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Perhaps no other animal symbolizes the West as dramatically as the American bison. In prehistoric times millions of these animals roamed the North American Continent from the Great Slave Lake in northern Canada,south into Mexico and from coast to coast. No one knows how many bison there were, but the naturalist, Ernest Thompson Seton, estimated their numbers at sixty million when Columbus landed. They were part of the largest community of wild animals that the world has ever known.

These days, the numbers of American Bison have dwindled, and certainly you wouldn’t expect to find one in the urban environment of Los Angeles. That is, of course, unless you check out a certain grassy patch at Chavez Ravine sometime this summer. Then you will see the great American Bison, the local version, that is, in all his glory roaming the green grass of Dodger Stadium’s right field. Like his more furry cousin, life for the L.A. American Bison isn’t always easy. Last summer, Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke tried to go Buffalo Bill on our Bison and send him into extinction (perhaps a trade to Kansas City?), but luckily for Dodgers fans his inane inference that perhaps the Bison (too young, too immature, too… wild) should be relocated to a different pasture, did not sway the Dodger brain trust, who refused all offers to trade him.

Yes, Matt Kemp is still a Dodger.

Lately Bill (Plaschke, not Buffalo) has been reticent, taking a shine to the young man, saying his original implication that a trade might be warrented came from Dodger management, not him. Then he sat down with Kemp for lunch. I guess making nice with with the scribes does wonders for how you will be viewed. Cy Young pitcher Dave Stewart, Kemp’s agent, evidently sent Matt to finishing school this winter, where he learned how to kiss up to those who wield power in this town.

Not since Raul Mondesi have the Dodgers had an outfielder with the combination of athleticism and baseball skills come up through the system, yet instead of being embraced, the lead columnist for the LA Times decided he needed to ply his trade elsewhere. (Makes me wonder how he would have treated Fernando…) Ever since B.P. successfully spearheaded the smear campaign that ran Paul Depodesta out of town, I’ve paid close attention to his column, since it is apparent the McCourts have zero conviction, and can be moved by mere words into impulsive action. Vigilance is required.

Fortunately, Dodger fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief when fall turned into winter, winter to spring, and as the Wisteria blossoms unfolded their sweet smell we found Matt Kemp playing baseball in China for the Los Angeles Dodgers, familiarizing that nation with his uniquely American game. (And nickname, bestowed onto him by our own Don Sutton while broadcasting a game in Atlanta. Even Sutton could recognize the skills, and especially the size. He said Kemp looked like a big buffalo out in right, but since “Buffalo” is not the correct name for the American species, Bob Timmermann of the Griddle modified it to the Bison and it has stuck.)

Matt Kemp is a huge baseball talent- at 6′2″/230, I mean that both literally and figuratively- who is able to combine all of his athletic skills into a package that at age 23 is already wowing his peers. Five tool players just don’t come around very often, and in my experience rarely emerge from the Dodger farm system. But Matt Kemp has them all. Power, speed, arm, the ability to hit for average, and the skill to grow into a great defensive outfielder, making him the envy of GMs around the league. He grew up as one of the great prep basketball players of his region (his hometown is Midwest City, OK), but unlike many young black athletes, chose to make baseball his future instead. The Dodgers, and the game, are certainly better off for it.

Kemp debuted at Dodger Stadium on June 1, 2006, at the tender age of 21, and proceeded to hit seven home runs in his first ten games. Just the first of many team records he’ll break as his career with the Dodgers progresses. As the 2006 season moved into late summer, Major League pitchers adjusted, finding the holes in Kemp’s swing and, predictably, sent him into a slump.

Last season, Ned Colletti, unconvinced Kemp could handle an everyday outfield job in the bigs and hoping to give him more time to develop in the minors, responded with a smart one year deal for Luis Gonzalez and the ill advised five year version to Juan Pierre to hedge his bets. Still, Kemp played his way onto the Opening Day roster, removing the roadblocks, only to suffer an injury when he slammed into the non-padded area of the Dodger Stadium fence on April 9.

By the time Kemp was healthy, Andre Ethier had earned his stripes and was playing a solid right field. Meanwhile, in left, Gonzo performed above expectations (in the first half, at least) and got most of the work and for some bizarre reason known only to Grady Little, Juan Pierre was playing everyday in center. No spot for the bison to roam. As the summer wore on, though, Gonzalez wore down, and Little went to a three man rotation that included Kemp with the vet and Ethier… while the worst outfielder they had, Pierre, played everyday. (Can you tell I’m still bitter?)

It must have been frustrating for the kids to be play second fiddle to more esteemed but less effective talents like Gonzalez and Juan Pierre. Evidently, they rubbed the veterans the wrong way when losses piled up in August and September. Or maybe the losses created the environment where tension- any tension- would blow up.

Still, even with inconsistent playing time, local writers questioning his character, and a high strung clubhouse, Kemp found a way to garner over 300 at bats and hit .342, the highest average ever for a 22 year old Los Angeles Dodger. That is right, for a team celebrating it’s 50th anniversary as a local institution, no player at age 22 has ever had a better season then Matt Kemp. Batting average isn’t my favorite stat- there are too many variables that can make the figure misleading- but most people understand that when you hit .340 you’ve had a great year. If the more complicated baseball metrics are your thing, we can take a look at OPS+, which also shows Kemp had the best season of any 22 year old player in LA Dodger history.

(The cool thing is that if you look at that list, you’ll find more to excite you. While Kemp’s season as a 22 year old was the best in local Dodgers history, James Loney had the 2nd highest OPS+ for a 23 year old, behind only Tommy Davis during his amazing ‘62 season. These are bright days at Dodger Stadium.)

So that brings me back to Bill Plaschke. Why did he have a problem with Matt Kemp? Was it personal? Was it because B.P. can’t relate to the modern day black athlete, or that cultural differences create divides that he can’t cross? Is he just ignorant of how good the Bison can become? Is he a closet Giant fan? That would explain why he loves Ned Colletti so much, and will generally trumpet anything that will bring down the local squad?

Does Jeff Kent give him free pony rides on his ranch?

I don’t know, but what I do hope is our Bison will continue to roam right field long after the LA Times puts Bill out to pasture.

Phil Gurnee, co-author of True Blue LA, takes a look at the current, past, and future of his Los Angeles Dodgers. Mixing a totally subjective viewpoint with statistical analysis, he looks at baseball from both sides of the mirror.

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