Matt Kemp - Triple Crown Is Still A Possibility

Matt Kemp quietly took the field in a half-empty ballpark on his 27th birthday with a chance to do something no National League player has done in 74 years - win a triple crown. The last NL player to win a triple crown was Joe Medwick of the St. Louis Cardinals, who did it when Tom Lasorda was 10 years old. Carl Yastrzesmki of the Boston Red Sox was the last American League player to do it, in 1967.

The homer Kemp hit during Dodgers' 2-0 win over San Diego ties him with Albert Pujols for the NL lead at 37 and strengthens his triple crown bid. His 119 RBIs lead the league, and his .326 average is close to top. Kemp's ranking is near the top of a wide range of hitting categories — he leads the NL in runs (109) and is second in steals (40).

With four games left in the regular season it would seem that Kemp has his work cut out for him but, with three more home runs, Kemp will be part of that exclusive group to have hit (40) or more home runs and stole (40) or more bases. Of the four players to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season — Bonds, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez and Alfonso Soriano — none batted higher than .310.

Go Matt!