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Matt Kemp News & Rumors

Dodgers' Matt Kemp would win MVP award over Ryan Braun in a new vote
December 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"Ryan Braun is facing a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. He is appealing, but if the positive test is upheld and the Baseball Writers' Assn. of America were to vote on the National League most-valuable-player award again, would the results be different? Yes. The Dodgers' Matt Kemp would win in a landslide, according to a Los Angeles Times survey of the 20 writers who submitted MVP ballots with Braun winning. However, an official change isn't expected."
Writers strike out not choosing Matt Kemp as MVP
November 23
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"I need some dirt to kick. I need a base to throw. I need a big blue chest to bump. I need an explanation How did the Dodgers' Matt Kemp not win the National League most-valuable-player award? Somebody tell me. Somebody show me. Use sabermetrics. Go to the video. I don't care. If there is one piece of concrete evidence that says Kemp should not have been voted MVP over Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, I want to see it. This is a robbery greater than a Kemp leaping catch. This is a steal more blatant than a Kemp sprint. This is a hosing more definitive than when Kemp puts on his socks."
Matt Kemp finds his perfect fit in blue, officially signs eight-year, $160 million deal with Dodgers
November 19
L.A. Daily News
 
"The transition from Rihanna's trophy boyfriend to locking in the richest contract in Dodgers' history appears to suit Matt Kemp just fine. And by suit, the slick gray checkered one he showed up wearing Friday at Dodger Stadium to officially ink his eight-year, $160-million contract extension hung well on him. It was all pulled together spiffily with a purple velvet bow tie. "Another eight years - that sounds good," the 27-year-old said with a laugh while standing at the podium in the Stadium Club. "To be a part of this city and what it stands for is an awesome feeling. I definitely want to spend the rest of my career here. Like Derek Jeter, he's had a career that will probably end up with"
Matt Kemp signs $160-million deal with Dodgers
November 19
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp and Ned Colletti stepped up to a podium at Dodger Stadium on Friday and the general manager laid contract papers in front of the team's star center fielder and said, "You can sign it first." So Kemp took his pen, signed his name as camera flashes erupted, and there it was: an eight-year contract extension worth $160 million, the largest in National League history. "I'm very humbled to be here with this opportunity," said Kemp, a 27-year-old Oklahoma native who is in contention for the NL most-valuable-player award, to be announced next week. "Another eight years in L.A., that sounds great," Kemp told an audience that included Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, Kemp's parents Judy and"
Matt Kemp's deal with the Dodgers to be announced Friday
November 18
Los Angeles Times
 
"The eight-year, $160-million agreement between Matt Kemp and the Dodgers officially will be announced at a Friday-morning news conference at Dodger Stadium, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because plans for the event haven't been made public yet. Finalized on Monday, the deal is the largest-ever for a National League player and seventh-richest in major league history."
Matt Kemp's new contract is the first step in Dodgers' revival
November 15
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"Amid the clutter of a Compton playground, there appeared the deep greens and rich browns of a new baseball field. Sitting next to a pale and thinning Frank McCourt, there appeared a beaming Matt Kemp. At the end of the darkest of Dodgers chapters, there appeared hope. Call it the $160-million metaphor, the Dodgers parading Kemp through a refurbished corner of Compton on Monday while putting the finishing touches on his new eight-year contract that will be the richest and perhaps most important in Dodgers history."
Matt Kemp, Dodgers agree on $160-million, eight-year deal
November 15
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp was one season away from free agency. The Dodgers, who are in bankruptcy, are for sale. But the player and team agreed on an eight-year, $160-million deal Monday that is by far the most lucrative in franchise history. The Dodgers also reached an agreement with free-agent second baseman Mark Ellis on a two-year, $8.75-million contract. Ellis, 34, batted .248 with seven home runs and 41 runs batted in over 132 games with the Athletics and Colorado Rockies this year. Kemp's deal could be announced as early as Tuesday, according to people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Dodgers wouldn't confirm the agreement, nor would Kemp, who attended a"
Matt Kemp on verge of signing record contract
November 15
Los Angeles Times
 
"Good news, so hard to come by from the Dodgers for two years now, is set to arrive like an unexpected tidal wave. Matt Kemp is on the verge of signing a long-term deal with the Dodgers that would be the largest contract in team history. Multiple reports have pegged the deal at eight years and $160 million. The Dodgers are scheduled to unveil a new Dream Field this afternoon in Compton and Kemp, who was not originally scheduled to attend, has been added to the ceremony, where the contract could be announced. Fox Sports first reported Monday that Kemp and the Dodgers were close to finalizing a deal that would be the seventh-largest contract in baseball history. The Dodgers' previous contract"
Sources: Kemp, Dodgers working on deal
November 14
Foxsports.com
 
"The Los Angeles Dodgers and Matt Kemp are in serious discussions that could land the 27-year-old outfielder $160 million over eight years, sources told FOXSports.com. It would rank as the seventh-largest contract in baseball history. Kemp's sixth season in the majors was his best. He hit .324 with personal highs of 39 home runs, 126 RBIs and 40 stolen bases in 2011. His .586 slugging percentage and .985 OPS were also career highs."
Matt Kemp's agent optimistic for deal
November 9
ESPN.com
 
"The agent for Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder and National League Most Valuable Player candidate Matt Kemp said Wednesday that talks on a long-term contract extension for his client are moving in a positive direction and that he is optimistic an agreement will be reached. Dave Stewart, Kemp's San Diego-based agent and himself a former Dodgers pitcher, said his discussions with Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti have been positive and productive. "I don't think that it's going to be difficult, I really don't," Stewart said. "I think we should be able to come to something. I have talked with Ned on a few occasions. We have covered some ground, and hopefully, we will be able to put this"
Dodgers' Matt Kemp already looking toward next season
November 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp is uncertain about his future with the Dodgers, but right now that doesn't make him different from any of the team's other employees. "I don't know the situation," he said on a conference call Thursday. "We don't know who's going to get the team." Kemp will be eligible for free agency at the end of next season. With that in mind, General Manager Ned Colletti went into the off-season saying that signing Kemp to a multiple-year contract ranked among the Dodgers' priorities."
Rockies' Dexter Fowler could benefit by working with Dodgers' Matt Kemp
October 25
Denver Post
 
"The key to the Rockies' offensive improvement is Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp. You read that right. The National League recipient of the Hank Aaron Award on Monday night at the World Series could impact the Colorado lineup more than Troy Tulo- witzki and Carlos Gonzalez. How? Kemp plans to work out with Dexter Fowler this winter in Arizona. Fowler's slump, leading to a Triple-A demotion, crippled the Rockies last May. His second-half resurgence was equally illuminating. Fowler reached base safely in 56 of his final 64 games and shaved his strikeouts. His 51 runs after the all-star break ranked second only to Kemp and Milwaukee's Ryan Braun, the front- runners for the NL MVP award."
Dodgers' Matt Kemp chosen as top National League offensive player
October 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp was recognized as the top offensive player in the National League on Monday when he became the first Dodger to win the Hank Aaron Award. Kemp, 27, was a triple crown contender and was one home run short of becoming the fifth player in baseball history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. "It's definitely a dream come true," said Kemp, who was accompanied by family members who included his parents, Judy and Carl, and his grandparents. "Hopefully, I can keep dreaming and keep going, keep this dream alive.""
Dodgers' Matt Kemp has high hopes for next season
September 30
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp made a run at the National League triple crown and nearly became the fifth player in major league history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season. He made his first All-Star team and could win his first most-valuable-player award. But in the final weeks of the Dodgers' season, Manager Don Mattingly said he told Kemp, "True greatness is going to be over time." In other words, let's see it again. Kemp has ambitions greater than repeating his breakout season: "I'm going to try to be even better," he said. With the season over, Kemp said he would spend some time with family members and friends, but he expected to start his off-season training regimen soon."
Dodgers' Matt Kemp has one final blast in 7-5 victory
September 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"A band of blue-clad fans in the half-empty ballpark were on their feet chanting, "M-V-P!" as Matt Kemp walked back to the Dodgers' bench with his head bowed. Kemp embraced Manager Don Mattingly and walked down the dugout steps. His season was over. His season was special — and almost very special. Kemp hit his 39th home run in the Dodgers' season-ending 7-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, falling one long ball short of becoming the fifth player in major league history to hit 40 homers and steal 40 bases in the same season."
Chase of baseball history by Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw creates buzz
September 28
Los Angeles Times
 
"Maybe this season wasn't so bad for Dodgers fans after all. The franchise is in Bankruptcy Court, the owner widely despised and the team mired well out of first place on the final day of the regular season. But the faithful got to watch pitcher Clayton Kershaw and center fielder Matt Kemp chase a statistical rarity. Only once — in 1934 — have two players on the same team captured the triple crowns of batting and pitching. Kershaw has done it with National League bests in wins, strikeouts and earned-run average. Kemp leads in home runs and runs batted in, and is third in batting average. "Why not get excited?" said John Thorn, the historian for Major League Baseball. "The idea that Kemp and"
Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp stays hot in Triple Crown bid
September 27
Arizona Republic
 
"A minute before the Los Angeles Dodgers were about to hold a pregame team meeting Monday, outfielder Matt Kemp strolled into the visitor's locker room ready to go to work at Chase Field. He wasn't late for the meeting, but he most likely was trying to avoid pregame questions from reporters about his pursuit of the Triple Crown. A strong September is allowing Kemp to continue his chase for a Triple Crown, a feat most recently accomplished in the National League by the St. Louis Cardinals' Joe Medwick in 1937 and in the American League in 1967 by the Boston Red Sox's Carl Yastrzemski. "Do I want it (Triple Crown)?" he said after Monday's game. "Of course. But I don't want to force it. I have"
Matt Kemp gets a bit closer to 40-40 in 4-2 win
September 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"While one milestone might have vanished from the realm of possibility on Monday night, another moved well within Matt Kemp's reach. Kemp almost certainly won't win the National League's triple crown, not after he was one for four in the Dodgers' 4-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks to lower his average to .324. That dropped him 10 points behind batting title frontrunners Jose Reyes of the New York Mets and Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. But Kemp's towering three-run blast against Daniel Hudson in the first inning counted as his league-leading 38th home run. Two more swings like that in the next two games and Kemp will become only the fifth player in major league history to hit"
Kershaw, Kemp pace Dodgers over Padres
September 26
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Both winners of the National League's top two post-season individual awards this year could – should? -- come from the same team. And that team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, is struggling to finish .500. Should it happen? And, if it does, what does that tell you about the Dodgers? Even Dodger manager Don Mattingly is a bit taken aback by the possibility. "We could go double Triple Cowns and barely be above .500," Mattingly said Sunday after Clayton Kershaw picked up his 21st win and center fielder Matt Kemp drove in the first run in the Dodgers 6-2 victory over the Padres at Petco Park. Kershaw, 23, the seventh overall pick of the 2006 draft, is tied for the National League lead in wins and"
Matt Kemp's NL triple-crown ambitions take hit in Dodgers' win
September 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"At one point during the Dodgers' 8-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday, a fan at Petco Park shouted at Matt Kemp. "Braun got two hits!" the fan alerted him. "Braun got two hits!" The fan was referring to Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, whom Kemp is pursuing in the race for the National League batting title. "I just started laughing," Kemp said. "Shoot, he's actually one of my favorite players." Kemp's triple-crown ambitions took a significant hit on this day, as Braun raised his average to .333 while Kemp was one for five, dropping his to .325."
Dodgers' Matt Kemp hits 37th home run, has his eye on the Triple Crown
September 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"Against the backdrop of Major League Baseball's latest move to force a change in the Dodgers' ownership, Matt Kemp quietly took the field in a half-empty ballpark on his 27th birthday with a chance to do something no National League player has done in 74 years. Win the triple crown. Kemp launched his 37th home run in the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 2-0 victory over the San Diego Padres at cavernous Petco Park on Friday, moving into a tie for the league lead with Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals. Kemp's 119 runs batted in top the league. His average has climbed from .317 to .326 over the last 11 games, moving him to within three points of the league lead. "I think about it," Kemp"
Matt Kemp bolsters his MVP case in Dodgers' win over Giants
September 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"On the closing night at Dodger Stadium, Matt Kemp presented his closing argument for his most-valuable-player candidacy. So did the crowd. "M-V-P! M-V-P!" The stadium appeared to be half-empty but sounded full for the Dodgers' 8-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night. The fans broke into the three-letter chant after each of Kemp's career-high three doubles. They broke into the chant when the video scoreboard displayed highlights of his first All-Star season. And they broke into the chant one last time in the eighth inning, when Kemp sent an 85-mph by fastball from Barry Zito high into the sky and the ball cleared the center-field wall for his 36th home run. "M-V-P!"
Bankruptcy doesn't mean Dodgers can't offer big contracts
September 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"The playoffs will go on without the Dodgers again this fall. The time has come for winter dreams, for fans to hope the Dodgers can sign Matt Kemp to a long-term contract and pair him with Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols in what would be the most dynamic duo in any National League lineup. Fantasy league? Not necessarily. The Dodgers' status as a bankrupt company should not prevent owner Frank McCourt from offering big contracts this winter, according to parties involved in the federal bankruptcy proceedings. "Whatever happens with the club, it's in everyone's interest for the team to be competitive and not compromised in trying to operate," said Michael Weiner, executive director of the"
Kemp falls triple shy of cycle in Dodgers' rout of Pittsburgh
September 19
L.A. Daily News
 
"So much for Matt Kemp needing a day off. When manager Don Mattingly broached the topic of rest with the ironman center fielder on recently, it was met with predictable results. "I talked to him (Saturday) about it," Mattingly said. "He just laughed at me." Kemp made Mattingly look even more foolish to suggest it after he hit his 34 th home run and fell a triple shy of the cycle in a 15-1 victory against Pittsburgh on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. He wasn't the only offensive star. James Loney went 5 for 6 with three RBIs and Jerry Sands went 4 for 6 with four RBIs."
At their worst, the Dodgers have two of the best
September 2
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"It would be a sight as odd and unsettling as it is beautiful, sunflowers stretching above weeds, sunlight streaking through dusk. But in a season of wrong, nothing would be more right. Did you hear that a Dodgers team populated with misery and mediocrity could soon be adding two more notable players to their clubhouse? Guys by the name of Cy Young and MVP. Why not? Who says it can't happen? Does greatness on the field really have to be diluted by dullness in the standings? As of this column, Clayton Kershaw is the National League's best pitcher, and Matt Kemp is the National League's best player, and if they are still dominating when the season ends in a month, why should anything else"
Kemp reaches century city in RBIs in style, hitting walk-off home run to lead Dodgers to 11-inning victory
August 28
L.A. Daily News
 
"Vin Scully had to be smiling somewhere. The day after he announced his return for 2012, Scully had the day off because the game was a Fox broadcast. Perhaps he foresaw that Saturday's game would be a four-hour, 39-minute affair in 97-degree heat and should just sit it out. Then again, Dodgers fans would have loved to hear him call Matt Kemp's game-winning home run in the 11 th inning that gave the Dodgers an improbable 7-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers have won five in a row, only their second such streak this season, and finally showed signs of their offensive capability in erasing a 4-0 deficit and getting a tying home run from James Loney in the ninth. "We fought back"
Matt Kemp's 11th-inning home run lifts Dodgers over Rockies, 7-6
August 28
Los Angeles Times
 
"First base coach Davey Lopes said he didn't know whether Matt Kemp would win the National League's most-valuable-player award because of where the Dodgers are in the standings. But Lopes didn't hesitate to bestow another title on Kemp. "The best player in the National League," Lopes said. With Kemp hitting his third walk-off home run this season to lift the Dodgers to a 7-6, 11-inning victory over the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium, Lopes again did what he could to gather support for the center fielder's MVP candidacy. What Lopes refused to do was something he did the two previous times Kemp ended a game by clearing the outfield wall: extend him a congratulatory hand during his home"
Kemp delivers in 10th for 1-0 victory over Houston
August 13
L.A. Daily News
 
"In a dreadful season filled with an assortment of injuries that have forced the promotion of a number of prospects through the first 4 1/2 months, the youth movement for the Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 1-0 in 10 innings Friday night.

It was an especially youthful day, from first-round pick Chris Reed making the rounds at Dodger Stadium after inking his contract to 25-year-old rookie shortstop Justin Sellers making his big league debut and 21-year-old pitcher Nathan Eovaldi making just his second career start and first at Chavez Ravine.

This following the successful debuts already of Rubby De La Rosa and Dee Gordon and Javy Guerra and Jerry Sands this year, all of which serve as a"

Matt Kemp's walk-off single lifts Dodgers in 10th inning
August 13
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers pitcher who held the Houston Astros scoreless for six innings was playing for double-A Chattanooga little more than a week ago. The Dodgers shortstop who started a double play in his debut for the team was a major league nobody, at least according to most rankings of baseball prospects. And so what has seemed like a lost season in L.A. continues to generate a few unexpected finds. Making only his second major league start, Nathan Eovaldi limited his hometown Astros to two hits through six innings Friday night at Dodger Stadium and shortstop Justin Sellers played flawless defense in his first game of the season not wearing a hat with a funky "A" design. Matt Kemp made them"
McCourt, Kemp in the same blog, but not the same ballpark
August 4
Orange County Register
 
"It's impossible to separate Frank McCourt from Dodgers news, unfortunately, but we can certainly keep our mentions to a coupla sentences and move along quickly. For some perspectives perhaps less cited elsewhere but no less important to note, here is a Bloomberg Business Week headline, amusing only in that it lumps McCourt in with the likes of Lehman Brothers and Bernie Madoff, and Adweek's Emma Bazilian on Frank's latest war, with Fox Sports. And the rarely seen Aussie take on divorce American style, via the Australian, "the heart of the nation," un-credited. Note the way they write things like "$US100m," which I believe translates to 100 million dollars. This one's non-Dodgers related,"
Another big night from Matt Kemp isn't enough for Dodgers
July 31
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp continued to hit like a most-valuable player candidate on Saturday. The Dodgers continued to perform like a fourth-place team, as they lost to the not-bankrupt Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-4, at Dodger Stadium. Kemp hit his 26th home run, a two-run blast in the third inning that drove in his league-leading 81st and 82nd runs. He stole his 28th base. But Chad Billingsley melted down in what turned out to be a five-run sixth inning for the Diamondbacks. Kemp had something to do with the Diamondbacks' comeback, as he let a hard-hit ball by Justin Upton get by him and turn and turn into a three-run triple. Billingsley, who was charged with six runs and seven hits in 52/3 innings, took the"
Kemp joins 25-25 club, hits 5 RBIs in Dodgers' victory over Arizona
July 30
L.A. Daily News
 
"Matt Kemp drove his way into an elite category Friday. Kemp hit his 25 th home run and had five RBIs as he powered the Dodgers to a 9-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium. He was responsible for the Dodgers' first five runs of the game and an incredible diving catch. With his three-run homer in the third inning, Kemp became the fifth-fastest National League player to reach 25 home runs and 25 stolen bases in a season. Eric Davis, Bobby Bonds, Alfonso Soriano and Howard Johnson are the only players to accomplish that feat faster. Kemp did it in 105 games, while Davis needed an NL-best 83 games. There was an announced attendance of 35,169, but the empty seats were"
Matt Kemp remains a bright spot for Dodgers
July 30
Los Angeles Times
 
"Ned Colletti talked about the possibility of trading Hiroki Kuroda for a prospect, which is about as close as the general manager has come to conceding that the Dodgers ' season is over. Ted Lilly served up two more home runs, resulting in boos from half-empty stands at Dodger Stadium. But as the Dodgers continued to descend to irrelevance in a city in which they were once kings, Matt Kemp remained on a separate path to becoming one of the best players in baseball. Kemp was as explosive Friday night as most of his teammates were non-threatening, driving in his team's first five runs in a 9-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, taking the National League lead with 80 runs"
Flip-flopping Ethier and Kemp
July 17
Orange County Register
 
"Matt Kemp is clearly the better player at the moment, and without question the Dodgers most valuable. Andre Ethier has performed well yet unspectacularly as the club's number three hitter, but has seen his productivity drop in recent months. That said, should Kemp and Ethier switch spots in the lineup, and with the team's playoff chances hanging by a thread, is the question even worthy of debate? As to the latter question, well, since I'm bringing it up, obviously I'm eager to get a discussion going. And I'd like to see the switch made as soon as possible. As for a possible consensus, I imagine there'd be two schools of thought on the matter. You've got your "best-hitter-bats-third" line"
Dodgers stay on the upswing with Matt Kemp leading the way
July 16
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp emerged from the All-Star break by hitting his 23rd home run and driving in four runs, but he said he didn't consider anything he did with his bat to be his personal highlight from the Dodgers' 6-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The honor was reserved for a throw he made in the first inning that turned a would-be sacrifice fly by Justin Upton into a double play. Of how he threw out Willie Bloomquist at the plate to end the inning, Kemp said, "I think that was the start of something right there." Behind the first-time All-Star's ever-expanding skill set and a home run by newcomer Juan Rivera, the Dodgers extended their winning streak to a season-long five games. With the"
Matt Kemp gets to join in the home run derby
July 6
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp said he has watched the home run derby almost every year. On Monday, he will be a part of it. "It's all fun," Kemp said. Kemp, who is tied for second in the National League with 22 home runs, was officially invited to the contest by NL captain Prince Fielder. Kemp and Prince will be joined on the NL team by Rickie Weeks of the Milwaukee Brewers and Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals. Kemp said he would take bullpen catcher Rob Flippo to Phoenix with him as his pitcher. "He throws BP to me every day," Kemp said. "We've been talking about it for the past three years. I told him if I ever made it, he was going to come with me. He's a great guy, somebody I see at the ballpark"
Fielder picks Weeks, Kemp and Holiday for Home Run Derby
July 6
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"The picks are in for Prince Fielder. The Milwaukee Brewers' first baseman, named National League captain for next week's Home Run Derby, announced his teammates before Tuesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Two of the three weren't big surprises. Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the NL leader in homers entering Tuesday with 22, was one, as Fielder revealed on Sunday. Another was Fielder's teammate, second baseman Rickie Weeks, who will be making his first appearance in the All-Star Game. Fielder's third choice was Matt Holliday of the St. Louis Cardinals. There was some thought Fielder might choose Arizona's Justin Upton, since the game is being played at Chase Field in"
Kemp, Kershaw, Weaver, Kendrick and Bell are Stars
July 4
The Press-Enterprise
 
"Matt Kemp plans to make his All-Star debut a stylish one. "I'm going to wear me a little suit on the red carpet, look fly," the Dodgers outfielder said, referring to an All-Star event before the July 13 game in Phoenix. "I've got all kinds of new suits I get to bust out. I've been waiting on moments like this." Kemp, who benefited from a late surge in fan balloting to claim the final starting spot in the National League outfield, was the only starter selected from the three Southern California ballclubs. He will be joined by Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw , Angels Jered Weaver and Howie Kendrick, and Padres reliever Heath Bell. Phoenix native Andre Ethier could still join the area"
Angels' Weaver, Kendrick and Dodgers' Kemp, Kershaw selected as All-Stars
July 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"Jered Weaver downplayed his excitement recently but when his All-Star selection was made official Sunday, some gentle prodding by reporters brought out his enthusiasm. "Growing up as a kid and you've got a bat in your hand and you're like, 'I'm Mark McGwire' or 'I'm Ken Griffey Jr.,' " Weaver said. "All little kids (that) play baseball watch the All-Star Game and dream to be there one day." Weaver and Angels teammate Howie Kendrick were picked for the July 12 game at Chase Field in Phoenix while Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp and pitcher Clayton Kershaw were first-time selections to the All-Star team, which was announced Sunday. Weaver (Simi Valley High) watched the selection show with his"
Dodgers' Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw and Angels' Jered Weaver, Howie Kendrick are All-Stars
July 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Dodgers' Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw and the Angels' Jered Weaver and Howie Kendrick were selected Sunday for baseball's All-Star game July 12 at Chase Field in Phoenix. It is the second consecutive year that Weaver, the Angels' ace, has been chosen for the American League team. Kemp, Kershaw and Kendrick were selected as All-Stars for the first time. If Weaver, a right-hander, and Kershaw, the Dodgers left-hander who leads the National League in strikeouts with 138, continue to pitch on their normal schedules, they would be in line to start in the All-Star game. The starting pitchers will be named by NL Manager Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants and AL Manager Ron Washington of"
Matt Kemp is having a first-class season on a last-place team
July 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"Matt Kemp is poised to join abaseball fraternity. Membership requires a player's statistics pile up, along with his team's losses. Superstars on division-leading teams or contenders need not apply. The club includes Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Kansas City's Zack Greinke, Cy Young Award winners who both pitched for last-place teams. Vladimir Guerrero was a member as one of the National League's most feared hitters for six mostly dreadful teams in Montreal Alex Rodriguez spent three years on board with Texas, failing to lift the Rangers out of last place in the American League West despite hitting at least 47 homers and driving in at least 118 runs in each of his seasons there. Kemp's"
Dodgers' Matt Kemp is ejected after arguing balls and strikes
June 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"What exactly did Matt Kemp say to earn a swift ejection in the fifth inning Saturday? "I'm not getting into that," he said Well, at least crew chief Tom Hallion was happy to share the umpire's side of the story. In the fifth, the Dodgers outfielder complained about the first pitch during his at-bat, Hallion said after the Dodgers' 6-1 loss to the Angels at Dodger Stadium. Then, on a called strike three, which looked to have been a tad outside the strike zone, Kemp walked back to the dugout. But once there, Hallion said, Kemp yelled out: "Keep it on the plate; let's go." If true, it seems a misdemeanor offense, since it lacked R-rated vitriol. Yet prior to saying that, Hallion said, Kemp"
It's payback time for Matt Kemp
June 19
The Press-Enterprise
 
"On the Dodgers' last road trip of 2010, with his team long since eliminated from playoff contention and his own season mired in underachievement, Matt Kemp stood in a clubhouse in Denver and promised better things. Forty home runs and 40 stolen bases, to be precise. "I've got to pay back the fans," Kemp said then. "... They've been mad at me all season. I've got to do something for them, something special." As the Dodgers near the midpoint of the 2011 season, it appears Kemp knew what he was talking about. He hit his 20th home run on June 12 -- the earliest date a Dodger player has ever reached that milestone. He also has stolen 16 bases and is among the league's batting leaders at .331,"
Matt Kemp making good on his promise
June 17
Los Angeles Times
 
"It has been well-documented that Matt Kemp reported to camp this year a more focused player, how he spent his early mornings on the back fields and in the batting cages of the Dodgers' spring training complex. The results are plain to see: Kemp ranks among the league leaders in the triple crown categories and is someone opposing managers are starting to regard among the best players in baseball. Davey Lopes has seen Kemp work and seen Kemp produce. And he has also experienced Kemp's gifts from a unique — and painful — vantage point. The Dodgers' first base coach, Lopes was the first to extend a congratulatory hand to Kemp when he hit a walk-off home run against the St. Louis Cardinals on"
Matt Kemp is back to lead Dodgers' charge
June 12
Los Angeles Times
 
"The most significant development for the Dodgers on Saturday took place several hours before their game against the Colorado Rockies. With the stands in Coors Field still empty and trainer Stan Conte standing nearby, Matt Kemp ran in left field. Gradually, he ran longer and harder, testing out the left hamstring that kept him out of the lineup Friday. He was fine. With Kemp back in center field and Casey Blake providing a pinch-hit, three-run double, the Dodgers pounded out a season-high 18 hits on their way to an 11-7 victory over the Rockies. The Dodgers barely held on for the win, as Tony Gwynn Jr. ended the game with a diving catch in left field of a line drive by Charlie Blackmon with"
Matt Kemp's pinch-hit homer not enough in Dodgers' 6-5 loss to Rockies
June 11
Los Angeles Times
 
"When Don Mattingly sent Matt Kemp to pinch-hit in the ninth inning Friday night, he wasn't thinking as much about the outcome of the game as he was of the center fielder's consecutive-games streak. "I knew it was important to him," Mattingly said. But Kemp, who was a last-minute scratch from the lineup because of a tight left hamstring, soon shifted the focus from his streak of 269 consecutive games played - tops among active major league players - to whether the Dodgers could win a game they trailed by six runs. By launching a fastball from Matt Belisle over the 23 rows of seats behind the left-field wall at Coors Field, Kemp ignited a five-run charge that left the Dodgers oh-so-close"
Matt Kemp scratched before game with tight hamstring, enters ninth to hit HR
June 11
Los Angeles Times
 
"When Don Mattingly sent Matt Kemp to pinch-hit in the ninth inning Friday night, he wasn't thinking as much about the outcome of the game as he was of the center fielder's consecutive-games streak. "I knew it was important to him," Mattingly said. But Kemp, who was a last-minute scratch from the lineup because of a tight left hamstring, soon shifted the focus from his streak of 269 consecutive games played — tops among active major league players — to whether the Dodgers could win a game they trailed by six runs. By launching a fastball from Matt Belisle over the 23 rows of seats behind the left-field wall at Coors Field, Kemp ignited a five-run charge that left the Dodgers oh-so-close"
Matt Kemp does his part, but pitching unravels in Dodgers' loss to Rockies
June 10
Los Angeles Times
 
"This story should have been about Matt Kemp's emergence as a candidate to become the National League's most valuable player. Instead, it is about why he might not be seriously considered for the award: He plays for the Dodgers. On a night when Kemp fell a single short of hitting for the cycle and drove in three runs, the Dodgers' pitching unraveled and blew a four-run lead in a 9-7 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. With Kemp hitting his way to the top of the league's long-ball leaderboard — his home run in the fourth inning was his NL-best 18th — the Dodgers appeared to be making incremental progress in the last two weeks. But the defeat Thursday dropped them to six games under"
Kemp hits grand slam, finishes with six RBIs as Dodgers rally
June 5
L.A. Daily News
 
"Matt Kemp couldn't believe the mid-afternoon heat during batting practice. "After BP, I was like this," he said, dropping his head as if he was about to pass out. "Whew!" The heat won't be the lasting memory from his career game. Kemp hit a tying grand slam in the eighth inning for his second homer of the game, and Jamey Carroll singled in the go-ahead run in the 11th, sending the Dodgers to an 11-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. The Dodgers pulled off their biggest comeback of the season and improved to 5-0 in extra innings. Carroll's fourth hit started a four-run rally off Carlos Fisher (0-3). Aaron Miles also singled home a run, and Fisher's throwing error helped the"