Matt Kemp
Encyclopedia
Matthew Ryan "Matt" Kemp (born September 23, 1984, in Midwest City, Oklahoma
) is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
for the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
Kemp was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2003 draft and made his major league debut in 2006. In 2011, Kemp led the National League in runs scored (115), total bases
(353), OPS+ (171), WAR (10.0), home runs (39), and runs batted in (115). Additionally, he became the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since Hank Aaron in 1963
.
, where he was a standout in basketball and baseball. He was teammates with Shelden Williams
, who later played for the New York Knicks
, on the varsity basketball team that won the state title their junior year.
Kemp, along with Williams and three other teammates, was accused of raping a 19-year-old woman at the time of a high school all-star basketball tournament on January 20, 2002, at the Columbus
, Ohio
Hyatt hotel. The players were suspended from the team during the investigation. The woman did not press charges, and the district attorney opted to not pursue the matter due to a lack of evidence.
Kemp was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers
in the 6th round of the 2003 draft, and signed with the team on June 5, .
in 2003 and followed that up with stints with the Columbus Catfish
in 2004 and the Vero Beach Dodgers in 2004–05. He was selected to the Florida State League
All-Star team in 2005, and set Vero Beach franchise records for home runs (27) and slugging percentage (.569).
, where he hit .327 with 7 homers, 34 RBIs and 11 steals, prompting a promotion to the major league squad. His promotion was spurred by an effort to provide regular rest for center fielder Kenny Lofton
and oft injured right field All-Star J.D. Drew.
Kemp made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers
on April 5, , against the Pittsburgh Pirates
. He hit his first Major League homer on June 1 in his second Dodger Stadium at-bat off the Philadelphia Phillies
' Gavin Floyd
. He homered in three straight games from June 1–3 against the Phillies and homered twice on June 11 off Colorado Rockies
starter Aaron Cook. He also became the first Dodger and 5th major league player to hit four homers in his first 10 days with the team.
In mid-July, he was re-assigned to the AAA Las Vegas 51s
but was recalled to the Dodgers on September 1.
Kemp started the 2007 season on the major league roster but lost his place after suffering an injury while running into the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium
. Upon his return from the injury, he was optioned back to Las Vegas and didn't return to the Dodgers until mid-June. Once recalled, he enjoyed an outstanding sophomore campaign with the bat batting .342, clubbing 10 home runs, and driving in 42 runs while splitting time with Andre Ethier
. Although, he made the fourth most outs in the base paths in the National League in 2007.
After a knee injury to Andruw Jones
, Kemp became the Dodgers' regular center fielder. He finished the season with a .297 average, 18 homers and 76 RBI. He was also second on the team in stolen bases with 35. In addition, he set a Dodgers record with 153 strikeouts in a season.
. 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 (3rd in the NL).
He hit his first career post-season home run on October 7 in his first at-bat of the NLDS
against the St. Louis Cardinals
. After the season, Kemp was selected as a recipient of both the Gold Glove Award
and the Silver Slugger
Award. He also tied for second with three others in the majors with 3 grand slams
.
Kemp was the subject of some criticism in 2010 from General Manager 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.
He hit home runs in five straight games to end the season, the first major league to ever accomplish that feat and the first Dodger since Shawn Green
in 2001
to hit homers in five consecutive games.
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.
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
at the All-Star Game.
The day before the All-Star Game
, Giants' manager and 2011 NL All-Star Manager, Bruce Bochy
, announced his decision to bat Kemp 3rd 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). The only other one was Raúl Mondesí
in 1997
and 1999
. 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
. He hit his 35th home run on September 21, making him the 14th Major Leaguer (and first since Alfonso Soriano
in 2006
) 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
. 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 9 runs scored and 3 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 1941
. He also led the league in runs scored (115), total bases (353), OPS+ (171), and WAR (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). 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 in 1963
.
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 Golden Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award. On October 27, he was named to the 2011 Sporting News National League All-Star team. On November 22, he came in second to Ryan Braun
in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. However, he added to his 2011 hardware collection the following day as it was announced that he was the recipient of the Oscar Charleston and Josh Gibson Awards as the NL MVP and home run champ, presented by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
.
After the season, Kemp signed a franchise record 8-year, $160 million contract extension.
television announcer Don Sutton said he looked "like a big buffalo
running around the bases." The observation was appropriate due to Kemp's imposing size – the Dodgers' roster lists him at 6' 3" tall and 225 pounds – and surprisingly fast foot-speed. The word "buffalo" was modified to "bison
," by the commenter D4P on Jon Weisman
's popular 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 is also a play on Kemp's Oklahoma roots. A bison
is the state of Oklahoma's official animal.
fan. He is friends with Trevor Ariza
of the New Orleans Hornets, Dexter Fowler
of the Colorado Rockies
and Andrew McCutchen
of the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
Kemp dated pop singer Rihanna
from December 2009 to November 2010.
Kemp is actively involved in charities for children, even creating a community initiative called Kemp's Kids in 2008 and 2009 that hosted children from the Los Angeles area during several games at Dodgers Stadium. Some of these children were from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Challenger.
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 2010 census, the population was 54,371, making it the eighth largest city in the state....
) is a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
Kemp was drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2003 draft and made his major league debut in 2006. In 2011, Kemp led the National League in runs scored (115), total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
(353), OPS+ (171), WAR (10.0), home runs (39), and runs batted in (115). Additionally, he became the first player to finish in the top two in both home runs and steals since Hank Aaron in 1963
1963 Milwaukee Braves season
- Offseason :* October 11, 1962: Ron Hunt was purchased from the Braves by the New York Mets.* November 26, 1962: Ellis Burton was drafted from the Braves by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1962 rule 5 draft.* November 26, 1962: 1962 first-year draft...
.
High school
Kemp attended Midwest City High SchoolMidwest City High School
Midwest City High School is one of the two high schools in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Part of the Mid-Del School District, the school serves more than 1,600 students.-History:...
, where he was a standout in basketball and baseball. He was teammates with Shelden Williams
Shelden Williams
Shelden DeMar Williams is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks...
, who later played for the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, on the varsity basketball team that won the state title their junior year.
Kemp, along with Williams and three other teammates, was accused of raping a 19-year-old woman at the time of a high school all-star basketball tournament on January 20, 2002, at the Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
Hyatt hotel. The players were suspended from the team during the investigation. The woman did not press charges, and the district attorney opted to not pursue the matter due to a lack of evidence.
Kemp was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
in the 6th round of the 2003 draft, and signed with the team on June 5, .
Minor leagues
He started his professional career for the Gulf Coast DodgersGulf Coast Dodgers
The Arizona League Dodgers are the Rookie Level minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They were formerly known as the Gulf Coast Dodgers and played in Vero Beach, Florida, at Dodgertown . Dodgertown includes Holman Stadium, which is also the former spring training home to the Brooklyn...
in 2003 and followed that up with stints with the Columbus Catfish
Columbus Catfish
The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays since September 29, 2006. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 2009 season.The Catfish played home...
in 2004 and the Vero Beach Dodgers in 2004–05. He was selected to the Florida State League
Florida State League
The Florida State League is a Class A-Advanced minor league baseball league operating in the state of Florida. They are one of three leagues currently operating in Class A-Advanced, the third highest of six classifications of minor leagues...
All-Star team in 2005, and set Vero Beach franchise records for home runs (27) and slugging percentage (.569).
2006
He began 2006 with the AA Jacksonville SunsJacksonville Suns
The Jacksonville Suns are a minor league baseball team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The team is currently a member of the Southern League and is the class Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins Major League Baseball team...
, where he hit .327 with 7 homers, 34 RBIs and 11 steals, prompting a promotion to the major league squad. His promotion was spurred by an effort to provide regular rest for center fielder Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
and oft injured right field All-Star J.D. Drew.
Kemp made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on April 5, , against the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. He hit his first Major League homer on June 1 in his second Dodger Stadium at-bat off the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
' Gavin Floyd
Gavin Floyd
Gavin Christopher Floyd is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Chicago White Sox. He stands 6' 5" tall, weighs 220 pounds, and throws and bats right-handed.-Philadelphia Phillies:...
. He homered in three straight games from June 1–3 against the Phillies and homered twice on June 11 off Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
starter Aaron Cook. He also became the first Dodger and 5th major league player to hit four homers in his first 10 days with the team.
In mid-July, he was re-assigned to the AAA Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
but was recalled to the Dodgers on September 1.
2007
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
. Upon his return from the injury, he was optioned back to Las Vegas and didn't return to the Dodgers until mid-June. Once recalled, he enjoyed an outstanding sophomore campaign with the bat batting .342, clubbing 10 home runs, and driving in 42 runs while splitting time with Andre Ethier
Andre Ethier
Andre Everett Ethier , is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers.In 2009, Ethier hit six walk off hits , which was the most by any player in the Major Leagues since 1974. His four walk-off home runs tied the Major League record for most in a season...
. Although, he made the fourth most outs in the base paths in the National League in 2007.
2008
Going into the season, Kemp was expected to battle for one of the corner outfield positions, though his spot in right field was essentially guaranteed. After driving in 11 runs and stealing 6 bases. he was named "NL Player of the Week" for the week of April 28 – May 4.After a knee injury to Andruw Jones
Andruw Jones
Andruw Rudolf Jones is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is a free agent.Jones made his debut during the 1996 season. In the 1996 World Series, Jones became the youngest player to ever homered in the postseason...
, Kemp became the Dodgers' regular center fielder. He finished the season with a .297 average, 18 homers and 76 RBI. He was also second on the team in stolen bases with 35. In addition, he set a Dodgers record with 153 strikeouts in a season.
2009
Kemp had his first career walk-off hit on June 16 against the Oakland A'sOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. 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 (3rd in the NL).
He hit his first career post-season home run on October 7 in his first at-bat of the NLDS
2009 National League Division Series
The National League Division Series consisted of two concurrent best-of-five game series that determined the participating teams in the 2009 National League Championship Series. Three divisional winners and a "wild card" team played in the two series. The NLDS began on Wednesday, October 7 and...
against the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. After the season, Kemp was selected as a recipient of both the Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
and the Silver Slugger
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
Award. He also tied for second with three others in the majors with 3 grand slams
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
.
2010
Kemp began the 2010 season in excellent fashion, hitting 7 home runs in the month of April, including 4 in four days from April 13–16. 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 Ned Colletti
Ned Colletti
Ned Louis Colletti, Jr. is the General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously served as Assistant General Manager for the San Francisco Giants....
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.
He hit home runs in five straight games to end the season, the first major league to ever accomplish that feat and the first Dodger since Shawn Green
Shawn Green
Shawn David Green is a former Major League Baseball player.Green was a 1st round draft pick and a two-time major league All-Star...
in 2001
2001 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 2001 season saw Jim Tracy take over as the Manager, after serving as the Bench coach the previous two seasons. The Dodgers won 86 games, finishing third in the Western Division of the National League, six games behind the eventual World Series champion Arizona Diamondbacks.Shawn Green had his...
to hit homers in five consecutive games.
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 LopesDavey Lopes
David Earle Lopes is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He is of Cape Verdean descent.-Playing:...
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.
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
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
in Arizona. He also accepted an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby
Home Run Derby
The Home Run Derby is an event played prior to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. It is a contest among the top home run hitters in Major League Baseball to determine who can hit the most home runs. The event is currently sponsored by State Farm Insurance...
at the All-Star Game.
The day before the All-Star Game
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
, Giants' manager and 2011 NL All-Star Manager, Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy
Bruce Douglas Bochy is the manager of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, Bochy had been the manager of the San Diego Padres for twelve seasons. Bochy is the only former Padres player to serve as the team's manager. He has participated in all five postseason appearances in...
, announced his decision to bat Kemp 3rd 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
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
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). The only other one was Raúl Mondesí
Raúl Mondesí
Raúl Ramón Mondesí Avelino is a former Major League Baseball player and the current mayor of San Cristóbal Province in the Dominican Republic. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 1994 as a right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers...
in 1997
1997 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1997 Los Angeles Dodgers season, under manager Bill Russell, was a season in American baseball. It was competitive all season long before finally fading down the stretch; the Dodgers finished in second place behind their longtime rivals, San Francisco Giants, in the Western Division of the...
and 1999
1999 Los Angeles Dodgers season
The 1999 season started with a new management team; Kevin Malone became the team's General Manager and Davey Johnson was selected to be the new Dodgers Manager. Looking to make a splash, Malone exclaimed "There is a new Sheriff in town" as he took over the reins and made a splash by signing...
. 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
Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
in 2005
2005 Los Angeles Dodgers season
In 2005, the Los Angeles Dodgers suffered from a rash of injuries to key players such as closer Eric Gagné, shortstop Cesar Izturis and outfielder J.D. Drew and fell to their second worst record in Los Angeles history, finishing in fourth place in the Western Division of the National League...
. He hit his 35th home run on September 21, making him the 14th Major Leaguer (and first since Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
in 2006
2006 Washington Nationals season
The Washington Nationals' 2006 season was the franchise's second season in Washington, D.C.-Offseason:*December 8, 2005: Alfonso Soriano was traded by the Texas Rangers to the Washington Nationals for Brad Wilkerson, Armando Galarraga, and Terrmel Sledge....
) 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
Roy Campanella Award
The Roy Campanella Award is given annually to the Los Angeles Dodgers player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Hall of Fame Brooklyn Dodger catcher. The award is voted on by all Los Angeles Dodgers uniformed personnel, players, and coaches. The award has been given out...
, which is given annually to the Dodger player who best exemplifies the spirit and leadership of the late Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
. 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 9 runs scored and 3 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
Dolph Camilli
Adolph Louis Camilli was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers. He was named the National League's Most Valuable Player in after leading the league in home runs and runs batted in as the Dodgers won the...
in 1941
1941 Brooklyn Dodgers season
The Brooklyn Dodgers, led by manager Leo Durocher, won their first pennant in 21 years, edging the St. Louis Cardinals by 2.5 games. They went on to lose to the New York Yankees in the World Series....
. He also led the league in runs scored (115), total bases (353), OPS+ (171), and WAR (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). 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 in 1963
1963 Milwaukee Braves season
- Offseason :* October 11, 1962: Ron Hunt was purchased from the Braves by the New York Mets.* November 26, 1962: Ellis Burton was drafted from the Braves by the Houston Colt .45s in the 1962 rule 5 draft.* November 26, 1962: 1962 first-year draft...
.
Kemp was selected for a number of post-season awards, including the Baseball America Major League Player of the Year
Baseball America Major League Player of the Year
The Baseball America Major League Player of the Year award is given each year by Baseball America to the best player—at any position—in Major League Baseball...
, the Hank Aaron Award
Hank Aaron Award
The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron's surpassing of Babe Ruth's career home run mark...
for the top hitter in the National League (the first Dodger player to ever win the award) the Golden Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award. On October 27, he was named to the 2011 Sporting News National League All-Star team. On November 22, he came in second to Ryan Braun
Ryan Braun
Ryan Joseph Braun is an American right-handed Major League Baseball left fielder for the Milwaukee Brewers. A perennial standout, he was ranked No...
in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award. However, he added to his 2011 hardware collection the following day as it was announced that he was the recipient of the Oscar Charleston and Josh Gibson Awards as the NL MVP and home run champ, presented by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990 in Kansas City, Missouri.-History:The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum was founded in 1990 by a group of former Negro Leagues baseball players, including Kansas City Monarchs outfielder, Alfred Surratt, Buck O'Neil, and Horace Peterson...
.
After the season, Kemp signed a franchise record 8-year, $160 million contract extension.
Nickname
Kemp's nickname is "The Bison." During the second major league game of Kemp's career, on May 29, , he stole second base in the fourth inning, after which Atlanta BravesAtlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
television announcer Don Sutton said he looked "like a big buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
running around the bases." The observation was appropriate due to Kemp's imposing size – the Dodgers' roster lists him at 6' 3" tall and 225 pounds – and surprisingly fast foot-speed. The word "buffalo" was modified to "bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
," by the commenter D4P on Jon Weisman
Jon Weisman
Jon Weisman is the proprietor of , a popular weblog devoted to "dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers and baseball." He is also a writer and editor for Variety Magazine, and has contributed to Sports Illustrated's SI.com....
's popular 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 is also a play on Kemp's Oklahoma roots. A bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
is the state of Oklahoma's official animal.
Personal life
Kemp resides in Los Angeles during the off season and is a Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
fan. He is friends with Trevor Ariza
Trevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a small forward, he is listed at tall and 210 pounds.-Biography:...
of the New Orleans Hornets, Dexter Fowler
Dexter Fowler
William Dexter Fowler is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Colorado Rockies.-Baseball career:...
of the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
and Andrew McCutchen
Andrew McCutchen
Andrew Stefan McCutchen is an American professional baseball outfielder with the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball.-Early years:...
of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
Kemp dated pop singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
from December 2009 to November 2010.
Kemp is actively involved in charities for children, even creating a community initiative called Kemp's Kids in 2008 and 2009 that hosted children from the Los Angeles area during several games at Dodgers Stadium. Some of these children were from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Challenger.