Jeff Kent Is Preparing for an Early Retirement

Figures that the most surly of columnists (it's all an act, I know), T.J. Simers, and the most surly of ballplayers (it's all an act, I know), Jeff Kent, get along with each other quite well. Maybe the two sit around sharing stories of what it's like to be disliked by everyone. Point is that the Dodgers second baseman told Simers in the LA Times that he's planning an early departure from the game:

"I know this," Kent said upon his arrival in the clubhouse, "I won't play beyond 40. That makes next year my last year. As for coming back next year, that will probably come down to how the team finishes this year."
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There's still a chance this might be Kent's final season, but the Dodgers probably will have to win the World Series. He admits, though, it's becoming increasingly difficult as a family man to dedicate himself solely to baseball as he did as a younger man.

So Jeff Kent is a family man. He wants to start spending time with his 11-year-old daughter, understandable. And Kent also says it will be easier for him to leave the game behind, unlike many other players who struggle with the transition to life after baseball. With the Dodgers playing well, he'll have a decent shot at walking away with a World Series ring, though it's unlikely. The good news is that we won't have to see Kent's skills diminish on the field, unlike certain other probable Hall of Fame second basemen.