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Jason Kendall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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|---|---|
| Oakland Athletics — No. 18 | |
| Catcher | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| April 1, 1996 for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2006) |
|
| Batting average | .301 |
| RBI | 574 |
| Home runs | 68 |
| Former teams | |
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Jason Daniel Kendall (born June 26, 1974 in Torrance, California) is a catcher in Major League Baseball with the Oakland Athletics. He is the son of former catcher Fred Kendall, who played in the majors from 1969-1980.
Kendall attended and played at Torrance High School in Torrance, California, where he tied a national high school record by hitting safely in 43 straight games. He was drafted out of high school by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1992 draft. He made the major league squad in 1996, and was the Pirates' starting catcher until he was traded to the Oakland A's for Arthur Rhodes and Mark Redman after the 2004 season. In his rookie year, he hit .300, made the National League All-Star Team, and was selected NL rookie of the year by The Sporting News (he finished third in voting for the MLB Rookie of the Year award). He was also an All-Star in 1998 and 2000.
In 1999, he suffered a season-ending injury when he dislocated his ankle while running to 1st base in a July 4 game against Milwaukee. The unusual compound dislocation, which was initially misidentified as a fracture, was one of the most grisly injuries in recent baseball history.
In 2002 he led the major in lowest strikeout percentage (5.3%).[1]
From 2002 through 2004, Kendall led all major league catchers in games and innings behind the plate. He is also the Pirates' all-time leader in games caught.
As a batter, he is known as a careful, consistent hitter. Though he lacks power and has only average speed, he is a lifetime .302 hitter who rarely strikes out. Though fast for a catcher, Kendall's sppeed is only average for major league ballplayers, as is his lifetime steal percentage of 68.5%. Kendall has led off many games in his major league career. The frequency by which he gets hit by pitches (he is the Pirates' all-time leader in the category) is a testament to both his batting focus and his unwillingness to be intimidated by pitchers.
During the 2005 season, however, Kendall struggled at the plate. His .321 slugging percentage was the worst (by 20 points) among all Major League players who qualified for the batting title. His .271 batting average was the second lowest in his career.
The 2006 season will mark Kendall's first ever postseason appearance, as the Oakland Athletics clinched the 2006 AL West Division Championship on September 26, 2006. He recorded his first play-off hit in the second game of the ALDS in Minnesota on October 4, 2006 (off Boof Bonser).
- Kendall had one of the longest homerless streaks broken on May 31, 2006 when he connected off of Kansas City Royals pitcher Joel Peralta. Kendall had gone 961 at-bats between homers, dating back to the 2004 season. [2]
- Kendall was born on the same day as fellow Major Leaguer Derek Jeter.
- On August 15, 2004, Kendall caused a bench-clearing brawl when he tackled Colorado Rockies pitcher Joe Kennedy after being hit by a pitch. [3] Kennedy and Kendall are now teammates.
- Kendall made a highly unusual play in a game on August 11, 2005. He was on third base in the ninth inning of a tie game when Anaheim Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez dropped the return throw from catcher Bengie Molina and Kendall alertly ran home, scoring the winning run. The play was scored as "defensive indifference".
- Kendall is a direct descendant of William Bradford.