ATLANTA -- Matt Kemp once believed he would spend his entire career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Now that he has been traded twice in 19 months, Kemp is just excited somebody still wants him. He debuted Tuesday night for the Atlanta Braves, batting cleanup and playing left field three days after he was acquired from San Diego.I never, ever thought I was going to be traded, Kemp said before the game. I always thought I was going to be with the Dodgers.Kemp wrote Monday for The Players Tribune that the Braves were his favorite team as a kid. He mentioned some of the rocky times he had with the Dodgers, when his attitude suffered.Speaking with reporters before Tuesdays game, a 5-3 loss to the?Pittsburgh Pirates, Kemp indicated that he wanted to preempt notions that he isnt a team player.Its stuff thats out there, not all stuff that I agree with, he said. I dont want people here to wonder about me as a person. Im here to be a good teammate and to help lead these guys in the right direction. Im excited about this new journey.The Braves traded troubled outfielder Hector Olivera for $10.5 million and Kemp, who is earning $21.5 million this season and will make the same salary in each of the next three years.Kemps jersey number is 27. He received loud cheers, with several hundred fans giving him a standing ovation, as he was introduced before his first at-bat in the first inning. He?went 0-for-4 and ended the game with a strikeout.Kemp met with interim manager Brian Snitker a few hours before the game. Snitker wanted to assure his new slugger that the Braves are excited to have him under contract through the 2019 season.Atlanta has the worst overall record and the worst home mark in the major leagues this season. Ticket sales have plummeted. The teams marketing department offered a three-night special through Thursday: two outfield tickets for $7.?Under president of baseball operations John Hart and general manager John Coppolella, the franchise started a major rebuilding project about the same time the Dodgers dealt Kemp to San Diego before the 2015 season. In recent years, the Braves have traded Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, Andrelton Simmons, Melvin Upton Jr.?and Shelby Miller, and the team let Brian McCann leave as a free agent. The only everyday player brought in was right fielder Nick Markakis as a free agent, but the goal was to acquire prospects.Atlanta is excited about the arrival of shortstop Dansby Swanson, a former No. 1 overall draft pick acquired in the Miller deal, second baseman Ozzie Albies and several young pitchers as it moves into a new ballpark a few miles north of Turner Field next year.Getting Kemp makes the team feel more legitimate.Its like we told him: Were trying to do something big here. Were in the infancy stages of it, and we really want you to be a part of it, Snitker said. I think he can be.Snitker batted Kemp between first baseman Freddie Freeman and Markakis. That trio might not sound like much to contending teams, but Kemps arrival is considered a big upgrade for Atlanta, which ranks last in the majors in runs and homers.Itll help Nick. Itll help Freddie, Snitker said. It helps everybody when you get a guy like that, as weve seen over the course of time. When one of those guys gets going, it kind of relaxes everyone else and doesnt make them feel like they have to do too much.In 254 games with San Diego, Kemp hit .264 -- 28 points lower than his nine-season batting average for the Dodgers -- with 46 homers, 169 RBIs and 247 strikeouts.Its a beautiful city;. Its a beautiful place to be, Kemp said of San Diego. They treated me well.Now, Kemp says hes all-in with the Braves.I dont think the East Coast really knows that much about me, Kemp said. This is my introduction to them and to let them know what Im willing to do for this organization.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.? Tom Rathman Jersey .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Y.A. Tittle Youth Jersey . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Youth-Dante-Pettis-49ers-Jersey/ . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Colin Kaepernick Womens Jersey . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Deion Sanders Womens Jersey . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Newcastle are searching for a seventh coach in less than five years after sacking Scott Miller on the cusp of the new A-League season.Jets hierarchy cited differences related to football matters as the reason for axing Miller, who only joined the club 14 months ago.Newcastle CEO Lawrie McKinna says the timing of the sacking is far from ideal given the Jets A-League season starts on October 9.But once the decision was made to move in a different direction regarding the head coach role, we deemed it to be in everyones best interests to act quickly, McKinna said on Wednesday in a statement.I met with Scott this morning to inform him of the decision.Miller coached the Jets to eighth place in his debut A-League season as manager after the 34-year-old replaced Phil Stubbins, who also only lasted one season as Newcastle coach.ddddddddddddMiller and assistant coach Luc Trani, who joined the club in June, are believed to have fallen out during the Jets recent pre-season tour of China.Trani is understood to have been sent home early from China by Miller, who was appointed to the managers role by Football Federation Australia (FFA) in June last year.FFA announced in June this year it had sold the club to the Ledman Group based in Shenzen in China. ' ' '
