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Matt Kemp says he doesn’t want MVP if Ryan Braun is disqualified

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Matt Kemp said that even if Ryan Braun is suspended for 50 games for violating baseball’s drug policy, he doesn’t want the 2011 National League most valuable player award.

Kemp finished second in voting to Braun, who is appealing a positive test from the playoffs last season.

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“I would want to win by them voting me,” Kemp said. “I wouldn’t want them to just, ‘Oh, this person did that so how about we just give the award to this person?’ I don’t think it should work that way.

“If it is that way, then it should be a vacant award for 2011, no one should win the MVP award in the National League.”

Kemp said he hopes Braun is vindicated.

“I know Braun,” he said. “We’ve always been cool. We’ve been friends. He’s been one of my favorite players in the big leagues. I hope it’s not true.”

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Kemp said the issue of performance-enhancing drugs is difficult to talk about. “It’s even harder because it’s someone that you know and someone that you respect as a person,” he said.

Kemp said he wants to win the award this year without any controversy. He is already predicting he will hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases.

“Hopefully, I can have the same type of year this year that I did last year and [do] even better and win it straight up and make the playoffs,” he said.

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