MVP candidate Matt Kemp is the subject of Ken Rosenthal's latest column at Fox Sports. There are several quotes from Kemp, Ned Colletti, Dave Stewart, and ex-coaches Larry Bowa and Bob Schaefer, but my favorite passage was this, which could make for a scene from a movie:
However, Kemp slowly came around. In August, after one particularly rough game, Colletti said that he received a call from Stewart suggesting that he chat with Kemp. The two met later that day, in a private area of the Dodgers’ clubhouse. The conversation lasted about 45 minutes. It was a man-to-man, open discussion, emotional in a good way, Colletti said.
Kemp acknowledged to Colletti that his play had been disappointing, even to himself. Colletti asked Kemp if he felt like he had been "carrying a lot of people on his back." When Kemp indicated yes, Colletti said, "take me off." The GM asked Kemp for maximum effort, nothing more.
Lineups
Chad Billingsley tries to stave off a sweep against the house money lineup for the Reds, who end their west coast road trip today.
| Reds | Dodgers | |||
| CF | Heisey | SS | Gordon | |
| SS | Renteria |
2B | Carroll | |
| 1B | Votto | RF | Ethier | |
| 2B | Phillips | CF | Kemp | |
| 3B | Rolen | 3B | Uribe | |
| LF | Gomes | LF | Thames |
|
| RF | Lewis |
1B | Loney | |
| C | Hanigan | C | Barajas | |
| P | Wood | P | Billingsley | |
Game Time: 12:10 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket