Matt Kemp was obviously touched by Joshua Jones. Earlier this month as the Dodgers were getting swept by the San Francisco Giants, Kemp heard about the Tracy, Calif. 19-year old who was sticken with inoperable tumors and given only months to live. He went over to where the family was sitting, signed a ball and in an act of spontaneity gave Jones his cap, jersey and cleats.
Kemp decided to fly Jones and his family down to Los Angeles to watch the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. "It's a dream come true for my son," Josh's father Steve said.
Josh was on the field to watch batting practice on Monday before the Dodgers interleague series against the Angels. Kemp also brought out Angels star Mike Trout to meet Josh. "This is better than San Francisco," Josh said.
Kemp is struggling at the plate. Since the last road trip on May 17, Kemp is batting .135 with 18 strikeouts in 10 games. On the season he is batting .260 with two home runs.
Despite having all of the excuses to retreat into himself, Kemp continues to reach out to the fans and to the community. As he told reporters after initially meeting Josh, "Life is so much bigger than baseball."
Indeed.
