executive.
Phillips was busy in his new role during Saturday’s Fan Fest Block Party outside Tropicana Field. Wearing a Columbia blue Rays polo shirt and dress pants, the ever-energetic 31-year-old greeted fans and season ticket holders and hosted an event on the main stage titled, unsurprisingly, “Baseball Is Fun.”
Expect to see quite a bit of Phillips around Tropicana Field this season. His ambassador-type position doesn’t have a set job description, but fan outreach is clearly central to what he hopes to bring to the organization.
“I was like, 'What's going to give me purpose?' And I just keep going back to the Rays' fans, really,” Phillips said before taking the stage Saturday afternoon. “I had the best moments of my career, and, quite frankly, throughout my childhood, my life as well, coming up here. So this just makes sense to come back in a position to bring value.
“Obviously, this is a business. How can Brett Phillips bring value? And that starts with our fanbase, making them feel appreciated -- not that they don't, but I can add to that experience.”
Phillips said he will be around and available inside the Trop’s lounge areas before games, showing special attention to season members. He’ll do some work with the club’s corporate sponsors, make appearances at community events and, perhaps, make some broadcast appearances. He already represented the Rays at December’s MLB Draft Lottery -- and brought some good luck with him, as they landed the No. 2 overall pick.
Mostly, he just wants to be out among the fans.
And who better to take on that role than Phillips, who was a fan of Tampa Bay’s team before he played here for parts of three seasons? Even when his role was limited, few players engaged fans quite like the Seminole High product, who signed autographs and took pictures with long lines of fans by the home dugout before games as a player.
“He loves being here. I think everybody's just excited to have him home,” Babby said. “I told him every time we get a win, he's got to do the airplane arms, and so we'll look forward to seeing that. He's a part of the Rays family. He's always been a part of the Rays family, and he always will be a part of the Rays family.”
Phillips said this felt like a natural way to start his post-playing career. The speedy, smooth-fielding outfielder tried to reinvent himself as a pitcher, but that only served as a transition period away from the field.
“Honestly, it's very important to me as an individual to prove to myself that I'm a big leaguer off the field, and what's going to continue to give me purpose?” he said.
As the Rays were going through an ownership change, Phillips reached out to president of baseball operations Erik Neander and assistant GM Kevin Ibach. Coaching remains in the back of his mind, but the grind of a season wasn’t immediately appealing with a 15-month-old daughter, so he made a different pitch.
That led to an opportunity to sit down with Babby and, ultimately, a return home to the Rays.
“Right now they're like, 'We don't want to really cap you out and write a description of what you're solely going to be doing,’” Phillips said. “I'm so excited to be in this position and doing what I love to do, and that's just communicating to our fanbase and loving on people.”