Matt Kemp acknowledges he lost some love for the game

Matt Kemp was traded on Saturday from the San Diego Padres to the Atlanta Braves, marking the second time he’s been traded in less than two years. Kemp getting to play for the Braves fulfills somewhat of a childhood fantasy as the Oklahoma native grew up watching the Braves on TBS and supporting them.

Now that he’s with a new team, Kemp is vowing to get off on the right foot with his new squad. In an article on The Players’ Tribune, Kemp stated his plans to work hard for his new team and show the right attitude. He also acknowledged that after his near-MVP season in 2011 with the Dodgers, he began to lose some interest in baseball.

From Kemp’s article:

After taking some time to reflect on my career, and the ups and downs I’ve experienced since my MVP-caliber season in 2011, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I had begun to lose some of my love for the game. In so many ways, I got sidetracked from what I loved most about playing the game of baseball — having fun. I let a big contract, the Hollywood lifestyle, injuries and bad relationships tarnish the reputation I had worked so hard to establish. Sadly, I gained a reputation for being selfish, lazy and a bad teammate. While I may not agree with all the criticism I received in the past few years —and while I believe that a lot of it was unmerited — I take full responsibility for my shortcomings. And I promise you, Atlanta: Those days are gone.

Braves fans have to like the attitude with which Kemp is approaching the situation. He acknowledged his shortcomings and failures and is vowing to change them. That probably includes things like dating Rihanna which he said was distracting, and some of the Khloe Kardashian rumors.

Kemp’s new attitude is the sign of maturity from the 31-year-old outfielder. Hopefully it results in Kemp returning to his 2011-2012 form.