Any bad feelings I had about watching Jeff Kent's decline in performance the past couple years I now regret. Jeff Kent officially retired from Major League Baseball today. As I watched some of his press conference I couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. You could tell how much it hurt him to hang up the cleats after years of playing and changing the second base position. He was very emotional.
Jeff Kent did change second base. He brought power to the position. It wasn't Barry Bonds or Jose Canseco power, it was clean drive the ball 400+ ft. and strong gap shooting line drives. He was a prototypical clean up middle of the line up kind of player. His offense wasn't the whole story either. Watching him move around the infield with his range and reach made for some spectacular plays.
The way he approached the game was nothing short of professional. He respected the game. He respected baseball's history and its heroes. He will be a Hall of Famer for sure, first ballot. Then people will start looking back on him and showing him the kind of respect the legends of the game get.
I don't think this will be the last we see of Jeff Kent around baseball. Whether its in a booth, on a bench, or just at all-star games being honored, baseball will never leave Jeff Kent.
