Former Giants second baseman Jeff Kent speaks during his number retirement ceremony at Oracle Park on Saturday night.
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Former Giants second baseman Jeff Kent throws balls to fans after his jersey retirement ceremony at Oracle Park on Saturday night.
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Jeff Kent has enjoyed all sorts of Hall of Fame events since he was first voted in by the Eras Committee last December, but Saturday, when the San Francisco Giants retired Kent’s jersey, there was something new — a warm, affectionate moment with Barry Bonds.
Famously, the two best players of the 2002 San Francisco Giants World Series team did not get along as teammates and even once got in an altercation in the dugout at San Diego. Since he was voted into the Hall, though, Kent consistently praised Bonds as a teammate and said that he wouldn’t have been in the position to be considered for baseball’s highest honor without Bonds hitting in front of him and getting on base at an incredible rate.
Bonds, on the field for the ceremony between games of the doubleheader with the Diamondbacks at Oracle Park, grabbed Kent in a big hug and shook him with joy and patted him on the face as both grinned.
Article continues below this ad
In his speech Saturday after his No. 21 was retired, Kent said, “I got to witness some extraordinary baseball that I guarantee you’ll never see again in Barry Bonds,” and added with a smile later, “If Bonds and I weren’t fighting in the dugout, we wouldn’t have what we’ve got, I guarantee you.”
While pointing out the other Hall of Famer in attendance, Juan Marichal, and likely future Hall of Famers Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy, eligible next year along with Buster Posey, Kent nodded at Bonds. “Barry, keep with it brother, you’ve got a shot, man,” as the crowd cheered.
Kent saved some of his fondest words for his “toothpick gnawing manager.”
Article continues below this ad
“Dusty Baker was the best,” he said. Turning to face Baker, who was sitting behind him, Kent said, Baker “elevated a skinny white kid who probably didn’t deserve to be in the middle infield but he taught me about culture, taught me how to be a professional, taught me how to deal with emotion. Even though he shoved me up against a wall and told me to knock it off, I had more respect for him in that moment than ever before.”
“I’m so glad I got to play here, amongst the fans — you guys — for so many years,” Kent added, “and I’m so grateful I get to come back and look up at that number up there. But not my number, all those other numbers, because I know the Giants know how to build culture and legends.”
Kent has been a revelation this award season: funny, expansive and insightful, willing to show emotion. During a press conference after the ceremony, Kent was asked about his son, Kaeden, acquired by the Giants at the Aug. 3 trade deadline from the Yankees. Kaeden Kent homered twice at Class-A Eugene on Thursday, with a home run trot exactly like his dad’s.
“I’ve tried so hard not to live through my kid, and there’s still a little bit of hesitation that my own boy, if he makes it to the big leagues, he’s got to look at the shadow of the number that now hangs on the wall,” Kent said, then paused, suddenly choked up. “I don’t know why I’m tearing up about it, I did good in my speech (not crying).
“He’s tough enough, I think that he can handle it.”
Article continues below this ad
Offered a glass of water a few minutes later, Kent joked, “I’ve got to keep drinking water to replenish my tears.”
Kent veered into comedy, however, when asked about his appearance on the reality TV show “Survivor.”
“I heard that the casting was looking for some baseball players and I just jumped on that. I thought that was the coolest stupid show I ever saw and I’d say I can survive because I’m better than everybody,” Kent said. “I didn’t realize how much your social skills really drive that game, and I suck at social skills.”
Kent went on to explain that nothing is faked in the show. “We were sh—ing in the woods. We had no Snickers. Every time they interviewed me, I said, ‘I need a fricking Dr. Pepper,’ and they never put that in the show.
“They’ve asked me to go back a couple times, and for some reason or another, I just couldn’t do it. My wife (Dana) said, ‘You’re never doing it because you were gone seven weeks. No communication.’ That was gnarly for her. She hated me every minute of it. … Everybody thought we got divorced. ‘Where’s Jeff? ’ and she couldn’t tell anybody.”
Article continues below this ad
Kent said he’s looking forward to the next phase of his Giants-dom, which he figures will entail sitting around just off the clubhouse as Willie Mays and Willie McCovey did in their Hall of Fame days, answering the occasional question from a young player. Actually, scratch that — he might be more likely to search players out for some hard truths. “I’m an in-your-face guy,” he said.
Saturday, he had a chance to let the umpiring crew have it: After coach Ron Wotus was ejected taking out the lineup card out before the first game of the doubleheader, Kent said, he was asked if he wanted to do the honors for Game 2. It’s a shame, in retrospect, he declined, because he’d have outdone Wotus in rehashing manager Tony Vitello’s Friday night ejection, which was accompanied with an apparent element of questioning Vitello’s credentials.
“Ron Wotus was too nice,” Kent said as he sat down to chat with reporters. “That umpire needed a talking to. I’m sorry, it was disrespectful what he did to Tony. Throwing him out is OK, but not that other BS.”