Future Hall of Famer Kent Calls It Quits.

All World All Sports (www.allworldallsports.com)
The SportsRagePage (www.sportsragepage.com)
Sports Sections of the World

by Digger

Jeff Kent has played his last professional baseball game after 17 seasons. Baseball's All Time Leader in Home Runs by a Second Baseman (351) is a certain future Hall of Famer. His career started in Toronto and soon took off after being traded by the Mets to San Francisco. A career .290 hitter, 377 HR, a 2B record 8 100-RBI seasons.

Kent was a fiery competitor. Anyone who remembers watching Giants games when Kent and Bonds went at it a few times knows this was a no nonsense player on the field. I remember Kent being one of the very few outspoken players against steroid usage. Funny thing is he has remained silent when it comes to the Bonds - Balco HGH fiasco.

Kent will probably become a first ballot Hall of Famer based on offensive records by a 2B.

Baseball has it's moments of teams making famously horrible trades. Certain teams have made numerous bad deals throughout their team history. The most well known and fabled dud deal was Boston trading Babe Ruth creating what would soon translate into Red Sox curse folklore.

A few of my favorites have been made by the New York Mets. They've had some real doozies over the years. Nolan Ryan traded away for Jim Fregosi. Ryan became baseball's all time strike out leader and most no hitters. Tom Seaver for 5 non impact players. Seaver promptly throws a no hitter for Cincinnati. To this day, Mets have never had a pitcher throw a no-no. Mike Scott for Danny Heep. There have been many more including Jeff Kent for an over the hill Carlos Baerga. Kent was already the Mets best 2B in team history before someone thought it best to trade their slugger. Kent went on to have a HOF career with SF and Houston.

2000 NL MVP, 4 Silver Slugger Awards, 4 NL All Star Games. One glaring omission from his 17 year career. Zero World Championships. He came very close playing for the Giants in 2002. Leading the Angels 3 games to 2... leading Game 6 5-0 in the 7th inning, lost 6-5 (lost Game 7). '02 was his only Series appearance out of 7 Playoff seasons.

MLB has a new generation of slugging 2B soon to challenge Kent's records. Utley, Uggla, Phillips, Cano? Perhaps one of these players is a future Hall of Famer? Time will tell.