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Kemp becomes first to win NL Player of the Week three weeks in a row
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- Derek Jeter loves Dodger catcher Matt Treanors taste in music
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Kemp becomes first to win NL Player of the Week three weeks in a rowJim Smiley Dodger center fielder Matt Kemp was named the National League Player of the Week for the second straight week since the season’s opening. Kemp was also honored for his play in the final week of 2011, making him the first player to win the award in three consecutive weeks. In his six games last week, the Gold Glover led the Majors in batting average, home runs, total bases, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Kemp picked up right where he left off a year ago. Last season his 39 homers and 126 runs batted in led the league while his .324 average was good for third in the N.L. His hot start this year helped push the Dodgers to the best record in baseball with nine wins in ten games. This marks the club’s best start since the 1981 championship season. Los Angeles is the only one-loss team in the big leagues. The last time the franchise found itself in this position was in 1955 when they gave Brooklyn its only World Series title. In the three-game sweep over the Padres this weekend, Kemp hit for homers and had seven runs batted in while going 7-for-10. The runner up in last year’s N.L. MVP voting, Kemp is currently the Major League leader in batting average (.487), home runs (6), and RBI (16). In addition to the three consecutive N.L. Player of the Week awards, the 27-year old also won it for the Week of May 4, 2008. Kemp’s Dodgers start a road trip tomorrow with three games each in Milwaukee and Houston. Derek Jeter loves Dodger catcher Matt Treanor's taste in musicJim Smiley As Dodger backup catcher Matt Treanor steps to the plate, the stadium speakers blare a familiar 1980s anthem. As a tip of his cap to the ‘A-Team’, Treanor has chosen the theme song from the television series that aired from 1983-1989. “I was thinking about music that fires me up and the ‘A-Team’ just came to mind,” Treanor said of his unconventional choice for intro music. “It’s great isn’t it?” Teammates say the song fits the nine-year veteran who played for the Marlins, Tigers, Royals, and the Rangers before signing with the Dodgers in the offseason. “He’s that kind of guy,” says shortstop Dee Gordon. “He’s hard core, he’s a gamer.” The 23-year old Gordon even likes the music. “C’mon, that’s one of the best soundtracks ever.” While the music’s position on the list off all-time soundtracks remains unclear, one thing’s for sure. The song is good enough to impress Yankee Captain, Derek Jeter. Treanor tells of a game in Texas during September, 2010. With his song blasting as he came to the plate in the bottom of the third inning, Treanor promptly popped out to Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano. Two batters later, the Rangers were retired and Treanor took his familiar defensive position behind the plate. The leadoff hitter the in the fourth was the Yankee shortstop. As Jeter dug into the batter’s box, he glanced back to Treanor without expression, and said, “ ‘A-Team’, huh?” “Oh yeah,” Treanor responded. “You like it?” “No,” replied Jeter. “I love it.” An ear –to-ear smile adorns Treanor’s face as he recounts the story. “That’s was pretty cool, something I’ll never forget,” he says. Though the ‘A-Team’ theme fires up Treanor, that doesn’t mean he’ll keep the song forever. Like television shows, there's always the chance Treanor’s choice in music might get cancelled. “At some point, I might mix it up and get a little Indian Jones or maybe some superhero movie,” Treanor says. “But for now, I’ve got to stay with the ‘A-Team’.” Derek Jeter would no doubt approve. OC REGISTER These games count tooApril 16th, 2012, 12:59 pm · · posted by Howard Cole, OCREGISTER.COMThat was a fun weekend now, wasn’t it? A three-game sweep of San Diego, with a tide-turning ninth inning triple play, and a celebration of Jackie Robinson. Very exciting indeed. And yes, of course these are just the hapless Padres we’re talking about here, but come on, let’s enjoy the Dodgers without the “yeah-but-it’s-just-the-crappy-teams-they’re-beating” caveat for a day or two. The locals have won nine of their first ten ballgames, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier look like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and everyone’s talking about the last time the club got off to a 9-1 start – in 1981. Work stoppage or no, 1981 was a wonderful year, from Fernando Valenzuela subbing for Jerry Reuss with an Opening Day whitewash of the Astros to the World Series co-MVP performances of Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. Very much worth remembering. Right now, however, I’m thinking about the 1977 season. Don Sutton allowed a leadoff homer to Gary Thomasson in San Francisco but nothing more, shutting down the Giants 5-1 on three hits the rest of the way. L.A. lost two of its next three, won seven straight after that and finished April with a 17-3 record. And 22-4 to start the year. So 1981, great. 1977, even with just the pennant, great. And while a flag and world championship would be nice, obviously, what do you say we get through the month of April first. That said, the Pads and Pittsburgh Pirates are in the National League the last time I looked, and these games count. They absolutely count. L.A. has lost more than its fair share of series to the likes of those two clubs in recent years, and I’m sure you can recall plenty of times, when the Dodgers were struggling, they couldn’t beat the bad teams, much less the good ones. The team began with a 14-14 April last year, followed up with a 12-16 May and a 10-16 June. They were 9-16 the previous April. This is a whole lot better than that, and I’m going to soak it in while I can. Because if there’s one thing I’ll be grateful not to hear this spring, for once, it’s that annoying cliché of baseball clichés, “it’s only April,” and its little brother, “it’s only May.” I believe we’ve had that one thrown in our faces enough times during the 24 years between Series appearances. Besides, who are these better teams the Dodgers are supposed to beat to pass muster? You buying the New York Mets or the Washington Nationals? Not me, and I don’t see any reason why the Milwaukee Brewers should be some sort of barometer either. They’re next on the schedule and therefore the next challenge for the first place team in the NL West. All the games count; the first ten and the other 152. Every last one of them counts. There will be hot streaks, cold streaks and everything in between, for the Dodgers, and for each of the 29 other teams. They call that baseball. And 9-1 is a whole lot better than what might have been; a lot better than should have been expected. Nine and one over San Diego and Pittsburgh works for me. I don’t know about you, but I’m happy.
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