by Mark Langill
Once upon a time as one of the premier power-hitting outfielders in the Major Leagues, Matt Kemp watched with youthful impatience when the Dodgers staged reunion events involving the former great players of a storied franchise.
I would be in the dugout thinking, ‘Hurry up. We have a game to play.’ Now, I’m that old guy,” he said on Sunday.
Kemp, at the advanced age of 39, returned to Dodger Stadium for Alumni Weekend events that began with a pair of induction ceremonies and ended with his retirement from baseball as a Dodger.
Former outfielder Dusty Baker on Friday became the eighth Legend of Dodger Baseball, an honor started by the organization in 2019. On Saturday, a reunion luncheon featuring more than 40 former players and team officials preceded a ceremony in which former owner Walter O’Malley’s name was added to the team’s Ring of Honor. O’Malley’s disc on the Club Level alongside the retired numbers was unveiled by family members representing Hall of Famers Vin Scully (Erin Scully), Don Drysdale (Ann Meyers Drysdale), and Tommy Lasorda (Laura Lasorda).
Sunday’s “Matt Kemp Day” included a pregame ceremony where fans chanted: “MVP, MVP, MVP.”
Kemp had a chance to reflect on his Dodger career and enjoy the good-natured ribbing from the former Dodgers welcoming Kemp to a new fraternity.
“(Former first baseman) Eric Karros at the luncheon told me, “It’s over, man. Get used to it,” Kemp said with a laugh.
“It happens to everyone,” said Ken Landreaux, a Dodger outfielder from 1981 to 1987. “After a while, you don’t think about how old you are or what happened in the past. I was so happy I had a chance to hang out with my teammate Dusty Baker on Friday. It’s spending time with these guys that’s special to me.”
Some of the memories and stories stretched back more than a half-century. Former infielder Ted Sizemore, the 1969 National League Rookie of the Year, spotted Manny Mota, one of Sizemore’s first teammates when Mota was traded to Los Angeles from the Montreal Expos on June 11, 1969.
“We had a good team in 1969. And you remember the people who were nice to you as a rookie. Manny was a great teammate,” Sizemore said.
Left-hander Tommy John, 81, drew a big crowd among his peer group wanting to take photos with the pitcher whose career-saving elbow surgery, performed in 1974 by team physician Dr. Frank Jobe, now bears his name.
The luncheon in the Gold Glove Bar included several panels spanning different eras of Dodger baseball. As former outfielder Al Ferrara was called up to represent players who made their respective debuts in the 1960s along with infielders Bill Russell, Bobby Valentine and Ted Sizemore, the 84-year-old nicknamed “The Bull” feigned indignation when stepping on stage.
“Why am I going first?” Ferrara shouted. “What am I, the OG (old guy)?”
Three veteran outfielders who were traded to the Dodgers during the 1970s — Rick Monday (from the Chicago Cubs), Baker (Atlanta Braves), and Reggie Smith (St. Louis Cardinals) — rekindled the days of first-year manager Tommy Lasorda’s “Big Blue Wrecking Crew” that won consecutive National League pennants in 1977 and 1978.
Before the luncheon, Kemp surveyed the landscape of hugs, and photo-ops among the former players and club officials, including longtime owner Peter O’Malley and general manager Fred Claire. O’Malley’s on-field ceremony included appearances by Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Jaime Jarrín, and Legends of Dodger Baseball Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Garvey, Orel Hershiser, Kirk Gibson, Manny Mota and Baker.
During the luncheon’s 1988 World Series panel, Gibson watched from the back of the room as he gave the spotlight to second baseman Steve Sax, outfielder Mickey Hatcher, catcher Rick Dempsey, and coach Mark Cresse.
Kemp also sat in the back of the lounge near the players closer to his era, which included outfielder Andre Ethier, pitcher Eric Gagné, and infielder Luis Cruz.
Kemp was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the June 2003 First-Year Player Draft. The club’s history became part of his Minor League curriculum, and life lessons from coaches Maury Wills, Gene Clines, George Hendrick and Terry Collins.
During his Sunday press conference, Kemp praised Davey Lopes, the former second baseman and two-time National League stolen base champion who was a Dodger coach from 2011 to 2015. Kemp said Lopes chastised Kemp for scrolling on his phone at his locker before a game.
In the interview room where Kemp spoke with reporters, there is a framed photo of Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson on June 4, 1972, when the first three uniform numbers in Dodger history were retired — Koufax (32), Roy Campanella (39) and Robinson (42). The statues of Koufax and Robinson, who passed away at age 53 in 1972, greet fans entering the Centerfield Plaza at Dodger Stadium.
Kemp said he spoke with Koufax during a break in the Saturday activities. Their relationship began early in Kemp’s career when he asked Koufax to sign his jersey. Although nostalgic ceremonies didn’t get his attention as an active player, Kemp always appreciated his Dodger mentors.
“That’s the cool thing about playing in Los Angeles — the history,” Kemp said. “(Koufax) is a quiet guy, but for some reason, he always opens up to me and we have good conversations. He taught me how to throw hard from the outfield. You can’t make this stuff up, being around all these guys. Even in the Minor Leagues, they brought these guys around. Not many teams have those types of people with that kind of information. It’s just a special place to be.”
History will keep Dodgers alumni forever young was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.