National Baseball Hall of Fame filled with players who completed long and distinguished careers wearing Dodgers uniforms, their performance declines with age. Greg Maddux, Rickey Henderson, Juan Marichal and Eddie Murray are among those that come to mind.
The exception was Jeff Kentwho received 14 of 16 possible votes from the Modern Baseball Era Committee on Sunday, the only player of the eight on the ballot with enough votes to join Cooperstown.
With unparalleled power as a second baseman and a relentless approach to his craft, Kent was a Dodger for the final four seasons of his 17-year career, statistically solidifying his Hall of Fame credentials while also serving as a grumpy leader on a roster full of young stars such as Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Andre Ethier and James Loney.
“It’s a moment of satisfaction for what I’ve done right in my career, what I’ve consistently stuck to,” he told MLB Network. “Hard work, fun to play the right way. I love this game.”
The son of a motorcycle police officer and a product of Huntington Beach Edison High, Kent was emotional during a press conference at the 2005 MLB Winter Meetings when it was announced that he signed a two-year contract worth $17 million. with the Dodgers.
“This is the third time I've tried to negotiate with the Dodgers,” he said at the time. “I want to be on a team with winning potential because I don't have much time. This team has that mentality.”
The Dodgers never won a World Series during Kent's tenure, but he quickly stepped into the role of veteran leader, making himself available to the media after tough losses to shield younger players from scrutiny.
He said what was on his mind, sometimes wrongly, once suggesting that the legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully “talks too much.”
Perhaps that's why Kent earned a spot in the Hall of Fame from a list of candidates that included all-time home run leader Barry Bonds, 354-game winner Roger Clemens, 509-home run slugger Gary Sheffield, 1980s stars Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy, and Dodgers icon Fernando Valenzuela was unexpected.
Even Kent was surprised.
“The emotions are overwhelming, incredible,” Kent said. “I didn't even expect it. In my opinion, there were so many good guys there that the committee had to argue with and vote with. I'm grateful that they considered me and gave me a chance to accept me.”
Valenzuela, Bonds, Clemens and Sheffield each had fewer than five votes, meaning they will not be eligible to participate in the next review of their era in 2031. They may be nominated again at this time, but will not be eligible for consideration if they fall short of five votes again.
All candidates had already been rejected by the Baseball Writers Association. America. Seventy-five percent of the vote is required to take office, and Kent never received even 50% during his 10 years on the BBWAA ballot, which ended in 2023.
“Time has passed and you just leave it alone, and I left it alone,” Kent said. “I loved the game, and everything I gave to the game, I left there on the field. Today, for the last few days, I was completely unprepared. Emotionally unstable.”
Kent was named National League Most Valuable Player in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, the team with which his career is most closely associated. He hit a career-best .334 with 33 homers and 125 runs batted in this season and drove in more than 100 runs in each of Bonds' six seasons batting.
He said he plans to enter the Hall of Fame wearing a Giants cap.
“The turning point in my career was Dusty Baker, a manager I met in San Francisco,” said Kent, who played in college in California. “He motivated me to perform at my best.”
Kent finished his career with 377 homers, 351 of them by second baseman, the most ever at that position. He is also the only second baseman with over 100 RBIs in eight seasons.
As a Dodger, he hit 75 homers and batted .290 in more than 2,000 plate appearances. His last manager with the Dodgers was Joe Torre, who described Kent's impact on the franchise.
“He's one of those players whose actions should make you understand what he's thinking.” – said Torre. “It’s an old professional thing.”
