Matt Kemp
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Matthew Ryan Kemp (born September 23, 1984) is an American former professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
. He began his professional career in the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
organization in 2003, and played in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) with the Dodgers from 2006 until 2014, the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
in 2015 and 2016 and the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
in 2016 and 2017 before returning to the Dodgers for the 2018 season, and briefly playing for the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
in 2019 and
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
in 2020. He was named to three All-Star teams and won two
Gold Glove Awards The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances. It is awarded at each fieldin ...
(2009 and 2011) and two
Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best Batting (baseball), offensive player at each Baseball positions, position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL), as determ ...
s (2009 and 2011). The Dodgers selected Kemp in the sixth round of the 2003 MLB draft. After four seasons in the
minor leagues Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...
, he made his major league debut in 2006. He did not become a full-time player until 2008, when he took over as the starting
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
for the Dodgers. In 2011, Kemp led the
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
in
runs scored In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted bal ...
(115),
total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hit (baseball), hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single (baseball), single, 2 for a double (baseball), double, 3 for a triple (baseball), triple and 4 ...
(353), OPS+ (171),
WAR War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
(7.8),
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s (39), and
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(126). Additionally, he became the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since
Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one ...
in
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
.


Early life

Kemp was born in
Midwest City, Oklahoma Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,409, making it the eighth largest city in the state. The city was developed in r ...
, the son of Carl Kemp and Judy Henderson, who never married. He was raised in Oklahoma by his mother, a registered nurse, and grandmother. When he was 13, his mother had another son, Tyler, who was born prematurely and died at age one. Kemp attended Midwest City High School, where he was a standout in basketball and baseball. He was teammates with Shelden Williams on the varsity basketball team that won the state title two years in a row, and the team was ranked third in the nation at one point. Kemp himself was an All-City selection, and averaged 20 points a game. Kemp received a scholarship offer to play
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...
.


Professional career


Draft and minor leagues

The
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
selected Kemp in the sixth round of the 2003 MLB draft. He signed with the team on June 5, 2003, for a $130,000
signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...
. Kemp started his professional career for the Gulf Coast Dodgers in 2003 and followed that up with stints with the Columbus Catfish in 2004 and the Vero Beach Dodgers in 2004–05. At Columbus and Vero Beach, Kemp improved his power numbers. After hitting just a single
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
in 43 games, Kemp became more of a power hitter. In 2004 with Columbus, he belted 18 home runs to go along with 27 doubles in 122 games, and in 2005, he belted 27 home runs to go along with 21
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
s in 109 games. He was selected to the
Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
All-Star team in 2005, and set Vero Beach franchise records for home runs (27) and
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
(.569).


Los Angeles Dodgers (2006–2014)


2006: rookie year

Kemp began 2006 with the AA Jacksonville Suns, where he hit .327 with seven homers, 34
runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...
(RBIs) and 11 steals, prompting a promotion to the major league squad. His promotion was spurred by an effort to provide regular rest for aging
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
Kenny Lofton Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th among ...
and the often injured
right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...
All-Star J. D. Drew. Kemp made his major league debut with the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
on May 28, 2006, against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
. He got his first career major league hit that same game, a single off Jon Rauch. He hit his first Major League homer on June 1 in his second
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
off the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
' Gavin Floyd. Kemp homered in three straight games from June 1–3 against the Phillies and homered twice on June 11 off
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
starter Aaron Cook. He also became the first Dodger and fifth major league player to hit four homers in his first 10 days with the team. After his fast start, Kemp slumped and hit only .234 with no homers from June 14 through July 13, when he was reassigned to the AAA Las Vegas 51s. He returned to the team when rosters expanded on September 1. In his second stint in the Majors, Kemp struggled. He batted just .156 with a .182
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
and a .250
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
in September and October combined. By season's end, Kemp showed some power, with seven home runs and speed, with six stolen bases but he struggled with his
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
and getting on base. He batted just .253 and posted an on-base percentage of .289.


2007

Kemp started the 2007 season on the major league roster but lost his place after suffering a shoulder injury while running into the outfield fence at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
. Upon his return from the injury, he was optioned back to Las Vegas. Returning to Triple-A and playing for the Las Vegas 51s, Kemp played well in his short stint. In just 39 games, he had a .329
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, .374
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
, and a .540
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
. He hit four home runs, drove in 20 runs, and stole nine bases out of 11 attempts. He was recalled to the Dodgers on June 8. He enjoyed an outstanding sophomore campaign with the bat batting .342, clubbing 10 home runs, and driving in 42 runs.


2008

Kemp became the starting
right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
in 2008. He hit his first career grand slam, off Mark Redman, on April 26 against the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
. Kemp drove in the first run of the game for the Dodgers, a sacrifice fly in the first inning that scored Juan Pierre. After driving in 11 runs and stealing six bases. He was named " National League Player of the Week" for the week of April 28 – May 4. After a knee injury to
Andruw Jones Andruw Rudolf Jones (; born April 23, 1977) is a Curaçaoan former professional baseball center fielder who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), most notably for the Atlanta Braves. Jones also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tex ...
, Kemp became the Dodgers' regular
center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...
, moving over from right field. His best month of the season was in July, in which he had a .324 batting average, .402 on-base percentage, .537 slugging percentage to go along with five home runs, 14 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. That month also sparked Kemp's career high 19-game
hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 pl ...
, which lasted from July 9 through August 1, ending with a hitless performance on August 2. However, Kemp got back on track the next night by having a three-hit game to go along with a home run. He finished the season with a .290 average, 18 homers and 76 RBI. Kemp was also second on the team in stolen bases with 35. In addition, he set a Dodgers record with 153 strikeouts in a season. In his first career postseason game, Kemp went 1 for 4 with a double. However, he batted just .154 in the 2008 National League Division Series (NLDS) against the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. Both of his hits went for doubles. In the 2008 National League Championship Series (NLCS), against the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
, Kemp did better, batting .333 as the Dodgers lost the series to the eventual
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
champions.


2009

Kemp had his first career walk-off hit on June 16 against the
Oakland A's Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...
. On September 24, he became the first player in Dodger history to hit at least .295, with 25 home runs, 100 RBIs, and 30 steals in one season. He finished the year with .297, 26 home runs, 101 RBI, and 34 steals (third in the NL). His 10 RBIs in
extra innings Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie. Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine regulation innings (in softball and high school baseball games there are typically seven innings; in Little Lea ...
were the most that a player has driven in extra innings since 1991 and he became the first player to reach double-digits in this category since 1982. Kemp hit his first career post-season home run on October 7 in his first at-bat of the
2009 NLDS The 2009 National League Division Series (NLDS) consisted of two concurrent best-of-five playoff, best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a " ...
against the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
. After the season, Kemp was selected as a recipient of both the
Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
and the
Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best Batting (baseball), offensive player at each Baseball positions, position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL), as determ ...
. He also tied a Dodger record with three grand slams in one season.


2010

Kemp began the 2010 season in excellent fashion, hitting seven home runs in the month of April, including four in four days from April 13–16. On June 1, Kemp hit his first career walk-off home run against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
off of relief pitcher J. C. Gutiérrez, giving the Dodgers the only run of the game. Kemp described his first career walk-off home run as "a great feeling". However, he slumped badly in the second half of the season and finished with a .249 batting average, 28 home runs, 89 RBIs, and 19 steals while playing in all 162 games for the first time in his career. He also broke his own single-season Dodger record for strikeouts, with 170. Kemp was the subject of some criticism in 2010 from
General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Ned Colletti, who called him out publicly early in the season for poor baserunning. Kemp had several embarrassing gaffes on the base paths during the season, and was caught stealing 15 times. With runners in scoring position, he hit seven home runs and drove in 61 runs in 160
at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, b ...
. However, he struck out 49 times and batted just .225 in that spot. Against right-handed pitching, he batted just .233 with a .299 on-base percentage, to go along with 22 home runs and 69 RBIs, as opposed to a .295 average against left-handed pitchers. Kemp hit home runs in five straight games to end the season, the first major league player to accomplish that feat and the first Dodger since Shawn Green in the 2001 season to hit homers in five consecutive games. The only other Dodgers to homer in five consecutive games are
Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American professional baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering ...
(1950), Adrián González (2014–15), and Joc Pederson (2015).


2011

After his much publicized problems on the base paths the previous season, Kemp arrived at spring training early to work with new Dodger coach Davey Lopes on his base running. Kemp announced his intention to steal 40 bases this season and Lopes hoped they would be high percentage steals. At the end of the season, Kemp had the 40 steals and was only caught 11 times, a significant improvement in percentage from the previous year, and his work with Lopes was credited for much of the improvement. On April 17, Kemp hit his second career walk-off home run, doing it in the ninth inning off of
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
closer Ryan Franklin, on a 2–2 count that gave the Dodgers a 2–1 victory." In a game against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
five days later, Kemp hit his second walk-off home run of the season, this time in the 12th inning, off Braves pitcher Cristhian Martínez. After being one of the league leaders in home runs, stolen bases, RBIs, and batting average during the first half of the season, Kemp was voted as a starter for the National League squad in the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Arizona. He also accepted an invitation to participate in the
Home Run Derby The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context ...
at the All-Star Game. The day before the
All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that showcases the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or division, bu ...
, Giants' manager and 2011 NL All-Star Manager,
Bruce Bochy Bruce Douglas Bochy (; born April 16, 1955) is an American professional baseball Manager (baseball), manager and former catcher who is the manager of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his playing ...
, announced his decision to bat Kemp third in the line up. Explaining his decision, Bochy said about Kemp, "He's a guy with speed, power, a guy that can beat you with a base hit or a long ball. He's what you call a complete player – tremendous defender, but more so in the 3-hole, he can do so many things for you. He's so dangerous." Kemp, with a single and a walk, became the first Dodger to reach base twice in an All-Star Game since Mike Piazza in 1996. Kemp hit his 30th home run of the season on August 26, and in the process became the second Dodger player of all time to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 30 bases in the same season (
30–30 club In Major League Baseball (MLB), the 30–30 club is the group of 47 Batter (baseball), batters who have collected 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a single season. ''Baseball Digest'' called the 30–30 club "the most celebrated feat that can ...
). The only other one was
Raúl Mondesí Raúl Ramón Mondesí Avelino (born March 12, 1971) is a Dominican former politician and baseball player. Mondesí played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 13 seasons, primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and made his MLB debut with them in ...
in the
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
and 1999 seasons. He picked up his 40th stolen base on September 17, becoming the 18th Major Leaguer and first Dodger in history to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 40 bases. Kemp also scored his 100th run of the season, making him just the 10th L.A. Dodger to score 100 runs and have 100 RBIs in a season, and the first since Jeff Kent in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
. He hit his 35th home run on September 21, making him the 14th Major Leaguer (and first since Alfonso Soriano in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
) to hit at least 35 home runs and steal at least 35 bases in a season. On September 20, the Dodgers announced Kemp was selected by his teammates as the recipient of the 2011 Roy Campanella Award, which is given annually to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late
Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American professional baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering ...
. He also won the NL Player of the Week Award for the week of September 19–25, 2011 after he hit .423 (11 for 26) with nine runs scored and three home runs during that week. Kemp wound up hitting 39 home runs in 2011 with 126 RBIs, leading the league in both categories, the first Dodger to do so since Dolph Camilli in the 1941 season. He also led the league in runs scored (115),
total bases In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hit (baseball), hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single (baseball), single, 2 for a double (baseball), double, 3 for a triple (baseball), triple and 4 ...
(353), OPS+ (171), and
WAR War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
(10.0). He finished second in slugging percentage (.586), OPS (.986), extra base hits (76), and stolen bases (40, tied), and third in batting average (.324) and outfield assists (11). He also led the National League in power-speed number (39.5). Kemp also extended his games played streak to 364 games, as he played in every game of the season. He was the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since
Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. Considered one ...
in the 1963 season. After struggling to hit with runners in scoring position the previous year, Kemp bounced back and hit well with runners in scoring position. In 155 at-bats with runners in scoring position, he hit .335 (52-for-155) with 13 home runs and 87 RBIs. And against right-handers, he batted .319 (150-for-470) with 28 home runs and 94 RBIs. Kemp was selected for a number of post-season awards, including the Baseball America Major League Player of the Year, the Hank Aaron Award for the top hitter in the National League (the first Dodger player to ever win the award) the
Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual Fielding (baseball), fielding performances. It is awar ...
and the
Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best Batting (baseball), offensive player at each Baseball positions, position in both the American League (AL) and the National League (baseball), National League (NL), as determ ...
. On October 27, he was named to the 2011
Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
National League All-Star team. On November 22, Kemp came in second to
Ryan Braun Ryan Joseph Braun (born November 17, 1983) is an American former professional baseball left fielder who played his entire career for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2007 to 2020. Braun also played right fielder, right ...
in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. Later, it was revealed that Braun had tested positive for elevated
testosterone Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone and androgen in Male, males. In humans, testosterone plays a key role in the development of Male reproductive system, male reproductive tissues such as testicles and prostate, as well as promoting se ...
and MLB attempted to suspend him, but lost on appeal. A survey of baseball writers revealed that if the MVP vote was retaken, with knowledge of Braun's positive test, then Kemp would have won. Braun was eventually suspended as part of the Biogenesis scandal. Kemp publicly stated that he believed Braun should be stripped of his MVP Award from that season. After the season, Kemp signed a franchise record eight-year, $160 million contract extension. After signing his extension, he predicted that he would become the first player in history to have a 50–50 season.


2012

Kemp started the 2012 season by winning the National League Player of the Week award for the opening weekend. He hit two home runs and drove in eight RBIs during the opening series against the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
. Kemp was also the first Dodger to record three consecutive multi-hit games to start the season since Adrián Beltré did it in the 2000 season. This was the third time he had won the award, and second consecutive, as he had won it the final week of 2011 as well. On April 10, Kemp became the first LA Dodger to have an RBI in the first five games of the season since J. D. Drew in the 2006 season and, counting the end of the previous season, he had nine straight games with an RBI, tying
Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American professional baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering ...
( 1955 season) and Augie Galan ( 1944 season) for the Dodgers' franchise record. Kemp also won the Player of the Week award for the second week of the season, which, combined with winning the award in the last week of 2011, made him the only player to ever win three consecutive awards. He was also only the second player to win the award twice to begin the season, the other being Tony Armas for the 1981 Athletics. Kemp hit 12–22 with four HRs and a 1.182 slugging percentage, leading the club to its best 10-game start since 1981. Kemp hit his 10th home run of the season on April 25, tying Gary Sheffield's club record for homers in April set in the 2000 season. He broke Sheffield's record with a walk-off homer against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
on April 28. Kemp was also named National League player of the month for April. Kemp was placed on the disabled list on May 14 because of a hamstring injury, ending his streak of 399 consecutive games played, which was the longest in the majors at the time. After his DL stint, he promptly re-injured his hamstring two days later while running the bases, and returned to the DL. Despite missing about two months with injuries, Kemp was voted by the fans as a starter for the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. As he was still on the disabled list, Kemp did not play in the game but he did participate in the
Home Run Derby The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context ...
for the second straight year, hitting one home run in the Derby. Kemp finally returned to the Dodgers lineup on July 13, after missing about two months with his hamstring injury. Kemp's injury woes continued as he crashed into the outfield wall at
Coors Field Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the ballpark of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995 Major League Baseball season, 1995, the park is located in Denver's LoDo, Lower Downtown neighborhood, ...
in
Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...
on August 28, and injured both his knee and his shoulder. He continued to play despite the injuries. Kemp finished the season batting .303 with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs in 106 games. His nine stolen bases were his fewest since his first season. After the season, Kemp underwent surgery on his sore shoulder to repair a torn labrum and some minor damage to his
rotator cuff The rotator cuff (SITS muscles) is a group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the human shoulder and allow for its extensive range of motion. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff. The four muscles a ...
. He was told that he would not be able to swing a bat again until January.


2013

Kemp recorded his 1,000th career hit on May 12, 2013, against the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
. However, Kemp struggled out of the gate in 2013, subsequent to his shoulder surgery in the offseason. On May 27, Kemp went 0-for-5 with 4 strikeouts, and was booed heavily by the majority of the Dodgers crowd. Teammate Adrián González said that Kemp was "trying too hard for the team and the fans." On May 29, Kemp injured his right
hamstring A hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in human anatomy between the hip and the knee: from medial to lateral, the semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris. Etymology The word " ham" is derived from the Old ...
in a game. He left during the seventh inning, and did not return to the game. Kemp was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 30. He spent time rehabbing at Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers spring training home, and was close to returning when he suffered a setback on June 9. Kemp returned to the Dodgers on June 25, after missing 24 games. In that game, Kemp made a game-ending catch while reaching over his shoulder, robbing the Giants' Marco Scutaro of a hit. He returned to the disabled list on July 8, after experiencing pain in his surgically repaired shoulder. He returned from the DL again on July 21 against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, and was 3 for 4 with a home run and a double in the game. However, he injured his ankle in a play at home plate in the ninth inning of the game. After initially expressing optimism that the injury was not serious, he again was placed on the 15-day DL on July 24. Reacting to criticism of his string of injuries, Kemp said: "I'm not made of glass." Kemp's ankle injury took a lot longer to heal than had been expected, and the team reported that they hoped to get him back in September. However, when he finally began his minor league rehab assignment at Class-A
Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County, California, given in 1839 to the dedicated soldier, smuggler and politician Tiburcio Tapia by Mexican governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. The gra ...
in late August, he struggled at the plate and his return date was pushed back. He went hitless in five games, with seven strikeouts, and when the minor league season ended on September 2 he was moved to Camelback Ranch to continue his rehab rather than being activated. A few days later, he experienced tightness in the same hamstring he had hurt earlier in the year, and the Dodgers shut him down indefinitely. He eventually rejoined the Dodgers lineup on September 17, and had four hits (including two doubles) in four at bats. He played regularly in an attempt to get his timing back before the playoffs. However, he was a late scratch from a game on September 28 because of soreness in his ankle. An
MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and rad ...
the following day revealed major swelling in a weight-bearing bone in his ankle. Kemp was told that if he kept playing his ankle could break and leave him with chronic problems for the rest of his career. He was shut down, and the team announced he would not be available for the playoffs and would have surgery to repair the problem. Kemp suffered an
articular The articular bone is part of the lower jaw of most vertebrates, including most jawed fish, amphibians, birds and various kinds of reptiles, as well as ancestral mammals. Anatomy In most vertebrates, the articular bone is connected to two o ...
talar injury requiring microfracture surgery to his talus bone. He appeared in only 73 games in 2013, due to his various injuries. He hit .270 with 6 home runs and 33 RBIs, and a .395 slugging percentage. With the Dodgers crowded outfield situation, Kemp was the subject of much trade speculation after the season. His agent, Dave Stewart, publicly stated that he expected Kemp to be traded during the off-season. However, Stewart later remarked that the team had assured him that it would not be making such a trade.


2014

Recovering from various injuries, Kemp sat out most of spring training and only started playing in minor league rehab games after the Dodgers left for their season-opening series in Australia. He began the season on the disabled list, and rejoined the Dodgers for their home opener in April. Kemp struggled defensively in center field during the first couple of months of the season, a problem that came to a head after a particular bad series for him against the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
in mid-May.
Manager Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
Don Mattingly was openly critical of his outfield play following the series. Immediately afterward, the Dodgers made Andre Ethier the starting center fielder, and informed Kemp that he would be moving to left field. However, he was kept out of the lineup for five straight games as he was learning the new position, and was vocally unhappy about it. After playing in left for several weeks, he was moved to right field, a position he had not played regularly since 2009. He was more comfortable in right which led to the Dodgers moving
Yasiel Puig Yasiel Puig Valdés ( , ; born December 7, 1990) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball right fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Clevelan ...
to center field. The last week of July, he hit five home runs in six games to win Player of the Week honors for the fifth time in his career. He also won Player of the Month for September, when he hit .322 with nine homers and 25 RBI. For the season, Kemp hit .287 with 25 homers and 89 RBI in 150 games. He was second among NL outfielders in errors, with seven.


San Diego Padres (2015–2016)

On December 11, 2014, he was traded to the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
along with Tim Federowicz and $32 million in cash for Joe Wieland, Yasmani Grandal, and Zach Eflin. The trade was not finalized until December 18 due to the Padres expressing some concerns over a physical which revealed Kemp had severe
arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...
in both hips. The Padres attempted to renegotiate the deal after the physical but the Dodgers refused, and the deal was consummated as originally conceived. Kemp played his first game with the Padres during opening day on April 6, 2015, against his old team, the Dodgers. During that game, Kemp drove in all three runs for the Padres, as the team lost to the Dodgers 6-3. On August 14, 2015, on the road against the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
, Kemp became the first player in the Padres' 7,444-game history to
hit for the cycle Hit means to strike someone or something. Hit or HIT may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities * Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super'' * Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization ...
. In the first inning, he hit a two-run home run to center, followed by a single and a double. Kemp finished with a triple to center field in the top of the ninth inning, scoring Yangervis Solarte from first. He finished the night 4-for-5. In the 2015 season, he led NL outfielders in errors, with eight. In 2016 for the Padres, Kemp batted .262/.285/.489.


Atlanta Braves (2016–2017)

On July 30, 2016, the Padres traded Kemp with cash considerations to the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
in exchange for Héctor Olivera. The Braves moved Kemp to left field, a position he had started playing with the Dodgers in 2014. On September 16, in a game against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, Kemp hit a double for the 1,500th hit of his career. On April 11, 2017, Kemp was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to left hamstring tightness. On April 29, Kemp became the first Brave to have a three home run game since Mark Teixeira in 2008. For the 2017 season, he batted .276/.318/.463, while leading the NL in double plays grounded into (with 25), and hitting 19 home runs but, for the first time in his major league career, not stealing any bases.


Second stint with the Dodgers (2018)

On December 16, 2017, the Braves traded Kemp to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Adrián González, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Charlie Culberson and cash considerations. Batting .316 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs, Kemp was voted by the fans to start the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, his third All-Star appearance and first since 2012. Kemp finished the year hitting .290 and 21 home runs Kemp homered in his first career World Series at-bat, off Chris Sale in Game 1 of the
2018 World Series The 2018 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's 2018 Major League Baseball season, 2018 season. The 114th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League ( ...
. The Dodgers lost the series to the Red Sox in five games.


Cincinnati Reds (2019)

On December 21, 2018, the Dodgers traded Kemp to the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, along with
Yasiel Puig Yasiel Puig Valdés ( , ; born December 7, 1990) is a Cuban-born American professional baseball right fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, and Clevelan ...
, Alex Wood, Kyle Farmer, and cash considerations in exchange for Homer Bailey, Jeter Downs, and Josiah Gray. On May 4, 2019, Kemp was released by the Reds. Kemp, in 60 at bats, had only 12 hits, 1 walk, and 5 RBIs, batting .200/.210/.283. In 2019, he had the slowest sprint speed of all major league left fielders, at 25.4 feet/second.


New York Mets

On May 24, 2019, Kemp was signed by the New York Mets to a minor-league deal. He was placed on the 7-day Injured List on June 12, retroactive to June 8. He was released on July 12.


Miami Marlins

On December 18, 2019, Kemp signed a minor-league deal with the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
. He was released on June 30, 2020.


Colorado Rockies (2020)

On June 30, 2020, Kemp signed a minor-league deal with the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
. On July 17, 2020, it was announced that Kemp would have his contract selected to the 40-man roster by the Rockies in advance of Opening Day. His contract was selected the following day. For the 2020 season, Kemp slashed .239/.326/.419 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 43 games for the Rockies. He became a free agent after the season. In May 2021, Kemp was named to the roster of the
United States national baseball team The United States national baseball team, also known as Team USA, represents the United States in international level baseball competitions. The team is currently ranked 5th in the world by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. The United S ...
for the Americas Qualifying Event.


Post-playing career

On February 26, 2024, Kemp was hired by the Dodgers to serve in an advisory role. Later that year in August, Kemp officially announced his retirement.


Nickname

Kemp's nickname is "The Bison." During the second major league game of Kemp's career, on May 29, 2006, he stole second base in the fourth inning, after which
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
television announcer
Don Sutton Donald Howard Sutton (April 2, 1945 – January 19, 2021) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sutton won a total of 324 games, pitched 58 s ...
said he looked "like a big buffalo running around the bases." The observation was appropriate due to Kemp's imposing size – the Dodgers' roster listed him at 6' 4" tall and 225 pounds – and surprisingly fast foot-speed. The word "buffalo" was modified to "
bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...
", by the commenter D4P on Jon Weisman's Dodgers blog, Dodger Thoughts, as it is a more proper term for the North American mammal to which the moniker refers. It wasn't until the next day when the starting lineup did not include Kemp that baseball writer Eric Enders, also commenting in Dodger Thoughts added the capitalized article in front of the animal, completing the nickname, writing "So much for looking forward to watching The Bison tonight." The nickname also refers to Kemp's Oklahoma roots. The
bison A bison (: bison) is a large bovine in the genus ''Bison'' (from Greek, meaning 'wild ox') within the tribe Bovini. Two extant taxon, extant and numerous extinction, extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American ...
is the official state animal of Oklahoma.


Personal life

In 2008, an ex-girlfriend filed a
restraining order A restraining order or protective order is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation often involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and perso ...
against Kemp, claiming that she had been abused by him. However, she later dropped the complaint and her representative stated that the restraining order "had nothing to do with domestic violence." Kemp dated pop singer
Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress. One of the List of music artists by net worth, wealthiest musicians in the world, List of awards and nominations received by Rihanna, her vario ...
for a time beginning November 2009. Kemp bought a home in
Poway, California Poway () is a city in San Diego County, California, United States. Poway's rural roots influenced its motto "The City in the Country". The city had a population of 48,841 as of the 2020 United States census. Poway is part of San Diego's East ...
in 2013, but sold it in 2020 for $4.3 million. He currently resides in
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
. Kemp is involved in charities for children, even creating a community initiative called Kemp's Kids which hosted children from the Los Angeles area during several games at
Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a ballpark in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a ...
. Some of these children were from the Challenger Boys & Girls Club.


See also

*
List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle In baseball, completing hitting for the cycle, the cycle is the accomplishment of hit (baseball), hitting a single (baseball), single, a double (baseball), double, a triple (baseball), triple, and a home run in the same game. In terms of freque ...


References


External links

* * * : {{DEFAULTSORT:Kemp, Matt 1984 births Living people African-American baseball players Albuquerque Isotopes players 21st-century American sportsmen American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from Oklahoma Cincinnati Reds players Colorado Rockies players Columbus Catfish players Estrellas Orientales players Gold Glove Award winners Gulf Coast Dodgers players Gwinnett Braves players Jacksonville Suns players Las Vegas 51s players Los Angeles Dodgers players Major League Baseball outfielders National League All-Stars National League RBI champions National League home run champions Sportspeople from Midwest City, Oklahoma Phoenix Desert Dogs players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players San Diego Padres players Silver Slugger Award winners Syracuse Mets players Vero Beach Dodgers players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen 30–30 club