Matt Kemp: 160 Million Ways to Say Thank You

Three years ago, I wrote a story in the LA Sentinel saying why the Dodgers needed to keep Matt Kemp instead of trade him. At the time, Kemp was talented but raw. He struck out a lot and despite his power, some in the Dodgers organization felt he'd be worth more giving him up instead of banking of his promise.

I asked the team to wait and see because Kemp was far too valuable to part with and if he ever put it together, he'd reward the team for their loyalty. All I can say now is I'm glad they didn't because now we have Kemp on the hook for the next eight years for 160 million. 

I'm proud of Kemp for not just his on-field performance, one of the best I've ever witnessed as a Dodgers fan, but becoming a leader in the clubhouse. When I covered the Dodgers closely in 2008 and 2009, Kemp was young and uncomfortable in the spotlight. He clashed with Jeff Kent and he was a source of frustration. It didn't make matters worse that after his great 2009 season, he dated Rihanna and then turned into the old Kemp in 2010.

It would've been easy for him to sulk but instead he worked harder. According to a source who covers the team, he became a bigger leader this year and was front and center when the media came looking for quotes. When the team was floundering in off-field drama over Frank McCourt's divorce and the MLB takeover, Kemp led the team by example with his play.

I attended a game this year and during pregame workouts, I noticed how Kemp and a few others walked to the stands and signed autographs. In the midst of a tough season, I appreciated that effort because it'd be easy to ignore the fans. It showed me that Kemp was leading by example and his presence in the clubhouse was magnetic. 

My favorite Kemp moment in 2011? I could pick his walkoff home run vs. Atlanta on April 25 that I watched before work. I could say the entire second half where his push toward 40-40 along with Clayton Kershaw's dominance made every game watchable. But I'm picking his two home-run game vs. Cincinnati in June.

He hit a solo home run in the 7th inning. Then with the bases loaded in the 8th, he hit a grand slam to cap a 5-run comeback on the road. The Dodgers won in 11 innings but watching that game, it showed me Kemp was ready to put the team on his back and inspire everyone to play better.

That's the beauty of soul power- the nickname I give every power shot by him and the Black ballplayers. It's contagious because everyone loves soul. And Kemp is fast on his way to becoming a beloved Dodger on and off the field.

He's a rich man because he never quit. Not when the team was ready to give up on him twice. He kept fighting and his contagious presence inspired others. I loved watching the Dodgers get a walkoff hit because Kemp would be the first one off the bench to tackle someone, with pure joy on his face. The Dodgers are his team and he, Kershaw and hopefully Ethier will be leading this team into the next decade.

Seeing Dee Gordon gravitate towards Kemp reminds me how Kemp used to do that with Orlando Hudson.

He was a big reason why Dodgers fans kept loving this team because no matter what, he kept producing. And now he has the richest contract in Dodgers and National League history. If this is the last act of Frank McCourt, it'll be a bright sign of a stained legacy of his ownership.

Congrats to Soul Bro. #27, it's been great seeing you grow. Thank you for the memories past and future and here's hoping you get one more reward next week from the baseball writers. 

Hideo Nomo's No-No (15 Years Ago)

I'm still on a high from my birthday celebrations this past weekend so I'd figure I'd reflect on my favorite Dodgers memory that happened around that time.

15 years ago on my birthday (9/17), one of the best moments of my baseball life happened. My favorite pitcher at the time, Hideo Nomo, stepped into Coors Field and pitched a no-hitter, one of the greatest performances in recent baseball history.

You might think I'm crazy but consider this. Coors Field was nicknamed Coors Canaveral because balls were flying out of there like they were rockets at Cape Canaveral. It wasn't surprising to see both teams combine for 14-16 runs on average.

Also those mid-90's Rockies teams had a great lineup. Eric Young leading off. Dante Bichette, Ellis Burks, Vinny Castilla and Andres Galarraga all hit 30+ home runs and 110+ RBI's. And of course, the great Larry Walker who had a monster bat but was injured often in 1996.

Not only did Nomo no-hit probably one of baseball's toughest lineups, he did it in the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. I stand by my statement that it may not be the most dominating performance of recent years (Kerry Wood's 20 K's; Pedro's 1-hit, 17K gem; Doc Halladay's playoff no hitter are high on that list)  but it's one of the most incredible performances given the situation and the lineup.

I regret missing it because I was probably busy doing HW or enjoying my presents. But I remember reading the paper that day and being amazed that Nomo, of all people, had threw it. It was the best birthday present I could've gotten from sports. Even better is that Nomo later threw a no-hitter for Boston in 2001.

Folks might forget but Nomo's debut season in 1995 was a big deal. He had his own shoe, his jersey became a hot seller (later immortalized in Lil Kim's Crush on You) and he was a big a phenomenon in L.A. almost as Fernandomania with his Tornado delivery and crossover style. It was amazing and I'll never forget every outing being highly anticipated - something I'm only seeing now with Young Prince Clayton Kershaw.

How I Became A Sports Fan

This is something I'm surprised I didn't do sooner. But I guess it's time to share how I became such a huge sports fan because it's not your typical road to being the junkie that I am right now. 

My first sports memory was my mom watching the 1991 NBA Finals and remembering the end seeing Michael Jordan and Co. celebrate. I had no awareness as a 6-year-old what I was watching but I think I was mad and I didn't want to wear any Bulls gear. That might have been the start of my hatred of the Michael Jordan era even though I didn't really become a sports fan. 

(Technically, Mom gave me earlier sports memories because she says I'd look at her confused while she'd go nuts over the Showtime Lakers. But I digress)

The next summer, I played T-Ball with some friends of mine from school. People might be surprised baseball was the first sport I ever played but I wasn't really that good. I just loved hitting the ball and that first season, I got a lot of doubles. 

But my best memory was winning the game ball for hitting a "home run" in the semifinals - a HR that was more like reaching 1st on an error then running to 2nd and seeing the ball thrown into the outfield then running all the way home when the ball got thrown past the dugout. We may have lost in the finals, but that apple cider shower we all had was great!

Not exactly Al Bundy scoring 4 TD's in one game but it's my moment, alright? Thanks to T-Ball for two years and the Sandlot and Rookie of the Year in theaters, I became a Dodgers fan and started memorizing names like Eric Karros, Mike Scioscia, Kevin Gross and Darryl Strawberry. It later included Mike Piazza and Hideo Nomo, whose arrival I still remember driving folks into a frenzy.

The mid-90's also brought me into hockey briefly thanks to the Mighty Ducks and Wayne Gretzky. I owned the LA Gear Gretzkys and those movies had everyone wanting to be the man like Charlie Conway or super cool like Russ and his knucklepuck. They made hockey cool no matter what race you were and of course, Gretzky made LA Hockeytown for his brief stay. 

I became a Cowboys fan during Super Bowl XXVII when I watched at home with the game in Pasadena. When I watched them play next year, I became a bigger fan. Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin became my favorite players and I dug into the team's history. That led me to start watching Monday Night Football with my Dad and I taught myself who the best teams were and the best players. The 1995 Cowboys were the first time I really followed from start to finish and that's the first football season that got me started. 

I never liked the Raiders or Rams so seeing them leave in 1994 was no big deal to me. I hated how folks still wore Raiders gear and their fanbase scared me. The Rams were so terrible, it was like good riddance. 

Shaquille O'Neal got me into the NBA and I became an Orlando Magic fan before I became a Lakers fan. I had to teach myself how to play and who the best teams were. As I grew up watching Shaq and Penny, I also grew up with Nick Van Exel, Eddie Jones, Elden Campbell and going to sleep listening to Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz host the postgame chatter. I used to rent NBA highlight videos from Blockbuster and study all the players and their moves and I'd also buy NBA Almanacs to study the history of the game. 

And when Shaq came to the Lakers? I was actually upset because I wanted a Magic jersey and I bought it the summer after he got traded. But I was happy that my favorite player was coming to the West Coast, more excited than some HS kid we traded for who was more known for dating Brandy as well as his incredible talent. 

That was the start of me watching Fox Sports Net, which just debuted that year so I'd watch that for TV recaps of the day. I knew all of the local sportscasters by heart - Todd "Take a Hike" Donoho on ABC, Fred Roggin on NBC and Jim Hill on CBS - and I'd watch them at 5 and 6 p.m. break down local sports to a science. 

Around that same time, I started reading the sports pages every day. I'd go to school with a copy of the LA Times and read the sports section and comics religiously. By the time I turned 12 in 1996 as I entered junior high school, my sports fandom education was complete - although I had a lot to learn as I got older. 

I pretty much learned a lot about sports through experience and self-teaching. I didn't grow up thinking my teams were the greatest because except for the Cowboys, they weren't. My dad watched games with me but he didn't pass down any knowledge as much as he spent time with me watching and talking about what I saw (he always loved to needle me about the Bulls breaking my heart every holiday as much as my cousins did). 

I grew up hearing Chick Hearn criticize the Lakers on air as much as he'd praise them and put games in the refrigerator. I grew up hearing Vin Scully's easy yet authoritative and professional voice tell it like it was with the Dodgers with no bluster. To me, I never had a reason to be a homer fan because my examples weren't super fans who didn't treat their team as gods. They were stars but not beyond criticism and if the voice of the team could be impartial yet loyal, so could I.

Being a LA sports fan in the 90's was fun but challenging. Nobody won titles besides UCLA basketball (who won that 1995 title right when I became interested in the school) but you connected to players and a team identity. You liked the Dodgers' young core of 5 straight Rookies of the Year, you enjoyed The Lake Show, you enjoyed Wayne Gretzky still in his prime. I loved watching the Cowboys win 10-12 games a year and get geeked to play the 49ers every year in a classic. 

All of this I mainly discovered a lot on my own and my family pretty much let me be without influencing my team preferences. And that's how I ended up seeing sports and my teams today. 

One more note: I became a Duke fan in 1998-99 when I saw Elton Brand and Co. run through college basketball. I became a Chargers fan in 2002 when I started attending school in San Diego and for the first time, saw a city rally around a football team.

Maybe I'll do a Part 2 describing my first time attending a sport event and how weird it was to attend my first ever football game at 18. 

I Present...The Death....of the 2010 Dodgers

(A Ball of Confusion Finally Comes Undone)

*Dodgers fan file into Chavez Ravine, dressed in Blue. The fine organist Nancy Bea Headley plays a funeral dirge as yours truly steps to the microphone in a somber mood*

We've come today to bury the 2010 Dodgers season - a season expected to be a struggle experts said. But nobody could've foreseen this ending coming.

We thought they were dead last week after San Diego laid a thrashing on them. They tried to fight their way back with some hope, but like a wagon with its wheels barely hanging on, you knew it was gonna end badly at some point.

Let the record show time of death was around 8 p.m. PST - after closer Jonathan Broxton faced his 4th batter with 0 outs and promptly allowed a long hit to left-center field to end the Phillies 2-inning, 8-run rally (my fingers cringe typing that). Detectives will also find fingerprints of Ronald Belisario (gave up 4 runs in the 8th) and Casey Blake (a costly error) from last night's slaughter.

(I read tweets and said no. I read the box score and said NOOOOOOOOOOOO. I watched Sportscenter and was speechless. How in the world do you blow a 7-run lead with 6 outs to go? How do you not get anybody out in the 9th inning before you throw gasoline on a lit fuse??)

Broxton might also have evidence of rattled nerves and shell shock after being back in Philadelphia - site of his blown save in last year's NLCS and the team he also blew a save against in 2008. Stats against Philly: 9.82 ERA and 3 blown saves. No secret he gets scared when he sees that P on a jersey.

(This is playing on Jonathan Broxton's I-pod as the team lands in Atlanta)

But an autopsy will show why the Dodgers were on life support since the All-Star Break - not enough spirit at the plate where they couldn't score often and watched better teams put up runs on an overworked, tired bullpen.

Perhaps the murderer all along was Joe Torre - the touted team builder in charge of overworking his bullpen. If his fingerprints are all over Broxton and Sherrill getting no rest, then it's his fault for that overlooked flaw of going to the pen far too often and not let his starters finish the course.

(Quiet as kept: The Dodgers starters have started to come around - esp. Vicente Padilla. The last signs of life came when Padilla pitched a brilliant 2-hitter last week against San Diego. Like a wounded animal getting one last good shot before being killed).

Detectives might bring in Matt Kemp for questioning - he of the Silver Slugger/Gold Glove last year whose numbers have dropped sharply after a great April. His fielding now looks middle of the road and struggling to grow has been a huge problem for fans and coaches.

(Ushers should pass this around Dodgers Stadium)

By the way, Blame the coaches for making him a public example by benching him. This reeks of what happened to Orlando Hudson last year. You go down fighting with your best - benchings should help in slumps but this feels personal like the staff gave up on him. Kemp's gotta get better and put it together but airing him out publicly and singling him out is not the answer (Ned Colletti already saw this backfire earlier this year)

Whatever the case, this team can't score enough runs to save its life. Mannywood was quietly whitewashed away, ending a great two-year run that will see Manny part ways not a beloved hero but thanks for the memories, adios guy. Russell Martin added weight and became more injury prone this year - another sharp slide from his great 2007 season.

James Loney and Andre Ethier have arguably been our most consistent hitters but they've struggled in the 2nd half and it reminds us that our best power hitters aren't even threats to hit 30 home runs.

It's been frustrating to watch this team not build on the youthful promise they have. They have great pitching but Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw are not the solid aces yet. And like I said, when Vicente Padilla is your best pitcher (doing the same thing Randy Wolf and Derek Lowe the last two years), you're in trouble.

Ted Lilly has tried to stop the bleeding with 2 great outings after his trade, but he's walked into a team that's been bleeding nonstop for 3 weeks. Thanks for the Band-Aid, though.

Maybe this year had a bad omen stemming from the impending divorce of the owners during the NLCS. Frank and Jamie McCourt's messy breakup has put this team in financial limbo as well as making us wonder if they'll still keep the team.

Either way, the season's over. We're playing for pride from here on out. Last night was a game that drives a man to drink, kick his dog and curl into a ball after watching the highlights. See you next spring, get better and find some more live bats.

Epilogue from Yahoo Sports MLB Blog: The Dodgers should just donate the rest of their games to charity

Sooooooul Power FTW! (Loney Doin Work)

(The scene at home plate after James Loney's walkoff blast today)

Of all the Dodgers' top players - the last one I'd expect to hit a home run at Dodger Stadium is James Loney. He only hit one of his 13 there last season. He's far from a power hitter but he simply hits for average, drives in runs like crazy and plays Gold Glove caliber defense at first.

So imagine the shock and awe I had when Soul Brother #7 sent an Oliver Perez pitch in the 13th inning to the right field seats to beat the Mets. My favorite Dodger who's been the most consistent hitter for the team all season finally got a chance to earn some praise from the Dodger faithful.

On the field, he has great discipline at the plate, great timing and knows how to get on base. Joe Torre has often said he reminds him of his great Yankee centerfielder Bernie Williams.

Over the last two postseasons, no Dodgers hitter was more consistent and potent than Loney. Ask the Cubs against his grand slam in 2008 NLDS or the Phillies about his two homers in last year's NLCS.

You wanna talk about consistent? Dude's hit for 13 Homers and 90 RBI's in 2008 and 2009. He's on pace to possibly do that again with the chance to get 100 RBI's. That's throwback numbers to the days when non-power hitters found ways to win by get on base and driving in runs.

But it doesn't say why he's my favorite Dodger. It's because he's underrated despite the fact he's been our best first baseman since Eric Karros.

He's in the National League's top 5 in RBI's, doubles and hits and is hitting over .300 but because we're in an era of great power hitting first baseman (Pujols, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Justin Morneau, Miggy Cabrera, Kevin Youkilis, Adrian Gonzalez), he gets overshadowed. He's overshadowed on a team with stars like Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Manny Ramirez and Rafael Furcal.

But that's his nature. Quiet, professional, humble, goes about his business. Whenever I interviewed him in the clubhouse, he was chill and always answered questions in a laid-back manner. I respected him because he wasn't flashy and played the game the right way. A tribute to his upbringing in Houston.

That's why he's my favorite Dodger. He handles his business, jokes behind the scenes and embodies what it means to be a major leaguer. And that's why I'm so happy for him today! First career game winning shot and a bear hug from partner in crime Matt Kemp.

Juan Pierre story link

Here's a link to my story about Juan Pierre stepping into Manny Ramirez's role. I also included a Dodgers Notebook with some observations from last week. Enjoy.

http://www.lasentinel.net/PIERRE-Slides-Back-into-Starring-Role.html

http://www.lasentinel.net/Dodgers-Notebook-Paul-Makes-It-A-Six-Pack.html