Jeff Kent
Jeffrey Franklin Kent is an American former second baseman who played for 17 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1992 to 2008. He played for six teams in his career, becoming best known for his six seasons with the San Francisco Giants from 1997 to 2002. A five-time All-Star, he was one of the top power-hitting second basemen in major league history, with twelve seasons of 20 or more home runs and eight seasons with over 100 runs batted in.
After several seasons of modest success for three teams, often being shifted to third base, Kent enjoyed a surge in productivity at age 29 after being traded to the Giants. He led the team in RBI every year from 1997 to 2000, settling into the cleanup spot in the lineup behind Barry Bonds and helping the team win a division title in 1997 by driving in 121 runs. The following year, he hit 30 home runs for the first time and raised his RBI total to 128, and in 1999, he became the seventh San Francisco player to hit for the cycle. He was named the National League Most Valuable Player in after leading the team to the best record in the major leagues, batting.334 with 33 home runs, 125 RBI and a career-high 114 runs scored. In 2001, he set a Giants franchise record by hitting 49 doubles, and in 2002, he batted.313 with a career-high 37 home runs as the team captured its first NL pennant in 13 years. Joining the Houston Astros as a free agent, he helped them reach the 2004 playoffs, leading the club with 107 RBI. He retired after four seasons spent with his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008.
Kent's 351 home runs as a second baseman are a major league record, and his career.500 slugging percentage is the second highest at the position, behind only Rogers Hornsby. His 540 doubles in the NL were tied for tenth in league history when he retired, with his career total of 560 being the fourth-most by a second baseman; he also ranked third among second basemen in RBI and extra-base hits, and sixth in total bases. His 2,008 games at second base in the NL were third-most in league history when he retired, and he ranked eighth in league history in putouts, sixth in assists, and fourth in double plays. In, Kent will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He will also have his number 21 retired by the Giants that same year.
Early life
Jeffrey Franklin Kent was born on March 7, 1968, in Bellflower, California. He graduated from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, where he was an All-Orange County selection as a junior shortstop.He was dismissed from the baseball team after clashing with his coach over leadership, culminating in Kent being told to switch to second base, which he did not like; he was soon told to turn in his uniform, which he did.
Afterwards, he played with American Legion and Connie Mack League baseball and earned a college scholarship.
College career
Kent played college baseball for the Golden Bears at UC Berkeley from 1987 to 1989. In 1988 he played both in the College World Series, where the Golden Bears were the first team eliminated, and in collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. A broken wrist in the midst of his junior season saw him miss the rest of the year and scared off scouts.Professional career
Draft and minor leagues
Kent was selected in the 20th round of the 1989 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, and was assigned to the St. Catharines Blue Jays of the New York–Penn League. He moved up to the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League in 1990, and the Knoxville Blue Jays of the Southern League in 1991.Toronto Blue Jays (1992)
Kent was invited to spring training with the Blue Jays in 1992; he was intended to be sent to AAA with the Syracuse Chiefs, but was called up after Derek Bell suffered a broken wrist in the second game of the year. He made his debut on April 12 in a 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, entering in the 5th inning at third base, and recorded his first career hit in his first at bat, a double leading off the 6th inning against José Mesa. He hit his first home run two days later in a 12-6 win over the New York Yankees off pitcher Lee Guetterman. He saw limited at bats early in the season, not getting a hit between April 25 and May 27; however, an injury to starting third baseman Kelly Gruber granted Kent a more regular role in the lineup.New York Mets (1992–1996)
Kent was traded to the New York Mets on August 27, 1992, for pitcher David Cone, as Toronto bolstered their pitching rotation for a successful World Series run; he was awarded a World Series ring despite the trade. His 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, never posting a winning record in his five seasons, and finishing with the worst record in the major leagues in 1993. He also struggled in the field, leading NL second basemen in errors in 1993 and 1994. Furthermore, he acquired a poor reputation in the clubhouse, where he was known for a quick temper and isolationism. He refused to participate in his hazing ritual with the Mets, feeling he had left his rookie status back in Toronto. On October 4, 1992, the last day of the season, he started the only game of his career at shortstop to allow Willie Randolph, a longtime star for the crosstown Yankees, to play his final career game at second base.Cleveland Indians (1996)
In a deal made on July 29 before the 1996 trade deadline, the Mets sent Kent and José Vizcaíno to the Cleveland Indians for Álvaro Espinoza and Carlos Baerga. He hit.265 in 39 games, helping the Indians to the best record in the major leagues, but the team was upset in the American League Division Series by the Orioles, with Kent picking up just one hit in four games.San Francisco Giants (1997–2002)
After the 1996 season, Kent was again traded, this time to the San Francisco Giants along with José Vizcaíno and Julián Tavárez. The San Francisco trade was initially very unpopular, because it sent Matt Williams, a longtime Giant and a fan favorite, 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." Approaching his 29th birthday, Kent had less than 600 hits in the major leagues, with only 78 home runs and 318 RBI.But Kent's career took off in San Francisco, starting in 1997. Immediately inserted in the line-up behind superstar Barry Bonds, and with the confidence of manager Dusty Baker, Kent finally rose to his full potential, hitting.250 with 29 home runs and 121 RBI. The Giants won their first division title in eight years, but were swept in the Division Series by the Florida Marlins, with a pair of home runs by Kent providing the only Giants runs in a 6-2 loss in the finale. He was consistently among the top RBI hitters in the league over his next five seasons with the Giants, amassing 689 RBI over six years; he also won the 1998 Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership. On Opening Day in 1998 he had a career-high five hits in a 9-4, 13-inning road win against the Astros, including a three-run home run and an RBI double in the final frame. On July 24 he drove in a career-high seven runs with two home runs including a grand slam in a 12-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
On May 3, 1999, playing atypically at first base, he again collected five hits, hitting for the cycle in a road game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, though Pittsburgh scored three runs with two out in the ninth inning to win 9-8. On June 12 he had another five hits including a three-run home run in a 15-11 road win over the Seattle Mariners; shortly afterward, he was named to the All-Star team for the first time, and played the All-Star Game's second half, although he grounded into a double play to end the contest. On June 4, 2000 he had a pair of home runs and a pair of doubles for a career-high 12 total bases as the Giants walloped their cross-bay rival Oakland Athletics 18-2 in a road game. Kent's contributions were recognized that year with the National League MVP Award, beating out teammate and perennial MVP candidate Bonds. Despite Bonds overshadowing Kent in almost every offensive category, it was Kent's clutch hitting in RBI spots that won many games for the Giants that year, and ultimately won him the award. The Giants had the major leagues' best record at 97–65, but lost to the Mets in the National League Division Series 3–1, although Kent had hits in all four games.
On May 1, 2001 he again had seven RBI in an 11-6 road win over the Pirates, with a three-run home run and two RBI doubles, one with the bases loaded. On May 13 he hit his 200th home run in a 6-3 win over the Mets. He ended the season with 390 assists at second base, leading the league for the only time in his career, edging the Astros' Craig Biggio by one assist. In 2002, Kent had another stellar year for a second baseman, leading the NL with 81 extra-base hits, and also leading the league in double plays for the only time with a career-high 113. On September 9 he reached 1,000 RBI with a sacrifice fly in a 6-5 win over the Dodgers. The combination of Kent and MVP winner Bonds propelled the Giants to a 95–66 record, good enough for the NL Wild Card. The Giants beat the Atlanta Braves in the Division Series 3–2 and the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series 4–1. With San Francisco in the World Series for the first time since 1989, Kent had a pair of two-run home runs in a 16-4 blowout in Game 5 to take a 3-2 Series lead. The Giants nearly clinched the championship in the sixth game, before falling to the Anaheim Angels in seven games. Despite the team's success that season, Kent's relationship with the Giants had soured. The Giants front office had lost confidence in him after an incident during spring training left him with a broken wrist. Kent had initially claimed that he had broken his wrist after slipping and falling while washing his truck; ensuing media reports indicated that, in reality, he had crashed his motorcycle while performing wheelies and other stunts, in direct violation of his contract.
In addition, the growing tension between Kent and Bonds, which had been developing for years, finally boiled over: a midseason fight in the Giants dugout was widely reported in 2002 and caught on television. The feud between the two was so bad that, at the end of the season, San Francisco Chronicle beat reporter Ray Ratto said of the two, "The one who lives longer will attend the other's funeral, just to make sure he's dead." The departure of manager Dusty Baker also factored into Kent's eventual decision to leave the Giants.