Kent, of course, sets the tone for Dodgers

He would prefer you to think of him as a monster, unapproachable, or just not think about him at all.

But he's such a phony. He hits a home run in the first inning of the first game of the season for the Dodgers, the fifth time in his career he has hit a home run on opening day, and he's met at home plate by Matt Kemp.

A year ago they might've come to blows, the cocky youngster and snarling old man standing in the same ZIP Code, but for a while there Monday afternoon it appeared as if they were dating, hugging each other like they really cared for each other.

"I learned from last year; you got me," said Kemp, recalling a moment at the end of last season when he didn't make a move from the on-deck circle to congratulate a teammate on hitting a home run. "I'm going to make sure I'm standing at home plate every time this year."

The love fest over, Kent began to jog back to the dugout, raising a clenched fist with almost a hint of emotion to the fans sitting behind the plate -- his mother, his father, his wife and four children. The old softy.

"I didn't raise my arm very high," he said, the marshmallow still trying to be crusty.

When we last heard from Kent & Co., they were sparring, the young players immature in their performance and preparation, and Kent, the meanie and curmudgeon, calling them out.

The Dodgers changed managers, the Giants came to town and everybody loves everybody, the Dodgers now maybe going undefeated this season.

SOME THINGS have changed, but not Kent. He offered no regrets about last season, maintaining as he always has that the game should be played a certain way.

In fact, Monday was quintessential Jeff Kent. He missed most of spring training because of a hamstring injury but pushed himself the last three days to prepare and show Joe Torre he belonged in the lineup rather than on the disabled list.

And with everyone talking about the arrival of Torre and all the young players, the oldest Dodger of them all stepped to the plate and made sure he only had to jog around the bases to get the job done.

"That's why I wanted to play," said Kent, who leads all active players with 18 RBIs on opening day. "This is what I do. It's time to start the season, and I want to help my team win. I don't want to hinder them in any way, so I wanted to make sure I was ready to go."