Jeff Kent: A Good Jerk Is Hard To Find

The Manny Ramirez rumors and, you know, the earthquake are the top news in LA right now, but there's also an interesting article by the T.J. Simers in today's LA Times about Dodgers Dangle-stached second baseman Jeff Kent. The headline is "Appreciate Jeff Kent While You Still Can", which while overly dramatic, offers a candid portrayal of Kent that is interesting even if it's not the least bit surprising. The line on Kent was that he was the consummate reclusive clubhouse grouch who was all business and barely interacted with anyone. (Except to shove Barry Bonds, of course. ) Even though Kent is one of the best power hitting second baseman ever to play the game, don't expect fans around the league to extend to him the same sort of appreciation as they did, say, Craig Biggio. And he's okay with that. Some winners: • On possibly un-retiring (if this is his last year): "There are too many crying guys on TV who wake up later saying, 'What did I just do?'I'm a man of my word, and if I say I'm going to do something, then I'm going to do it." • On the Dodgers organization and possibly playing somewhere else next year: "The four years here have been wonderful, and this organization is doing a good job of getting somewhere. But I'm not at the stage in my career where I'm going to get somewhere. I need to be there right now." • On his current teammates in Dodgerland: "I don't hang out with the guys — never have. I don't go out drinking, look at porn, have a girlfriend or get divorced — so I'm selfish." Appreciate Jeff Kent While You Still Can [LA Times]