Perhaps the best all around second baseman of all-time has decided to hang them up as Jeff Kent decides to retire instead of returning for another season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The only other second baseman that is even in Kent's league was Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs. At 40 years old Kent was still effective as the Dodgers second baseman, he could field and hit with the best of them.

With .290 career batting average Kent could definitely have paved his way into Cooperstown. Not only was he great at getting the crucial hits for the clubs he played for, but he was also a threat to take the ball yard every time he stepped in the batters box. With 351 career homeruns, 74 more than Sandberg, Kent hit more homeruns than any other second baseman in MLB history. That alone may be his ticket into the baseball hall of fame.

As for the Los Angeles Dodgers, they were headed more toward youth than veterans with young players like James Loney, Andre Either, Russell Martin and Blake DeWitt becoming the faces of the Dodgers franchise. Kent play well in the short time that he did play in the regular season, but once he went down with a knee injury, Blake DeWitt took over for the veteran permanantly.

The best years for Jeff Kent were in San Francisco with Barry Bonds and the Giants. Although his duels with Bonds were well documented, the two sluggers never played better or were more successful than when they played together. Not only does Kent have the all-time homerun record for second baseman, but he went to a World Series with the Giants and won a NL MVP award back in 2000.