Happy Birthday Matt Kemp!

One of the nice things about occasionally covering the Dodgers for LAist is the chance to listen to Boss Joe Torre dish in chunks larger the soundbyte.

He’s a man whose resume speaks for itself, earning every ear that surround his voice.  He respects us listeners with economical but poignant speech, never complicating matters.  Plus, he maintains an impressive sense of humor.

If the New Yorker offers a worn cliche, he both acknowledges it is just that, as well as its valuable truth.  But what I most take away from one of the smarter men in Major League Baseball, is that it’s a much simpler game than I know.

Easily my favorite turn of phrase from the skipper was on Matt Kemp, who turns 25 today.  Kemp’s had an All-Star caliber season, and he continues seeking the next level.  In Torre’s words, last week:

“He’s always messing up going forward.”

Happy Birthday Kempy!