The Oakland Athletics have struggled at the start of the 2023 season. And to make things better, it was announced that the team will be moving to Las Vegas in the near future. Tony Kemp is in his fourth season with the A’s and our MLBbro had a rough start to the season. During the month of April, he had a span where he went 0-for-23.
It’s a tough feeling when you go multiple games without a hit, and it just keeps happening. But for Kemp, he doesn’t let that phase him one bit.
He’s going to continue to step out on that field day in and day out and give it his all. That’s the type of player you want to have on your team and it’s a big reason why Kemp continues to play. Kemp ended his 0-for-23 streak by launching his first home run of the season on April 21 against the Texas Rangers.
When you’re struggling at the plate, all you can do is keep swinging. And that’s exactly what Kemp did when he belted that home run to right field. Through 23 games, he’s hitting .167 with two doubles and seven RBI. This brother has been in the league since 2016 and he’s played on winning teams, so he knows what success looks like.
When he joined the team in 2020 during the shortened season, the A’s made it to the American League Division Series and lost to the Houston Astros 3-1.
The next season the A’s finished with a winning record but failed to make the postseason. Last season was one to forget for Oakland as they finished 42 games below .500. And it looks like the struggles have carried onto this season for the A’s, but players like Kemp aren’t giving up.
Kemp Knows How To Make An Impact No Matter What Team He Is On
When Kemp first entered the league, he had the opportunity to be a part of a Houston Astros team that went on to win a World Series. Being a part of a World Series team in your second season is something that you won’t forget and that success is contagious. Kemp was a part of a winning culture during his brief time in Houston and was a vital player on the field and in the clubhouse.
Fast forward to the present and Kemp has that experience and winning tradition that he brings to Oakland. The 31-year-old was born to be a leader. Listed at 5-foot-6, Kemp has had to work 10 times harder to make sure he got his shot to play at the next level. And all he needed was an opportunity and he got that. The way he plays and carries himself is commendable and he’s a good example of what a team player looks like.
You better believe that as the season continues, Kemp is going to keep playing hard and show why he’s a key player on this A’s team. Even if Oakland finishes last in the division, Kemp will go out there and play each game like it’s his last.
Seven MLBbros were nominated for one of Major Leagues Baseballs highest honors, the Roberto Clemente Award. Last season there were two nominees.
All 30 teams nominated one player for the Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and their contributions to their teams. Clemente, a native of Puerto Rico played 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, winning the National League MVP award in 1966. He has 3,000 hits, won 12 straight Gold Gloves and four National League Batting Titles.
In December of 1972, just months removed from his 15th All-Star Game, Clemente who was known for his charity work in Latin America and the Caribbean took a mission trip to help the country of Nicaragua after they had recently been affected by an earthquake. Sadly, Clemente passed away when his plane crashed enroute. He was only 38-years old.
In his honor, Major League Baseball renamed the Commissioners Cup in his name.
Taylor Hearn
The Texas Rangers pitcher is the only Dallas, Texas native on the team and has had a major impact on the DFW community since he arrived to the Majors. He was selected for the 2021 Richard Durrett Hardest Working Man Award by the DFW chapter of the BWAA.
Excited to announce my Woodbat Classic! Come join me October 29th-30th ages 8U-14U at the Grimes Baseball complex in Desoto,TX. For more information visit link below! Can’t wait to see the youth out swinging!
In addition to sponsoring a team in Ghana, visiting high school teams and working out with their players during the off-season, Hearn also plans to host his first baseball tournament this coming fall.
Josh Bell
Even though he now plays for the Padres, Bell will represent the Washington Nationals.
He has his own book club for fans and also collaborated with the D.C. Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy, which is an organization that focuses on helping at-risk teenagers in the area.
Triston “Dr. Stix” McKenzie
McKenzie is one of the younger nominees at just 24-years old.
"As a baseball player, it's not only what I can do on the field, but how I can impact my community."
Triston McKenzie gets it. His track record of involvement with youth in our community speaks for itself.@T_eazy24 is our nominee for the 2022 Roberto Clemente Award. pic.twitter.com/BFuvWVBgOc
He is a member of the Players Alliance and has been helping the Chicago community for years. J-Hey will be the head of a local Youth Academy which will open in 2023.
Tony Kemp
Kemp was also nominated for the award last season. He partnered with Players for the Planet and One Tree Planted donating $250 for every stolen base and extra base hit he has.
Dillon Tate
Tate played in the MLB Academy in Compton, California growing up and now gives back some of the Game that was given to him.
Commitment to community 🧡
Congratulations to Dillon Tate on being nominated for the Roberto Clemente award! pic.twitter.com/Mismji8Odx
He started his foundation, Baseball Academia, which helps teach the youth about personal development while helping them get better on the field. Tate has hosted 100 athletes to ballparks already this season.
Byron Buxton
In addition to making his first career All-Star Game this season Byron Buxton gets another honor in being named the Twins representative for the Roberto Clemente Award. Buxton, who is a two-time winner of Minnesota’s Twins Heart & Hustle Award has a brother serving in the U.S. Navy. The MLBbro also has Buxton’s Battalion program where he invites families of servicemembers to Target Field for batting practice and autographs.
All of these MLBbros are giving their best on the field and also connecting with the community.
It’s been a disappointing year for the Oakland Athletics. With one of the worst records in all of baseball, there seems to be no excitement in Oakland. But while the A’s have struggled throughout the season, Tony Kemp has been one of the most consistent players on the team.
On Sunday, the A’s snapped a 10-game losing streak, defeating the Cleveland Guardians 10-5. Kemp played a significant role in the win as he went 2-for-5 at the plate with an RBI and two runs scored.
This could be the turnaround the A’s need and Kemp can certainly play a big role as the team looks to turn things around. Kemp got off to a solid start to begin the season and cooled off a little bit at the beginning of May, but then picked things back up.
Through 56 games, Kemp is second on the team in batting average hitting .234. That says a lot right there about the team’s struggles on offense, but Kemp is doing everything he can to provide a spark in the A’s lineup.
Our MLBbro has recorded a hit in five of his last seven games, definitely a good sign for the A’s.
Kemp has already proven he’s a leader on the field and in the dugout, something he’s done throughout his career. The 30-year-old has had success in this league, winning a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017.
Even though he did not play during the Astros World Series run, he was still a part of the team and got to experience that championship atmosphere.
Winning is contagious and when you experience it at the highest level, that’s a feeling you won’t forget. And for Kemp, he brought that winning mentality over to the A’s when he joined the team in 2020.
There’s no question he’s been one of the top players on this team and he has continued to show why he should be an everyday player.
He had one of the best seasons of his career in 2021. Kemp had career-highs in batting average (.279), slugging percentage (.418), hits (92), and RBI (37).
That season really set Kemp up for a future with the A’s. He signed a one-year contract with the team for the 2022 season and if he can continue to be consistent, the A’s will have to consider keeping him around.
This is a player you want on your team because he can be effective at the plate and on the field. His versatility allows him to play anywhere on the field and he has a high baseball IQ.
Our MLBbro can go on to have a long and productive career and right now he’s not showing any signs of slowing down.
As the season progresses, look for Kemp to continue to provide that consistency in the A’s lineup. This brother is a competitor and always gives full effort out there on that field.
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