Farewell Jeff Kent
January 21st 2009 21:38
After 17 seasons, Jeff Kent announced he is hanging up the cleats. He leaves the game with the most home runs ever hit by a second baseman and reached 100 RBIs in eight seasons. His 351 home runs is 74 more than the next closest second baseman, Hall of Famer Ryan Sandberg. His total home runs, RBIs, and his career batting average of .290 should make him a potential Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in five years.
Last season, Kent became the first 40-year-old in Dodgers' history to start the season as a starting positional player. He struggled in the first half of the season hitting .253, but turned it on in August when Manny Ramirez was acquired from the Red Sox. He was hitting .353 in August before injuring his knee, which required surgery in early September. He returned for the playoffs but as a bench player after Blake DeWitt was moved to second base to accommodate the acquisition of Casey Blake. The team made a commitment to Blake after signing him to a multi-year deal, and said they were going to permanently move DeWitt to second base. That would force Kent to the free agent market.
Fans might miss Kent's presence on the field, but he was never known to be a clubhouse guy. He had encounters with Barry Bonds and Milton Bradley in the dugout, and was part of a reported divide between the older and younger players in the Dodgers clubhouse that caused the departure of Grady Little. A source also told baseballer.com that at the beginning of his career, Kent refused to switch positions to benefit the organization from promoting a top prospect to the major leagues. Instead the organization had to make a decision and decided to keep Kent and trade the prospect.
In five years the discussion will be debated on if Kent is a Hall of Famer and with the numbers he has produced he most likely will get in on the first ballot. The only sure Hall of Famer in the 2013 class is Greg Maddux so Kent's chances are very good.
Fans might miss Kent's presence on the field, but he was never known to be a clubhouse guy. He had encounters with Barry Bonds and Milton Bradley in the dugout, and was part of a reported divide between the older and younger players in the Dodgers clubhouse that caused the departure of Grady Little. A source also told baseballer.com that at the beginning of his career, Kent refused to switch positions to benefit the organization from promoting a top prospect to the major leagues. Instead the organization had to make a decision and decided to keep Kent and trade the prospect.
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