Jeff Kent

Jeffrey Franklin Kent (born March 7, 1968 in Bellflower, California) is a Major League Baseball player and a former MVP winner. He is widely regarded as one of the best offensive second basemen to have ever played the game.

Contents

1 Early Career 2 Best Years 3 Accomplishments 4 Teams 5 External links

Early Career

Jeff was a star player at the University of California, Berkeley prior to being drafted in the 20th of the 1989 amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Jeff was noted throughout College for his rigorous work ethic and passion for the game, but also for his rifts with the team manager. Jeff had also had a rift with his Edison High School (in Huntington Beach, California) baseball coach; he was booted off the team as a result.

After three season's in the minor leagues, Jeff was invited to spring training in 1992 with the Jays and made the opening day roster. Jeff made his debut on April 12 but saw limited at-bats early in the season; however, an injury to starting third baseman Kelly Gruber granted Kent a more regular role in the line-up.

Jeff was traded on August 27 to the New York Mets along with a player to be named later (Ryan Thompson) for David Cone. It was a deal decried by both Toronto and New York fans. Many Toronto fans felt the club was compromising their future and that Jeff had earned the starting job at third base; many New York fans could not bear to see the fan-favourite Cone let go.

Jeff's time with the Mets was marked with some success and some failure. Although he batted well, particularly for a second baseman, the Mets were among the worst teams in the National League. Furthermore, he acquired a poor reputation in the clubhouse where he was known for a quick temper and isolationism.

Best Years

Jeff was the part of two trades in 1996. He was traded at the trade deadline to the Cleveland Indians and traded in the off-season to the San Francisco Giants. The trade was initially very unpopular, as it sent Matt Williams, a long-time fan-favorite in San Francisco, to the Indians. Brian Sabean, in his first year as General Manager of the Giants, was so widely criticized for the move that he famously defended himself to the media by saying, "I am not an idiot."

Jeff's career took off in San Francisco. Immediately inserted in the line-up behind superstar Barry Bonds and with the confidence of manager Dusty Baker, Jeff rose to his potential, hitting .250 with 29 HRs and 121 RBIs. Jeff was consistently among the top RBI hitters in the league over his next five seasons with the Giants, amassing 689 RBIs over six years. His contributions were recognized in 2000 with the National League MVP Award, beating out teammate and perennial MVP-candidate Bonds. Nevertheless, Bonds virtually overshadowed Kent in almost every offensive category.

In 2003, Jeff signed a two-year $18.2-million deal with the Houston Astros despite having been a part of a near World Series championship with the Giants in 2002. The move surprised many casual fans, but was no surprise to the few who had seen the growing tension between Kent and Bonds. Many felt the team was too closely knit for two contrasting attitudes to be present in the clubhouse. The departure of manager Dusty Baker, who had first placed trust in Kent, may have also factored into the decision.

On October 2, 2004, Kent hit his 278th home run as a second baseman, surpassing Ryne Sandberg as the all-time home run leader at that position.

In his finest moment as an Astro, Kent hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth in Game 5 of the 2004 National League Championship Series to put Houston ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 in the series. The Cardinals won Games 6 and 7 in St. Louis to capture the pennant.

On December 9, 2004, he signed a $17 million contract for 2 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Accomplishments

• All-Star (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004)
• National League MVP (2000)
• Finished 6th in National League MVP voting (2002)
• Finished 8th in National League MVP voting (1997)
• Finished 9th in National League MVP voting (1998)
• Finished Top-5 in RBIs (1997, 1998, 2000)
• All-time leader in home runs as a second baseman (278)
• Only second baseman to have 100 or more RBIs in 6 consecutive seasons (1997-2002)
• Hit for the cycle (1999)

Teams

• Toronto Blue Jays (1992)
• New York Mets (1992-1996)
• Cleveland Indians (1996)
• San Francisco Giants (1997-2002)
• Houston Astros (2003-2004)
• Los Angeles Dodgers (2005-present)

External links

• Jeff Kent at:
  • Baseball Reference (http://www.baseball-reference.com/k/kentje01.shtml)
  • Fan Page (http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Kent/Kent_bio.html)