Fansided

Matt Kemp throws shade at Padres, Dodgers

By Sarabeth Pollock

Jun 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Matt Kemp (27) is congratulated after scoring during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 18, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Matt Kemp (27) is congratulated after scoring during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports /
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Matt Kemp throws major shade at Padres, Dodgers, with statement about never playing in a baseball town before Braves trade.

Matt Kemp was gracious when he learned that he was being traded to the Atlanta Braves. Kemp wrote a letter for The Players’ Tribune, taking a moment to introduce himself to the Braves while thanking San Diego and the Padres organization. The goodwill died away, however, after MLB.com’s Mark Bowman published Kemp’s remarks about moving to Atlanta: “I’ve never really played in a baseball town before. So I’m excited about that.”

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The backlash was swift and intense.

Padres skipper Andy Green took particular offense to Kemp’s remarks, citing the strong support of Padres fans who show up despite the Padres’ seemingly perpetual losing record: “That one bothers me in the sense that they are going through some of the same things in Atlanta and there’s more people showing up here right now,” Green said ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Brewers.

Say what you will about San Diego and the Padres, but Kemp’s implication that Los Angeles is not a baseball town is so far from the mark that it blows the mind to even think of it. L.A. is a much bigger baseball town than Atlanta. L.A. has ranked at the top of ESPN’s list in terms of average attendance since 2013. San Diego ranks 16th on that list, while the Braves come in at #25. San Diego’s Petco Park was just declared the best park in the nation, despite not having a great team, and the national media had glowing comments about San Diego as the city played host to the All-Star Game.

Kemp praises San Diego’s fans, even going as far as to say he plans on starting a family in San Diego. He apologizes that he wasn’t able to bring a World Series title home. He also assures the Braves fans that he isn’t the guy that the media makes him out to be. After taking a look at his career post-2011 when he could have (should have) been named MVP, he realizes that he was “sidetracked” from the game. “I let a big contract, the Hollywood lifestyle, injuries and bad relationships tarnish the reputation I had worked so hard to establish. I gained a reputation for being selfish, lazy and a bad teammate,” he writes. “I take full responsibility for my shortcomings. And I promise you, Atlanta: Those days are gone.”

After taking time to write such a seemingly heartfelt letter, it’s odd that Kemp would fire off such a shady comment about baseball towns. Perhaps Kemp is trying to divert attention from his own shortcomings by placing blame on the clubs he played for. After all, surely he can’t be completely to blame for his .254 batting average and 46 home runs in his 254 games with the Padres, or those May slumps that he’s famous for. Surely that’s a product of the clubs he played for, not his own lackluster performance.

Kemp had the ability to be the shining star in San Diego. He certainly had fan support and plenty of opportunity to be a leader for the Padres. Hopefully being in a “real” baseball town like Atlanta will help him to reach his full potential.

Incidentally, Kemp was 0-4 with two strikeouts against Pittsburgh in his debut with the Braves.

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