Kemp promises 50-50 season after losing MVP

Matt Kemp met all the criteria for an MVP except one. He didnt play on a division winner, or even on a contender. Thats not one of the requirements voters must consider when voting for a leagues Most Valuable Player, but its usually what separates players when voters mark their ballots before the regular season ends. In this case, Ryan Braun won because his value was greater to the Milwaukee Brewers in their run to the National League Central title. Kemps Dodgers fell out of the NL West race quickly and finished 11 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks. Their stats were comparable. Braun finished second in the league in batting average, hitting .332 with 33 home runs, 111 RBI and 33 stolen bases. He also topped the NL in slugging (.597) and OPS (.994). Kemp hit .324 and had 39 homers, 126 RBI and 40 stolen bases. He won the National League's home run and RBI titles and finished third in batting average. Kemp also led the NL in runs (115) and total bases (353). Kemp, in fact, received 10 first-place votes from writers compared to 20 for Braun. So almost one-third of the voters believed Kemps season rose above his teams record. The other two first-place votes went to Brauns teammate, Prince Fielder, and Justin Upton of the Diamondbacks. Matts one of the best players in the game, no question about that, said Braun, who attended Granada Hills High and lives in Malibu. The season he had will go down as one of greatest in Dodgers history. I grew up a fan of the Dodgers, and in all my years following the team, Ive never seen anyone have the kind of year he had. If hed won, I certainly couldnt argue with that. Thats why there are sure to be arguments about which player was better Kemp or Braun. And Kemp supporters can always point to the instructions voters receive with their ballot. It says: The MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier. Kemp didnt, but because his numbers were so close to Brauns, voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America gave value to the Brewers first-place finish. And thats how it should be. It certainly doesnt minimize Kemps brilliant season. He came within a home run of a 40-40 season (homers and stolen bases). He won a Gold Glove for defense and a Silver Slugger Award, which goes to the best hitter at his position. He won the Hank Aaron Award as the most outstanding player in the National League. And perhaps more important, he rebounded from a 2010 season in which he batted .249 and was subjected to criticism from general manager Ned Colletti. Kemps reaction? He congratulated Braun and then offered this promise: Im going to go for 50-50 next year. Im going to set my limits high and try to get to them. Im serious. If I dont, it means I let you all down and Im a liar. I know you think Im crazy, but Im trying to take it to another level. Only four players have hit 40 homers with 40 stolen bases in a season. No one has ever reached 50-50. Not Willie Mays. Not Barry Bonds. No one. Kemp said his only disappointment was that he felt he let down Don Newcombe, the former Dodgers pitcher who has been a kind of father figure to him. He said he had promised Newcombe at the beginning of the season that he would win the MVP. I wanted to win that award for him, Kemp said. But Ive got eight more years in L.A. to try and win it. That eight-year, 160-million contract Kemp signed last week should make the blow of finishing second easier to accept. Braun signed a five-year, 105-million extension in April that will keep him in Milwaukee through 2020. Kemp is clearly a person who thrives on motivation. He promised he would come back from last years disaster and produce a40-40 season. He almost did. Now, he believes he can reach new, unprecedented heights, and Brauns ascension to the MVP is just the thing he needs to work harder than ever. Definitely its a motivation, he said. You always want to be known as the best. I thought I had a great year, a lot of people thought I had a great year. But people thought Prince had a great year, too. Not taking anything from Braun, but its going to give other people who didnt win MVP even more motivation. Put Kemp in that group. If he does what he says, he just might take the Dodgers along with him for a memorable ride.