The Short Porch is thinking about Jeff Kent’s tribute to Ryne Sandberg

On Sunday the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame were inducted in Cooperstown, New York. It’s a celebration of a baseball career that made its mark well beyond the impact a player had on an individual team. There are 354 members of the Hall of Fame , including just 281 players. This year’s class of players included Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent.

Kent spent most of his career in the National League, playing for the Mets, Giants, Dodgers and the Houston Astros (back when they were in the Cubs’ division). He had 264 plate appearances against the Cubs, slashing .267/.330/.446 with 10 home runs against Chicago’s NL team. It’s a solid, if unremarkable line. His wRC+ of 101 against the Cubs is almost exactly league average. A worthy adversary, for sure, but not the bod