Sports
Dodgers Honor Matt Kemp; Signs Contract To Retire As A Dodger
Matt Kemp signed a one-day contract with the Dodgers Sunday to officially retire as a member of the team he spent 10 of his 15 years with.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Matt Kemp signed a one-day contract with the Dodgers Sunday to officially retire as a member of the team he spent 10 of his 15 years in the major leagues with and their only player with at least 200 homers and 150 stolen bases.
Kemp's major league career ended in 2020 when he played 43 games with the Colorado Rockies. He was a member of the U.S. team that played in a 2021 qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Olympics, but was not chosen for the team that eventually won a silver medal.
Kemp threw the ceremonial first pitch and was joined by family members in making the "It's time for Dodger Baseball" announcement before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which was designated as Matt Kemp Day in connection with Alumni Weekend.
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Kemp's 203 home runs are seventh-most in Dodger history. He also stole 184 bases as a Dodger.
The Dodgers chose Kemp in the sixth round of the 2003 amateur draft after playing at Midwest City High School in Midwest City, Oklahoma. Kemp reached the majors in 2006, remaining with the team until a 2014 trade to the San Diego Padres.
Kemp played with the Padres from 2015-16 and the Atlanta Braves from 2016-17, then returned to the Dodgers in a Dec. 16, 2017 trade.
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Kemp had the third of three All-Star Game selections in 2018 when he hit .290 with 21 home runs and 85 RBIs, helping lead the Dodgers to the National League pennant.
The Dodgers traded Kemp to Cincinnati following the 2018 season. He played 20 games for the Reds in 2019 and 43 games for the Colorado Rockies in 2020 to conclude his playing career.
Kemp's best season came in 2011 when he led the National League in home runs (39), RBIs (126), runs (115) and total bases (353) and was the runner- up in voting for the National League MVP award.
Kemp was also an All-Star Game selection in 2012.
In 2009 and 2011, Kemp was a recipient of Silver Slugger Awards as one of the National League's three top-hitting outfielders and Gold Gloves for his fielding prowess.
