Most Valuable Pariah Concludes Career

Jeff Kent is a contradiction. His talent was infinite. His temper is infamous. His performance was valuable. His persona is volatile. For owners, Kent was an obvious acquisition. For anyone else, he is an anxious encounter.

On Thursday, Kent retired. “I don't get how you can go up to an opposing starting pitcher, give him a hug and say, `How you doing?' and then go out there and try to hit a gapper,” said Kent. “I tried to separate the emotions from the game. If you allow yourself as a player to get emotionally involved in every little thing that happens, I don't think you can stay as consistent as you ought to in this game. I wanted other people to perceive me as a guy who was level emotionally.”

During his career, Kent batted .290 with 377 home runs and 1,518 runs batted in. In 2000, he won the National League Most Valuable Player Award. “More than likely I would've been a cop when I grew up, hence the mustache,” he said. “Yet when we were kids, we fantasize about being an athlete. I wanted to be a baseball player. For 17 years, I got to live a fantasy and I'm truly, truly grateful for that. I've learned to love and appreciate the fans and even the Jeff Kent haters out there most of all. Those are the people who motivate you.”

Departures are difficult. When acrimony exists, their difficulty increases. Kent respected baseball. He alienated and ostracized everyone else. Kent’s exodus pains him. His exodus relieves everyone else.