Matt Kemp says he is afraid of the Angels’ Rally Monkey

For the sake of the Dodgers, it’s a good thing the Angels are an American League team. If the two Los Angeles teams had to play each other frequently, the Dodgers may have to deal with an ineffective Matt Kemp every time they visited the Halos. Why? Because Kemp fears the Rally Monkey.

“I don’t like the Rally Monkey,” Kemp said Tuesday according to a tweet by Dylan Hernandez. “I’m scared of the Rally Monkey. You’re out there in the outfield and the monkey just pops up on the screen. That’s kind of scary.”

Angels fans love the Rally Monkey. The Angels have even given away Rally Monkey Chia Pets to their fans, so you know it is a huge part of their culture. Personally, I never saw the thing as frightening and I’d like to assume Kemp is joking. If this is the guy who is claiming his MVP snub created a monster that is going to tear it up in 2012, he can’t be afraid of things like a monkey while he’s posted up in the outfield.