""It was a great opportunity because I was going back home," Kent told Dodgers Nation's Doug McKain. "I grew up in Southern California. I bought front row tickets for my parents to come to the games every day and watch me play. So, the two years led to four years in L.A. It was Southern California, great weather, good fans, I got to go home where I grew up a few times.""
""I knew that that was it for me," Kent said on his final chapter in Los Angeles. "That was a great cap to the end of my career. I got to play for Torre, a great manager in Joe Torre. I got to finish out with Nomar Garciaparra ... [Greg] Maddux and Orel Hershiser. Guys that I watched play, guys that frustrated the hell out of me in Maddux. And I just realized that there was nothing else I needed to do.""
Jeff Kent grew up in Huntington Beach and chose to finish his 17-season career with the Los Angeles Dodgers to spend more time with family in Southern California. He signed an initial two-year contract that was extended to four seasons, allowing him to play under manager Joe Torre alongside Nomar Garciaparra, Greg Maddux and Orel Hershiser. Kent hit 75 home runs with the Dodgers and averaged .291/.367/.479 across his final four seasons. He won the 2000 National League MVP with the Giants and regarded his Dodgers tenure as a fitting capstone before retiring and later entering the Hall of Fame.
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