Jeff Kent's somber retirement announcement on Jan. 22 at Dodger Stadium, in which the notoriously gruff second baseman let down his guard and let the tears flow on several occasions, was a tad anti-climactic for Blake DeWitt. The second-year major-leaguer had long known that the Dodgers' everyday second base job would be his beginning in 2009, as club officials had no intention of re-signing Kent even if he hadn't retired.
"It's obviously a great feeling," DeWitt said in a Los Angeles Times video blog. "But as a player, you can't let up for a second. You have to work even harder. There are no guarantees. Somebody is always fighting for your job, or you are fighting for their job. It is a never-ending process, and you can't ever let up." Late last season, when Kent forced himself through an accelerated rehabilitation program to make it back in time for the final week and the playoffs after Sept. 2 surgery on his left knee, the veteran, despite being relegated to a backup role, made a point of helping DeWitt get comfortable at second base.
Kent's decision to retire came late in the winter, a sign he might have continued if there had been more interest in him on the free agent market. But he also had laid plenty of hints during last season that it probably would be his last, and there were times when his play on the field suggested that it might be time.
Kent's average (.280), as well as his home run (12) and RBI (59) totals, all were his lowest in a single season in more than a decade. Moreover, his range at second base had diminished to the point that almost any groundball hit to his right was automatically through for a base hit.
