Matt Kemp: 'I've never really played in a baseball town before'
Atlanta Braves outfielder Matt Kemp is pretty pumped to kick things off with his new club. Kemp, who grew up a huge Braves fan, already penned a letter expressing his excitement over at the Players’ Tribune. On Tuesday, Kemp again went out of his way to praise Atlanta.
Matt Kemp: “I’ve never really played in a baseball town before. So, I am excited about that.”
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) August 2, 2016
That’s an incredibly complementary statement about Atlanta, and it’s sure to endear Kemp to the local fans before he even steps foot on the field in his new uniform.
With that said, Kemp’s statement also implies that Los Angeles and San Diego, the two other places he’s played during his career, are not baseball cities. Whether or not that’s true, it’s not going to sit well with fans who supported Kemp when he was a member of the Dodgers or Padres.
This is far from the first time a ballplayer has insulted his former city. Back in 2013, Josh Hamilton shared similar thoughts about Texas, saying it wasn’t a “true baseball town.”
To add insult to injury, the Los Angeles Dodgers actually lead baseball in average attendance per game according to ESPN. The San Diego Padres rank 16th on that list, while the Braves sit at 25th. The Dodgers have topped ESPN’s list since 2013.
Over that same period, the Braves have ranked as high as 13th, and as low as 25th. The team’s attendance has steadily declined as the club has embraced its current rebuild.
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That’s probably a big factor here. You can’t fault Braves fans for not wanting to go to games when the product on the field is dreadful. Perhaps Kemp sees a brighter future, and with that, more fans coming out to the park. Opening a new stadium next season should help, at least temporarily.
It’s perfectly reasonable for Kemp to be excited about playing in his new town, but there’s no need to insult fans of his former clubs. Given the Dodgers’ passionate fanbase, we’re sure they’ll have nothing to say about this slight.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
