Matt Kemp Is Smarter Than You Think
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 7:00 AM PDT
in News
70 comments
Matt Kemp has been the Dodgers' best player this season. A hitter with power, who hits for average too, while playing a mean center field. He is hitting .301/.356/.499 with 26 home runs, 34 steals, 100 runs batted in, and 96 runs scored. He leads the club in Wins Above Replacement, with 5.4, according to our friends at the fine website, Fangraphs. He leads all centerfielders with 13 assists.
I believe Kemp is easily the Dodgers' most valuable player this season, but I'm willing to entertain other arguments. Andre Ethier has been amazingly clutch with his six walk-off hits, and I can understand if his poor rating in ultimate zone rating is viewed with skepticism. Randy Wolf has been the horse of the rotation, Clayton Kershaw leads the club in ERA, and Jonathan Broxton has been dominant as a closer this season.
If anyone wants to put forth an argument that one of those players has been better than Matt Kemp in 2009, I won't agree with them, but I'm willing to listen to a compelling argument. However, I implore you, please don't resort to writing drivel like this, from Paul Oberjuerge:
Matt Kemp is the Biggest Dodger Dolt
Okay. Right off the bat, we see where Oberjuerge, who "spent nearly 31 years as a sports editor, sports columnist and metro columnist for Gannett and MediaNews while based in Southern California," according to his website, is coming from. This is not going to be a "nice" column. Oberjuerge continues:
Is there a dumber guy in baseball than Matt Kemp? Not talking real-world IQ (but maybe we could), but "dumb plays involving a guy who no longer is a kid." Baseball IQ, that is.
And on that scale, is anyone dumber than Matt Kemp?
Did Kemp run over Oberjuerge's dog or something? There seems to be a lot of vitriol spewing from him so far. Who knows? Maybe Kemp thought Christine Daniels was attractive, and was offended by Oberjuerge's blog post from two years ago.
Oberjuerge goes on, outlining why he thinks Kemp is dumb:
Search your mind, for a moment, and consider how many times you have seen Matt Kemp thrown out on the bases. Yeah. A lot. Not as often as you’ve seen Juan Pierre ground out weakly to second (that’s a number in the hundreds), but a lot. Somebody somewhere must have that stat, Matt Kemp outs-made on basepaths …. and I will bet you $5 that (subtracting caught-stealing) no one in baseball has been tagged out on the bases more often than Matt Kemp.
Kemp, including today, has made seven outs on the bases this season. Plus, he has been picked off six times as well. That is 13 total outs on the bases. There are 10 players in baseball who have made more outs than that, plus six more that have made as many outs:
| Player | PO | OOB | Total Outs |
| Chone Figgins | 11 | 11 | 22 |
| Carl Crawford | 7 | 12 | 19 |
| Denard Span | 9 | 10 | 19 |
| Dexter Fowler | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| B.J. Upton | 10 | 6 | 16 |
| Scott Podsednik | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| Nyjer Morgan | 9 | 7 | 16 |
| Jacoby Ellsbury | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Brian Roberts | 5 | 9 | 14 |
| Yadier Molina | 3 | 11 | 14 |
| Pablo Sandoval | 1 | 12 | 13 |
| Adam Kennedy | 2 | 11 | 13 |
| Elvis Andrus | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Michael Cuddyer | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Alex Rodriguez | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Matt Kemp | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Juan Pierre | 6 | 7 | 13 |
Mr. Oberjuerge, you owe me $5. He continues his Bison hate-fest:
Matt Kemp tries to take extra bases all the time. And often doesn’t make it. He gets doubled off a base. He strays too far off the bag and gets picked off. He’s just a disaster out there. And this has to do with a really low baseball IQ.
The amazing Baseball-Reference.com tracks just about everything, including percentage of extra bases taken. They define XBT% as "percentage of times the runner advanced more than one base on a single, or more than two bases on a double, when possible." Matt Kemp has taken the extra base 52% of the time. The league average is 39%. Kemp comes out ahead of the curve here.
Bill James Online tracks base running, both while stealing bases and running the bases. In just base running gain, Chone Figgins leads MLB with a +30, meaning he has gained 30 more bases than an average player just while running the bases. The top ten in base running gain include players at +19 and above. Kemp is at +18, meaning he has gained 18 bases more than the average player just while running the bases (not while stealing). Does someone in the top 11 or so in this category seem like a dumb base runner to you?
Oberjuerge rambles on, and even blames Monday's 11-1 loss on Kemp's baserunning error. He also adds this finishing nugget:
I’ve been thinking about this for some time, while watching Matt Kemp play. And marveling at what a complete dope he is.
That's funny, because I've been thinking of how great it is to have one of the very best players in baseball playing for the Dodgers. While I and other Dodger fans enjoy the exploits of The Bison, let the ill-informed continue to hate the Dodgers' best player.
After all, ignorance is bliss.
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Can I Hire You?
You’d be great for argument settling with clueless new york sports fans at the bar. What’s your rate?
by bearface on Sep 29, 2009 7:25 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I'm speechless at this one
(actually no I’m not, I wrote Oberjuerge a fairly long and scathing response e-mail this morning)
Is the concept of using stats and solid fact a lost one among sportswriters these days? I mean seriously, to make a claim that he would bet money Kemp makes more outs on the bases than anyone else, then not look it up? How lazy is this guy? Pretty sure this is some confirmation that no matter how “dumb” Kemp may or may not be, he’s got Oberjuerge beat by plenty in the IQ and common sense department.
Has there ever been a player better than Detlef Schrempf?
by bucknellbruin on Sep 29, 2009 7:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Eric Stephen pulls a Ken Tremendous
I like it.
Somebody somewhere must have that stat, Matt Kemp outs-made on basepaths
That kind of shit drives me crazy. It’s your freaking article dude! The point is for you to come up with the evidence, not throw out unverified claims and then challenging your readers to do your homework for you. What a clown.
by Michael White on Sep 29, 2009 7:47 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
That's a fine FJM reference right there, mwhite
and exactly my thought while reading.
Good stuff from Eric.
-sw
Growing up in the Weinman household, you learn two rules very quickly if you aspire to reach double-digits in the years-of-age category: Hate thy Knick, hate thy Yankee.
Go Celtics, Go Dodgers. -sw
by Steve Weinman on Sep 29, 2009 8:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I love your signature (well, except for one NBA reference, but the rest is great) :)
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 8:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks, Eric
Love your site.
And I presumed we might have to agree to disagree on that hoops part. :-D
Affiliations aside, count me quite curious to watch this Artest experiment play out this season in La La Land.
-sw
Growing up in the Weinman household, you learn two rules very quickly if you aspire to reach double-digits in the years-of-age category: Hate thy Knick, hate thy Yankee.
Go Celtics, Go Dodgers. -sw
by Steve Weinman on Sep 29, 2009 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Generally, you’ll find writers like the guy who wrote the Kemp column who will say that they only go by what they see, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. But I do think that breed of sports writing is getting harder and harder to justify due to great write ups like the one Eric just did.
Nice job Eric.
by bhsportsguy on Sep 29, 2009 8:15 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
And obviously...
This means he is going by a small sample size of stuff he saw this week. I mean, can anyone honestly write an article like this is they have seriously been watching Matt Kemp all season long? My goodness, there is no one on the Dodgers that I am more excited about than Matt Kemp. This guy should pick a new team to watch.
by robotmadeofnails on Sep 29, 2009 9:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, this article really came out of nowhere.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I forgot to mention, belated thanks to Underdog for the link to Oberjuerge’s article.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 8:35 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
not hard to see
why this man is unemployed. also, the blog posting about christine daniels is ridiculous. who takes shot at other journalists like that???
if this man finds a job again, the newspaper world has failed me. especially when there are a horde of much more capable people out there.
by whorge on Sep 29, 2009 8:56 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
kind of strange
matt obviously has an exceptional amount of baseball smarts, hustle and talent, on offense and defense. seems like a fairly bright and charming guy in front of a mic, too. really a bizarre choice of targets.
by stillnotah8er on Sep 29, 2009 8:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow this guy is an idiot
He even mentioned that Manny might be the worse outfielders of all time when explaining how bad a defensive outfielder Kemp is.
Wow, he’s supposed to have covered So Cal sports and he’s never heard of Pedro Guerrero. Man, Adam Dunn is still playing (and in a game he supposedly watched).
But in fairness to the worst article ever, I don’t think this was even published, it has less credibility than a fanpost. ESPN is still in the driver seat for worst writing ever for me.
by Dodger Dude on Sep 29, 2009 8:58 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
though pedro made up for it with the bat
by stillnotah8er on Sep 29, 2009 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oberjuerge reported sport for the San Bernardino Sun and the like for years
Guess he was another victim of the downturn in the newspaper industry. Maybe that’s what’s making him so grumpy.
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 9:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Kensai actually beat me to the punch on Oberjuerge, taking him to task last night. Worth a read, especially since I even missed that Oberjuerge called Kemp a 27-year old when he just turned 25.
Fact checker!
http://www.memoriesofkevinmalone.com/2009/09/matt-kemp-is-dolt.html
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 9:04 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Oberjuerge did correct that, with a strikeout, to his credit
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 9:09 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The entire article should be stricken out :)
Matt Kemp Is TheBiggestDodgerDoltMVP
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That comes after they win the World Series
Right now they suck because they lost to the Pirates
by Dodger Dude on Sep 29, 2009 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
You have to lower yourself to think like them
its like an FBI serial killer profiler, distasteful but sometimes necessary.
by Dodger Dude on Sep 29, 2009 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Nice work Eric
Kensai may have gotten there first, but your listing of the relevant statistics regarding baserunning that complete refute Oberjuerge’s specious claim is fantastically on the mark.
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 9:14 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I Am At The Point Of Believing...
…it is utterly futile to spend time arguing against stupidity, or arguing with stupid people — activities that have consumed far too great portion of my life since I started commenting on the internet. For the stupid people, very likely, are at a certain advantage in any battle of wits:
by CanuckDodger on Sep 29, 2009 9:27 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
First impression I get is that Oberjuerge’s column has some racist overtones.
vr, Xei
by Xeifrank on Sep 29, 2009 9:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I thought about this. It seemed Oberjuerge went out of his way to contrast Kemp with Torri Hunter, perhaps as a means to combat the angle you’re suggesting.
by Michael White on Sep 29, 2009 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, that could very well be. Like I said, it’s just an impression I got. I hate it when people get overly “pc”, which is what I would be if I just came out and called this a “racist” article, but I just don’t get a good feeling on this one.
vr, Xei
by Xeifrank on Sep 29, 2009 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I honestly think the Race Card is played way, way, way too often and is invalid 99% of the time it's played.
I really think this is one of the 1% of time its valid.
I really don’t see the need for this level of vitriol for Matt Kemp. Eric was right to ask if Matt tortured Oberjuerge’s puppies, nothing really justifies this level of emotion.
by Seanny Rotten on Sep 29, 2009 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Great rebuttal Eric
it is writers like Oberjuerge that have given blogs the ability to fill the void that used to exist when the only outlet was this kind of nonsensical utterings.
by meercatjohn on Sep 29, 2009 9:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
More importantly, he does owe me $5. :)
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Look for the Ken Griffey Jr Payday…500 pennies coming your way (probably in a sock swung at you from a dark alley some time soon)
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wow. The guy’s been writing in Southern California for 31 years? I’ve been here for 48 and never heard of him.
I thought his name was Richard, not Paul, because he’s a real Dick.
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 9:54 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Seriously, because I would remember a name like that. An apparent nobody.
by delias man on Sep 29, 2009 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It was for the San Bernardino Sun, mostly, which was syndicated. So he would occasionally get his name in the Daily News, and other similar papers. Oh wait, I just listed two papers with a total circulation of 4 people.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, San Bernardino…no wonder I never heard of him. Oh, wait…I WAS BORN THERE!!!!
E, per our conversation Sunday: I was right—anyone can start a blog! :)
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 9:59 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Daily News was and is still pretty popular
in the San Fernando Valley. The population of the Valley is around 2 million people, and my subjective opinion is that the Daily News was always viewed as the more “local” paper compared to the LA Times which focused on the City and the West Side. Daily News does a much better job of covering high school sports in the SFV, Santa Clarita Valley and Simi Valley/Moorpark; which is really all I look for in a newspaper nowadays anyway.
by Michael White on Sep 29, 2009 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, I still like the Daily News. I miss Tony Jackson. I like Scott Wolfe for some of his USC stuff but he’s a bit acerbic for a beat reporter (compared to TJ, who’s a bit acerbic for a columnist).
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
yeah, that was a cheap shot at the Daily News on my part. I enjoy their content, although since Tony Jackson left I haven’t read much from them.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Daily News
covers the local sports scene something the LA Times ignores. I think young Mr. Weisman got his start there. The LA Times people told me at the last DT outing that they expected the Daily News to fold it’s doors next year.
by meercatjohn on Sep 29, 2009 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
The OC Register seems to have done a good job focusing locally as well, although I have no idea of their solvency.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Now that SB Nation has all the college teams covered
will they start adding High School sports bloggers to cover the void left when papers like the Daily News disappear.
by meercatjohn on Sep 29, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I’ve looked at the USC blog and based on that I wouldn’t say SBN has them covered at all.
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Are you saying that the USC SB Nation blog
sucks or that it doesn’t exist? I mean it is USC so some grad is probably doing it, and so why would you expect it to be good?
by meercatjohn on Sep 29, 2009 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
ouch
it exists, but it sucks.
it’s prob written by a fresno st grad.
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Any USC grad that can actually write
Is churning out screenplays.
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hey!
I didn’t get the memo…pick on USC day?
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That's every day for me
I just don’t often exercise my right to do so.
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
very nice.
you throw a fellow trojan right under the bus. TROJANS BURST UNDER PRESSURE!!
by Seanny Rotten on Sep 29, 2009 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I really like that idea
I thought the LA Times Varsity Times Insider was great last year, before the Times did their thing and killed it (it’s making a recovery of sorts to start this season.) The idea of a national internet brand like Yahoo covering high school sports is not unheard of. ESPN owns Calhisports dot com now. And Yahoo owns Rivals, so they already have a foot in the door. Following high school sports is still a niche market with a ton of hard core followers, sort of like college football recruiting and minor league baseball.
by Michael White on Sep 29, 2009 10:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Aren't the DN, the OCR, the LB Press-Telegram (and others?)
part of the same newspaper group? I believe the local focus is their global strategy. So to speak.
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Almost. DN and LBPT are owned by Media News Group, who also own the SB Sun. OCR is a Freedom paper.
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Since Oberjuerge brought up Pedro Guerrero
Here’s another classic Pedro story, courtesy of Richard Hoffer (via Deadspin):
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:47 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
You gotta link the Sax/Pedro conversation
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
KEMP
Go pick on someones else,,,,,Oberjuerge, there’s plenty of other crap out there…
by dodgerglory on Sep 29, 2009 11:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Great tear-apart Eric
Thanks for doing this. I’m surprised more of us haven’t posted a comment there after his dolt-ish article. Maybe we’re all speechless.
Without Kemp, the Dodgers arguably wouldn’t be in the playoffs this year.
Also, in the game yesterday, didn’t others make baserunning blunders, like Mark Loretta? Once again the vets get a free pass. This is garbage, but I’m glad someone articulated why it is.
The commenter formerly known as "Dashiell".
by underdog on Sep 29, 2009 11:34 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Matt kemp is amazing!!!! everyone check out this awesome interview I just found with him! http://www.younghollywood.com/videos/lifestyle/sports/dodgers-talk-with-matt-kemp.html
by LAsweetie2009 on Sep 29, 2009 11:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I don't understand
Who is this Oberjudge guy? Is he a journalist? Blogger? Does he ever get paid for his words? Are most of his pieces op-ed without factual basis like this one? Why are we giving him the time of day?
Look at that, he hit the f*cking bull! Guy gets a free steak!
by rocknjosie on Sep 29, 2009 12:07 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Been a journalist for 31 years or so.
by Eric Stephen on Sep 29, 2009 12:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
But not currently working as one, I don’t think.
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think I saw him at a roadside reststop once
by KellyStephen on Sep 29, 2009 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Are you going to claim you had a wide stance?
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Ah, so this is a classic Old School, I saw it with my eyes therefore it must be true vs. New School, look empirical data argument; made more comical because this once journalist now freelancer is currently blogging without an editor and can write such inflammatory articles.
I’m young enough that blogging has made me expect to get my news and opinions for free, but I also recognize that 99% of the (sports especially) stuff written on the internet would never leave the cutting room floor. Or whatever the newspaper equivalent is of that movie metaphor.
Look at that, he hit the f*cking bull! Guy gets a free steak!
by rocknjosie on Sep 29, 2009 12:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
It was between that and Uber-judge but I didn’t want to be quite so literal.
Look at that, he hit the f*cking bull! Guy gets a free steak!
by rocknjosie on Sep 29, 2009 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
this is stupid
matt kemp is a great player
by matthewmafa on Sep 29, 2009 3:18 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Wow
What a fucking waste of time for him to write that “article” and for anyone to actually read it. That guy needs to get a clue.
by Ivdown on Sep 29, 2009 4:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I hope Oberjudge approves this comment
Originally I was hoping he didn’t moderate comments:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/KH_BLADE/Picture1.png
by junheec on Sep 29, 2009 5:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
He published one of my comments, but the one where I linked to this topic was moderated away.
by David Young on Sep 29, 2009 6:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
That read like a very classy version of an FJM post
With the quality layout and the picture and the lack of gratuitous swearing. But honestly, the first thing I thought when I read that was, “Who the fuck is Paul Oberjuerge”?
by StolenMonkey86 on Sep 29, 2009 6:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
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