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Austin Kearns, an outfielder, catches a fly ball.

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. An outfielder's duty is to try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. Outfielders normally play behind the six other members of the defense who play in or near the infield.

By convention, each of the nine defensive positions in baseball is numbered. The outfield positions are 7 (left field), 8 (center field) and 9 (right field). These numbers are shorthand designations useful in baseball scorekeeping and are not necessarily the same as the squad numbers worn on player uniforms.

Outfielders named to the MLB All-Century Team are Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Pete Rose, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Ken Griffey Jr..

Strategy[link]

Players can be characterized as either corner outfielders or a center fielder. Corner outfielders are often slower and have less defensive value than the center fielder. However, there are some important differences between right fielders and left fielders. Right fielders tend to have the best throwing arms of the outfield so they can make the long throw to third base, but often are not as fast as left fielders. Center fielders are generally the fastest and most athletic of the three, because they have to run the farthest in order to field balls in the gaps and back up the other outfielders when balls are hit to them.

Many of the best power hitters in baseball play in the outfield, where they do not have as constant involvement in fielding plays as other positions, especially before the institution of the designated hitter. For example, Babe Ruth was moved from pitcher to the outfield. Left fielders and right fielders are more often slow power hitters, and center fielders are usually fast base-runners and good defensive players. Center field is often considered the most difficult outfield position, requiring both a good throwing arm and speed. Center fielders on many teams often bat lead off.

Players who do not routinely start games, but often substitute as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement in the outfield are referred to as fourth outfielders or even fifth outfielders. These players can usually play any of the three outfield positions.

External links[link]

• Outfielders

v t e Baseball positions Pitchers by role Ace pitcher Starting pitcher Relief pitcher Middle relief pitcher Long reliever Setup pitcher Closer Left-handed specialist by style Fireballer Power pitcher Control pitcher Groundball pitcher Flyball pitcher Switch pitcher Defensive players by number Pitcher (1 / P) Catcher (2 / C) First baseman (3 / 1B) Second baseman (4 / 2B) Third baseman (5 / 3B) Shortstop (6 / SS) Left fielder (7 / LF) Center fielder (8 / CF) Right fielder (9 / RF) by type Infielder Outfielder Utility player Utility infielder Position player Battery Fourth outfielder Corner outfielder Offensive players by role Batter Runner Batting order (1–9) Designated hitter Pinch hitter Pinch runner Lead off Leadoff hitter Cleanup hitter by style Clutch hitter Contact hitter Switch hitter Non-players Official scorer Umpire Manager Coaches General manager Related Disabled list Phantom ballplayer

Jason Bay
Bay with the Mets on June 10, 2010
New York Mets – No. 44
Left fielder
Born: (1978-09-20) September 20, 1978 (age 33) Trail, British Columbia, Canada
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 23, 2003 for the San Diego Padres
Career statistics (through May 4, 2012)
Batting average	.274
Home runs	206
Hits	1,138
Runs batted in	719
Teams
San Diego Padres (2003) Pittsburgh Pirates (2003–2008) Boston Red Sox (2008–2009) New York Mets (2010–present)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (2005, 2006, 2009) 3× Tip O'Neill Award winner (2004, 2005 and 2009) 3× NL Rookie of the Month (June, July, and September 2004) 2004 NL Rookie of the Year Silver Slugger Award winner (2009) Major League Baseball Player of the Month Award (May 2006)

Jason Raymond Bay (born September 20, 1978, in Trail, British Columbia) is a Canadian professional baseball outfielder who currently plays for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. Bay has previously played for the San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Boston Red Sox.

Baseball career[link]

Amateur career[link]

Bay experienced success as a player very early, playing on a Trail team that reached the 1990 Little League World Series. In 1999, he played for the Chatham Athletics in the Cape Cod Baseball League. Bay attended Gonzaga University.

Professional career[link]

Minor league career (2000–2002)[link]

Bay was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 22nd round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft and was assigned to the Expos' Short-Season A team in Burlington, Vermont, the Vermont Expos. In 2001, Bay was assigned to the Expos’ High Single-A team in Jupiter. He began the year slowly, and in May he was moved to Clinton of the Midwest League. Bay reached base in his first 26 games, then went on to bat .362 and win the league batting title. In all, he batted .315 with 14 home runs and 75 runs batted in on the year.

The Expos traded Bay to the New York Mets on March 24, 2002 with Jim Serrano for Lou Collier. The Mets traded Bay to the San Diego Padres with Josh Reynolds and Bobby Jones for Jason Middlebrook at the 2002 trading deadline.

Major league career[link]

San Diego Padres (2003)[link]

Bay debuted with the Padres on May 23, 2003, getting his first major league hit, a home run, in the ninth inning. Two days later, he suffered a broken right wrist after being hit by a pitch.

Pittsburgh Pirates (2003–2008)[link]

Bay with the Pirates in 2007 spring training

2003–2004[link]

On August 26, 2003, Bay was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates, along with Óliver Pérez and Cory Stewart in August in exchange for Brian Giles. He finished the season with a .287 batting average, four home runs, and 14 RBI in 30 games.

Bay began the 2004 season on the disabled list due to surgery during the offseason, and did not rejoin the team until May. Despite missing the beginning of the season, he still produced the best offensive numbers of any National League rookie. He batted .282 in 120 games, leading all major league rookies in home runs (26) and RBIs (82). He also led all NL rookies in slugging percentage (.550), extra base hits (54) and total bases (226). With his 26 home runs, Bay broke a Pirates rookies record of 23 set by Johnny Rizzo in 1936 and matched by Ralph Kiner in 1946. Selected as the 2004 NL Rookie of the Year by The Sporting News, Bay was the second Pittsburgh Pirates player honored with the award, after second baseman Johnny Ray in 1982. Bay was also the first Canadian player to win the award.

2005–2006[link]

In 2005, Bay was selected to his first All-Star Game as a reserve outfielder. He was the only player on either roster not to appear in the game. Bay also appeared in the 2005 Century 21 Home Run Derby, representing Canada in the nationality-themed contest; he was eliminated in the first round after hitting no home runs. Bay finished the season with a .306 average, 32 home runs, and 101 RBI, leading the Pirates in every major hitting category.

After the 2005 season, Bay signed a four-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $18.25 million.^[1]

Bay batted .321 with 12 home runs (a Pirate record for home runs in a month) and 35 RBIs in May 2006. From May 22 to May 28, he hit home runs in six consecutive games, two short of the major league record held by Dale Long, Don Mattingly, and Ken Griffey, Jr. He had actually hit 10 home runs in ten games, but he had failed to hit a home run in one of the games, and hit two the next day.

Following an aggressive public relations campaign by the Pirates in 2006, Bay led all National League outfielders in All-Star voting. Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder even urged fans to vote for Bay during a summer concert at Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena.^[2] Bay became the first member of the Pittsburgh Pirates voted into the All-Star game as a starter since Andy Van Slyke. In the game, Bay went 1 for 3, with a single.

2007–2008[link]

After battling injuries, Bay's 2007 season was less productive. Despite having a strong first couple of months, he batted .247 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs.^[3]

Bay had a much more productive 2008 with Pittsburgh, batting .282 with 22 home runs and 64 runs batted in through the All-Star break. In a May series against the Chicago Cubs, Bay had extra-inning walk-off hits in back-to-back games; the first two walk-off hits of his career.^[4] A month later, he got his third walk-off hit of the season and his career with a 13th-inning solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays.^[5]

Boston Red Sox (2008–2009)[link]

2008[link]

Bay batting for the Red Sox on August 18, 2008

On July 31, 2008, Bay and a player to be named later (Josh Wilson)^[6] were traded to the Boston Red Sox in a three team deal that sent Manny Ramirez to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Andy LaRoche with Bryan Morris to the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Dodgers and Brandon Moss with Craig Hansen to the Pirates from the Red Sox.^[7] In his Red Sox debut, Bay scored both runs, the second coming after he hit a triple in bottom of the 12th inning and scored the game winning run on a Jed Lowrie RBI infield single. Bay hit his first home run with Boston the next night against the Oakland Athletics. In one game, he hit multiple home runs against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park. He would end the 2008 season with Boston batting .293 with 9 home runs and 37 RBIs.

The Red Sox' 2008 American League Division Series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was the first playoff series of Bay's career. Bay hit a home run in each of the first two games of the series. Bay finished the series batting 7 for 17 (.412), with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 5 RBIs. In the 2008 American League Championship Series, he scored the first run in game one. In game two, he opened the door for the Red Sox with a two-run double and a home run in the fifth inning. However, the Red Sox lost in seven games.

2009[link]

After a strong first half that included an All-Star selection, Bay went on to lead the Red Sox with a career-high 36 home runs and 119 RBIs during the regular season. Early in the season, he also had a streak of 11 home runs with men on base, tying the team record and falling one shy of the major league record.

In 2009, he was named #41 on the Sporting News' list of the 50 greatest current players in baseball.^[8]

He filed for free agency after the season, turning down the Red Sox's offer of salary arbitration.^[9]

New York Mets (2010-present)[link]

On December 29, 2009, Bay agreed to a four-year, $66 million contract with the New York Mets, which also includes a vesting option for a fifth year.^[10][11] General manager Omar Minaya, who engineered the deal, originally traded Bay to the Mets in 2002 when he was GM for the Montreal Expos. On January 5, 2010, Minaya and Jeff Wilpon held a press conference at Citi Field in which Jason Bay was presented with his uniform, number 44 for the Mets.

2010[link]

Bay with the Mets

On April 27, in the first game of a double header against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bay hit his first home run as a member of the New York Mets in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Mets a 2–0 lead. The Mets went on to win the first game 4–0 and win the second game 10–5.

In his first season with the Mets, Bay played in only 95 games. He suffered a concussion in a game against the Dodgers, when he ran into a fenced wall and his head jerked back. He finished his season with a .259 batting average, only six home runs (he hit 36 the year before), 47 RBIs, and scored 48 runs.

2011[link]

Bay began 2011 on the disabled list with a rib injury^[12] and returned to the Mets on April 21 in a game against the Houston Astros. On June 28, 2011, Bay hit a grand slam off of Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Schlereth. It was the first grand slam by the Mets since Angel Pagan hit one on August 1, 2009.^[13] On August 8, Bay hit his 200th career home run against the San Diego Padres, becoming the third Canadian MLB player after Larry Walker and Matt Stairs to reach this milestone.^[14]

Qualities as a player[link]

Bay with the Red Sox on August 1, 2009

In his major league career, Bay has demonstrated well-above-average power to all fields. He has also shown good discipline at the plate; in 2005, he ranked in the top ten in the National League in walks, though he also does strike out more often than the average hitter. On the bases, though he is not exceptionally fast, Bay is a very effective base stealer; in 2005, until he was picked off in the last week of the season, he tied the major league record for most steals in a season without getting caught, with 21 consecutive stolen bases. The record has since been broken by Chase Utley, with 23 consecutive steals in 2009.

Personal[link]

Bay and his wife, Kristen, have two daughters, Addison, who was born on November 19, 2006, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Evelyn, who was born on September 16, 2008, in Boston, Massachusetts. Their son, Garrett David Bay, was born on May 3, 2011 in New York City.^[15]

Bay's sister, Lauren Bay Regula, is a professional softball player who pitched for Canada in the 2004 Olympics, and was on the 2008 Olympic team as well.

Bay remains friends with Edmonton Oilers center Shawn Horcoff, who was also born in Trail. He is close friends with Cleveland Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore, who was also a groomsman at Bay's wedding.

In Bay's opening interview with the Boston media, he stated that his father was a die-hard Red Sox fan who had bought him a Red Sox onesie to wear when he was young. Bay believed it was still in his parents' basement along with his two childhood TV room posters of Red Sox greats Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski.^[16]

On Thursday, July 2, 2009, Bay became a U.S. citizen after a ceremony at Faneuil Hall in Boston.^[17] During the offseason, Bay resides in his wife's hometown of Seattle, Washington, and recently had a house in Larchmont, New York.

Awards and honors[link]

• Three-time NL Rookie of the Month (June, July and September, 2004)
• National League Rookie of the Year (2004)
• The Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year (2004)
• Tip O'Neill Award winner (2004, 2005 and 2009) – given to the top Canadian baseball player each season.
• National League All-Star (2005, 2006)
• Represented Canada at the World Baseball Classic
• Represented Canada in the 1990 Little League World Series
• May 2006 Player of the Month
• Represented Canada at the 2005 Home Run Derby
• The 2008 Chuck Tanner Award for "professionalism, cooperation and availability to and with Major League writers to best assist them in carrying out daily responsibilities."^[18]
• American League All-Star (2009)
• American League Outfield Silver Slugger (2009)

Records[link]

• Holds the record for most home runs at PNC Park with 61.
• Second most Home Runs (14) by a visiting player (behind Lance Berkman- 18) and the highest batting average of any player with more than 100 at bats (.363, 58 for 160) at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.^[19]
• 3rd all-time in Home Runs hit by a Canadian born player behind Larry Walker (383)& Matt Stairs (260).Jeff Heath had (194).

Pittsburgh Pirates[link]

• 4th all-time with .515 slugging percentage
• 8th all-time with .890 on-base plus slugging (min 100 AB)
• 8th all-time with 139 Home Runs
• 10th all-time with 682 Strikeouts
• 12th all-time with .375 on-base percentage
• 15th all-time with 34 sacrifice flies
• 15th all-time with 35 hit by pitches

See also[link]

• List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jason Bay

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)

• Jason Bay Video on FoxSports Video Archive
• Jason Bay Video on ESPN.com
• The Jason Bay file: (More than) 30 things to know about the newest Sox slugger

Matt Kemp
Kemp with the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers – No. 27
Center fielder
Born: (1984-09-23) September 23, 1984 (age 27) Midwest City, Oklahoma
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
MLB debut
May 28, 2006 for the Los Angeles Dodgers
Career statistics (through May 21, 2012)
Batting average	.296
Hits	882
Home runs	140
Runs batted in	485
Stolen bases	146
Teams
Los Angeles Dodgers (2006–present)
Career highlights and awards
NL All-Star (2011) NL RBI Champion (2011) NL Home Run Champion (2011) 2x Gold Glove Award (2009, 2011) 2x Silver Slugger Award (2009, 2011) Hank Aaron Award (2011) Baseball America Player of the Year (2011) 30–30 club (2011)

Matthew Ryan "Matt" Kemp (born September 23, 1984, in Midwest City, Oklahoma)^[1] is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers.^[2]

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.

High school[link]

Kemp attended Midwest City High School, where he was a standout in basketball and baseball.^[2] He was teammates with Shelden Williams 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.^[3][4][5] The players were suspended from the team during the investigation.^[6] The woman did not press charges, and the district attorney opted to not pursue the matter due to a lack of evidence.^[7]

Kemp was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2003 draft, and signed with the team on June 5, 2003.

Minor leagues[link]

He started his professional career for the Gulf Coast Dodgers 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).

Major leagues[link]

Los Angeles Dodgers (2006–present)[link]

2006[link]

He began 2006 with the AA Jacksonville Suns, 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, 2006, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.^[8] 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.^[2]

In mid-July, he was re-assigned to the AAA Las Vegas 51s but was recalled to the Dodgers on September 1.

2007[link]

Kemp at the plate in 2008

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. However, he made the fourth most outs in the base paths in the National League in 2007.

2008[link]

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.^[9]

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.^[10] In addition, he set a Dodgers record with 153 strikeouts in a season.

2009[link]

Kemp had his first career walk-off hit on June 16 against the Oakland A's.^[11] 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.

2010[link]

Kemp returns to the dugout after hitting a home run on May 22, 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 who called him out publicly early in the season for poor baserunning.^[12] Kemp had several embarrassing gaffes on the base paths during the season and was caught stealing 15 times.^[13]

He hit home runs in five straight games to end the season, the first major league player to ever accomplish that feat and the first Dodger since Shawn Green in 2001 to hit homers in five consecutive games.

2011[link]

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 Lopes on his base running. Kemp announced his intention to steal 40 bases this season and Lopes hoped they would be high percentage steals.^[14] 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.^[15]

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.^[16]

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."^[17] 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.^[18] 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.^[19]

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).^[20] 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,^[21] the Hank Aaron Award for the top hitter in the National League (the first Dodger player to ever win the award)^[22] 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.^[23] On November 22, he came in second to Ryan Braun in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award.^[24]

After the season, Kemp signed a franchise record 8-year, $160 million contract extension.^[25]

2012[link]

Kemp started the 2012 season off by winning the National League Player of the Week award for the opening weekend. He hit two home runs and drove in eight RBI during the opening series against the San Diego Padres. He was also the first Dodger to record three consecutive multi-hit games to start the season since Adrian Beltre did it in 2000. This was the third time he had won the award, and second consecutive as he had won it the final week of 2011 as well. ^[26] On April 10, Kemp became the first LA Dodger to have an RBI in the first five games of the season since J. D. Drew in 2006 and, counting the end of the previous season, he had nine straight games with an RBI, tying Roy Campanella (1955) and Augie Galan (1944) for the Dodgers franchise record.^[27] Kemp also won the Player of the Week award for the second week of the season, which, combined with winning the award in the last week of 2011, makes him the first and only player to ever win three consecutive awards. He is also only the second player to win the award twice to begin the season, the other being Tony Armas in 1981. Kemp hit 12-22 with 4 HR and a 1.182 slugging percentage, leading the club to its best 10-game start since 1981.^[28] Kemp hit his 10th home run of the season on April 25, tying Gary Sheffield's club record for homers in April set in 2000.^[29] He broke Sheffield's record with a walk-off homer against the Washington Nationals on April 28.^[30] Kemp was also named National League player of the month for April.^[31] Kemp was placed on the disabled list on May 14 because of a hamstring injury, ending his streak of 399 consecutive games played, which was the longest in the majors at the time.^[32] After his DL stint, he promptly re-injured his hamstring two days later while running the bases and returned to the DL.^[33]

Nickname[link]

Kemp's nickname is "The Bison."^[34] During the second major league game of Kemp's career, on May 29, 2006, he stole second base in the fourth inning, after which Atlanta Braves 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^[35] on Jon Weisman's popular Dodgers blog, Dodger Thoughts,^[36] 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."^[37]

The nickname is also a play on Kemp's Oklahoma roots. A bison is the state of Oklahoma's official animal.

Personal life[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

Kemp resides in Los Angeles during the off season and is a Los Angeles Lakers fan. Kemp is also a San Francisco 49ers fan.^[38][39]

Kemp dated pop singer Rihanna from December 2009 to November 2010.^[40][41][42]

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 Dodger Stadium. Some of these children were from the Challenger Boys & Girls Club.^[43]

He is friends with Shelden Williams and Dexter Fowler.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Matt Kemp

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)