"During a post-announcement news conference, Kent recalled the way he and Bonds used to push, prod and sometimes annoy each other during their six seasons as teammates on the San Francisco Giants. Those were Kent's best seasons, a fairly late-career peak that ran from 1997 to 2002, during which Kent posted 31.6 of his 55.4 career bWAR."
"The crescendo was 2000, when Kent enjoyed his career season at age 32, hitting .334 with a 1.021 OPS, hammering 33 homers with 125 RBIs and compiling a career-best 7.2 bWAR. Hitting fourth behind Bonds and his .440 OBP, Kent hit .382 with runners on base and .449 with a runner on first base. During Kent's six years in San Francisco, he was one of five players in baseball to go to the plate with at least one runner on base at least 2,000 times, and the other four all played at least 48 more games than he did. Turns out, hitting behind Bonds is a pretty good career move."
Jeff Kent was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the contemporary baseball era committee as the sole selection among eight candidates. Barry Bonds' presence on the same ballot and his role as Kent's teammate underscore a notable irony. Kent's peak from 1997–2002 produced 31.6 of his 55.4 career bWAR. The 2000 season featured a .334 average, 1.021 OPS, 33 home runs, 125 RBIs and a career-best 7.2 bWAR. Kent delivered exceptional situational hitting behind Bonds' .440 OBP and produced significant run-producing plate appearances during his San Francisco tenure.
Read at ESPN.com
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