Kuzul

At their best, sport stars allow us a respite from our daily worries and personal tumult. Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was just the latest to lift the spirits of one particular fan while giving the rest of us a reason to smile—or get a little misty. Kemp—currently mired in a lackluster season—was apparently informed by Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach that there was a young man who wanted to meet him. Kemp did much more than that. The video below was spotted by blogger Roberto Baly of Vin Scully is My Homeboy and features Kemp giving everything from a signed ball to the shirt off his back to a fan. As of this writing, there isn't a great deal known about the fan who received a treasure trove of Kemp paraphernalia after a recent Dodgers vs. Giants game at AT&T Park. We simply have to go with what we can find in the description ...

Matt Kemp is set to make his first start of the spring today in Glendale, Arizona.  And though he's already had five spring at-bats with no hits, Kemp is focused on having a monster year in 2013 for the Dodgers.  In an injury shortened 2012 season, Kemp still put up great numbers for the Dodgers, hitting .303/.367/.538 with 23 home runs, 69 RBI, nine stolen bases and 74 runs scored in 403 at-bats.Not quite on pace for record breaking numbers, but a great shortened season nonetheless.But this also brings up a question that many asked before the start of the 2012 season: Does Matt Kemp have what it takes to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season?Health will be the first factor in his quest, and according to an interview with Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports, Kemp is healthy and ready to play everyday:   Um, me, ...

Here's my early top-60 listing of outfielders heading into exhibition play, with an emphasis on 5x5 roto leagues. This position will likely produce baseball's largest number of four- and five-category studs by season's end. But that star power still cannot obscure the uncertainty of taking inexperienced young players or injury-riddled veterans later in the draft, or household names that will invariably fall short of last year's amped-up stats. Hopefully, this listing will eliminate some of the draft-day doubt and consternation that come with the territory. Especially with leagues that require five starters at the position. Enjoy the show!Begin Slideshow

The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of Major League Baseball’s best five-tool players in center fielder Matt Kemp.But what if we could make him even better? How good would Kemp be if we could borrow the best skills from his Dodgers teammates to create the perfect baseball player? Given Kemp’s prodigious talents, it would not take much to make him the best player in the game.He was well on his way to earning that title last April before hamstring and shoulder injuries derailed his exceptional season. As he recovers from offseason surgery, Kemp plans to be in full health by Opening Day. That would put him in position to take another shot at becoming MLB’s best all-around player. In a recent SI.com poll, 305 fellow major leaguers recognized Kemp as having one of the game’s most dangerous outfield arms. In addition to that lethal right-arm strength, even fewer hitters can match ...

Banged-up Los Angeles Dodgers star Matt Kemp will be out of the lineup weekend and miss the rest of L.A.'s series against its NL West rival San Francisco Giants.  UPDATE: Saturday, September 8 at 8:39 p.m. ET by Ian HanfordMajor League Baseball's official Twitter feed gave an update on the Dodgers' star on Saturday: INJURY UPDATE: @dodgers OF @therealmattkemp out until at least Tuesday with frayed labrum and inflammation in bruised left shoulder.— MLB (@MLB) September 9, 2012 This confirms that Kemp will miss the entire weekend. Following their current series against the Giants, they play NL West rival Arizona in a two-game series starting Monday. After that, they will host the St. Louis Cardinals.Losing a player like Kemp hurts anytime, but losing him in the heart of a playoff race could cause a crucial slip-up.These next two series could be critical for the Dodgers' postseason hopes. ---End of Update--- According to the Los ...

As I followed the Dodgers game against the Padres last night, there was something slightly different about things, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.Was I glad that baseball was finally back after a brief hiatus? Possibly, but that seemed unlikely.And then, everything clicked.As Mark Ellis, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier stepped to the plate in succession, my feelings were clarified: it wasn't that I hadn't seen baseball in a few days, it was that I hadn't seen these guys play baseball in so long.It always seems cliche to talk about off-the-field intangibles or thoughts and feelings that can't be quantified with an average or a number, but the feeling of knowing the Dodgers were healthy, finally, was almost tangible.The confidence I lacked with Adam Kennedy patrolling the middle of the order (or even playing at all) and Jerry Hairston as our best hitter had become borderline difficult ...

The Home Run Derby is arguably the most exciting part of All-Star weekend. There are eight players participating in the derby this year which pits team Kemp against team Cano. 2011 Home Run Derby champion Robinson Cano will be looking to repeat this season.Each of the players participating in the Home Run Derby has shown off their power stroke this season, but not all of them have gotten a chance to play a game at Kauffman Stadium this year.All of the players have their own strengths and power alleys that have worked for them this year, but that might just lead to some long outs in the Home Run Derby this year. Each graph of home runs hit by Home Run Derby participants from this year will also show an overlay of Kauffman Stadium to show if the ball would have left the park there as well.Begin Slideshow

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a tailspin, and they must do something to stop the bleeding soon. After dropping the series opener to the San Francisco Giants 8-0 last night, Los Angeles is now in jeopardy of falling into a tie for first place in the NL West by the time the series ends on Wednesday night. The Dodgers are now 11-12 in June and are in danger of having their first losing month since July of 2011. While injuries to All-Star center fielder Matt Kemp—who’s missed 38 games across two DL stints with an injured hamstring—and starting pitcher Ted Lilly have certainly hurt, it’s more apparent than ever that the Dodgers need to make a trade or two soon if they want to maintain their grip on the division and have a shot at an extended playoff run. Both the San Francisco Giants—who are now within two games of the first-place ...

As the summer continues to heat up, so will talk of trade potentials and teams looking to make adjustments for a late-season push.Although it is still fairly early, injury, slumps and poor records have already began to plague major league clubs.Some teams like the Chicago Cubs, the Houston Astros and, perpetually, the Oakland Athletics will enter rebuilding mode and begin to sell off contracts for prospects.Others, such as the San Fransisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Miami Marlins, who are in the hunt for October, will take on loaner veterans to help get their teams over the hump. Here is a look at some possible trade talks before the All-Star Break.Begin Slideshow

With several surprises and disappointments, the 2012 MLB season has been a compelling one to watch thus far. However, something that has made the game less fun to follow is the number of superstar players that have suffered significant injuries. Yes, sometimes new players can emerge when established veterans go on the disabled list. Look at Bryce Harper with the Nationals or Freddy Galvis for the Phillies. (Unfortunately, Galvis has joined the ranks of the injured.) Sure, we watch baseball because we love the game, but a big reason we love the game is because we get to see top players perform at an elite level. Superstars provide the game with its flash and sizzle. They compel us to watch. Without its marquee talent on the field, baseball is just a little less exciting.But the game will be far more exciting to watch in the weeks and months to come once some ...