In one of the biggest signs of highway robbery, Los Angeles Dodgers
center fielder Matt Kemp finished second to Milwaukee Brewers left
fielder Ryan Braun in last season’s National League Most Valuable Player
voting. Kemp led The NL in home runs (39) and runs batted in (126)
while finishing third in batting average at .324. Braun played on a
division winning team while Kemp did not. The MVP Award is not about the
best team, but about the best player. More fuel was added to the fire
for Kemp being snubbed last December when reports surfaced of Braun
failing a drug test last season due to high levels of testosterone
caused by a performance-enhancing drug. Braun fought the test and won
his appeal on a technicality being that his test was not shipped
immediately to the lab for evaluation. Braun won, but in the court of
public opinion he looked guilty which further vilified Kemp’s case to be
NL MVP.
Kemp never complained about being snubbed and in 2012 he is letting
his play do the talking. The Major League Baseball season is only a few
weeks old and Kemp has come out of the gates blazing. Kemp’s .420
batting average, 9 long balls, and 22 runs batted in all lead The NL and
he is on pace to hit over 40 home runs this season.
Kemp is also playing with a different peace of mind. The Dodgers
rewarded Kemp’s work with an 8-year, $160 million contract extension in
the off-season. Prior to this season starting, a group of investors led
by Basketball Hall of Famer and former Los Angeles Lakers point guard
Earvin “Magic” Johnson agreed to purchase The Dodgers from Frank McCourt
for an estimated $2 billion. Everything that Johnson touches turns to
gold as he added to the success of The Lakers by helping the franchise
win five NBA Championships in the 80s. Johnson has also had success in
real estate and owning movie theaters around the country and it won’t be
long before that success translates to The Dodgers.
Kemp will be at the centerpiece of what will be something special in
Los Angeles. Kemp’s play reminds people of the glory days of The
Dodgers when the team was littered with Hall of Famers such as Duke
Snider. There is a great buzz currently around The Dodgers as fans are
thinking about The World Series. Kemp is currently surrounded by a core
of young Dodger talent such as right fielder Andre Ethier and first
baseman James Loney. At 27-years of age and in the second largest media
market in America, Kemp is only scratching the surface of the
opportunities at hand. At 6’3” 225 lbs., Kemp has the look of a wide
receiver for The USC Trojans as he can run like a gazelle on the base
paths. Kemp missed out on baseball’s elusive 40-40 club last season by
one home run and he wants to be the first man with 50 home runs and 50
stolen bases in the same season. Kemp is made for Hollywood as he has
had a previous relationship with Pop sensation Rihanna. Fresh off his
first All-Star Game appearance last season and being jerked out of The
MVP Award, the future looks bright in Southern California for Mr. Kemp.
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