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Big League Stew - MLB

Big League Stew

Wed Aug 25 10:00am EDT

Did Matt Kemp hit a ball that got stuck in Miller Park scoreboard?

By David Brown

Not long after various dignitaries honored commissioner Bud Selig with a statue of his own likeness, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp(notes) left his own memorable impression on Miller Park.

Kemp connected on a hanging curveball from right-hander Dave Bush(notes) for a mammoth home run Tuesday night that ballpark scientists measured having traveled 447 feet. But because of where Kemp hit the ball — to straightaway center field, and high off the scoreboard — his two-run blast in the second inning appeared to go much farther than that.

Watch Kemp attack the scoreboard

Kemp's shot not only gave the Dodgers an early lead, but it also drew attention to another ball already lodged in the scoreboard, one that remained there even after the final out of the Dodgers' 5-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.

It is believed somebody in batting practice hit a ball so hard (unless it was thrown, or launched from a T-shirt/hot dog canon) that it lodged just under the "6" — for the sixth inning.

Not long after Kemp's homer, the Brewers broadcast team brought the ball in question to viewers' attention.

Impressive. Not even Kemp could get his homer to stick its landing.

The caption of the above photo, taken by the AP, claims the ball stuck in the scoreboard is Kemp's homer, but it already was there by the time he came to bat in the second inning. 

Did Kemp hit the one in BP, too? Someone needs to ask him. Kemp's contribution to the game, fairly or not, also became marginalized by several other events of the day.

• The ceremony for Bud, who used to own the Brewers.

• Rod Barajas(notes) hitting a three-run homer in his debut for the Dodgers.

• Ted Lilly(notes) winning again.

• Whatever is going on with Manny Ramirez(notes).

The Brewers recently announced plans to upgrade the scoreboard at Miller Park (it's not nearly gargantuan enough). Before they do, they ought to bronze the baseball stuck in the old one and display it for eternity.

UPDATE: The ball was hit in batting practice by new Brewers OF Chris Dickerson(notes), @DrewOlsonMKE reports.

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Follow Dave on Twitter — @AnswerDave

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