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With the festivities of Jackie Robinson Day prominent at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, thoughts of retaliation or bad blood between the Dodgers and Padres have taken a back seat. At least for one night.
"I'm not worried about that situation. What happened, happened," said Matt Kemp on Monday. "There are more important things going on, to be worrying about retaliation or things like that."
Manager Don Mattingly spoke with Joe Torre, vice president of baseball operations for MLB, and as of a few hours before game time neither the Dodgers nor Padres were officially warned in advance of any on field retaliation to last Thursday's brawl in San Diego. Torre's message was more to keep things in perspective with Monday being Jackie Robinson Night.
Kemp, who spent his Monday morning with Jackie Robinson's daughter Sharon at Washington Middle School in Pasadena, the same school Jackie attended, admired Robinson for his restraint.
"Jackie was a strong, strong man. He knew how to turn the other cheek, how to walk away, unlike myself at times," Kemp said. "It took a great man to do that, and the only person who could do that was him. Even Don Newcombe will tell you he wouldn't have been able to do what Jackie did, and that's why he is everybody's hero. Thank God for Jackie."
Mattingly spoke with the team Monday afternoon.
"We're here to win the game," Mattingly said. "Let's make sure we keep our composure. We're here to win a game. We don't need to lose players. We just don't."
Padres manager Bud Black received the same call from Torre and echoed the same message, telling reporters, "For us, it's over," per Bill Shaikin of the LA Times.
However, with brawl catalyst and clavicle fracturer Carlos Quentin not at Dodger Stadium while serving his eight-game suspension, Mattingly admitted the atmosphere is a little different than it might have been.
"I'm sure if he was playing, things would be escalated a little bit," Mattingly said.
Game info
Time: 7:10 p.m. PT
TV: Prime Ticket