WHY I THINK JASON KENDALL SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN
By- Damien
Jason Kendall was easily one of the ten greatest catchers of all time. Who else could rank ahead of him? Probably Josh Gibson, perhaps Johnny Bench, Biz Mackey, Ivan Rodriguez, Buster Posey, Carlton Fisk, or Yogi Berra. Then I would have to pick Kendall because he was a fine bunter, a solid defender (famous for his skill at blocking pitches), and probably the speediest catcher of all time. He was best known for his stolen base prowess, but he was also one of the most consistent hitters ever at the position, one of the most durable, and an on base machine. Jason Kendall started his MLB career with the Pirates in 1996, batting .300 in 130 games as The Sporting News NL Rookie of the Year. He hit .294 in 1997 and had an MVP calibre season in 1998. That year, Kendall batted .327, hit 12 homers, drove in 75 runs, led the Majors in hit by pitch (31), and stole 26 bases, the NL record for a catcher since the modern stolen base rule was implemented in 1898. In 1999, he suffered a dislocated ankle on July 4, which ended his season after only 78 games. This was a shame, as he was hitting a sizzling .332/.428/.511 with 22 stolen bases. He returned in 2000 with a .320 mark and 14 homers, proving that he was still one of the best players in the game. He slumped to .266 in 2001 and .283 in 2002, but he appeared to be back at the top of his game in 2003 when he hit .325 and followed it up with a .319 season in 2004. He was traded to the A’s in the offseason and became their new leadoff hitter for the next two seasons. He played 137 games for two teams in 2007 and began to slip a bit with the bat, but he made up for it with his durability, experience, and exceptional defense. In 2008, at the age of 34, he led NL catchers in caught stealing percentage and fielded .995. As a bonus, he enjoyed his fifth season with at least 30 doubles. In 2010, he batted .256 for the Royals in 118 games and stole 12 bases, but suffered a devastating rotator cuff injury that ended his career. Jason Kendall was one of the best hitting catchers of all time, a legitimate stolen base threat at a position that takes a heavy toll on the knees, and a strong defensive catcher. He really should be in the Hall of Fame right now, and if not for injuries, he would be.
LIFETIME STATISTICS
Games career: 2,085 season high: 157 in 2001
At Bats career: 7,627 season high: 606 in 2001
Hits career: 2,195 season high: 191 in 2003
Doubles career: 394 season high: 36 in 1997 and 1998
Triples career: 35 season high: 6 in 2000
Home Runs career: 75 season high: 14 in 2000
Runs career: 1,030 season high: 112 in 2000
Runs Batted In career: 744 season high: 75 in 1998
Stolen Bases career: 189 season high: 26 in 1998
Walks career: 721 season high: 79 in 2000
Strikeouts career: 686 season high: 79 in 2000
Batting Average career: .288 season high: .327 in 1998
On Base Percentage career: .366 season high: .412 in 2000
Slugging Percentage career: .378 season high: .473 in 1998
Total Bases career: 2,884 season high: 272 in 2000
Sacrifice Hits career: 36 season high: 6 in 2008, 2009, and 2010
Fielding Percentage career: .990 season high: .995 in 2006 and 2008
Double Plays career: 148 season high: 20 in 1997 led NL C: 20 in 1997, 13 in 1999, 2002, and 2008 led AL C: 9 in 2006, 11 in 2010
Putouts career: 13,067 season high: 1,025 in 2008 led NL C: 1,015 in 1998, 990 in 2000 led AL C: 986 in 2005, 924 in 2006
Assists career: 990 season high: 103 in 1997 led NL C: 103 in 1997, 81 in 2000, 78 in 2004, 94 in 2008 led AL C: 68 in 2010
Caught Stealing Percentage career: .288 season high: .435 in 1999 led NL C: .427 in 2008
Pickoffs career: 12 season high: 3 in 1997
DID YOU KNOW?
-son of Fred Kendall
-went 3-for-4 with two RBI’s in his MLB debut
-hit for the cycle on May 19, 2000
-was the eighth catcher to reach 2,000 hits and ranked fifth at the time of his retirement
-was the first catcher to catch 140 or more games in a season eight times
-his 189 stolen bases are the most of any modern era catcher except for Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan
-is the Pirates’ all time leader in career games caught
-his 20 double plays behind the plate in 1997 are the 12th most of all time
-was named the NL Player of the Week on August 16, 1998
-was the hardest batter in his league to strike out in 2002 (NL) and 2005 (AL)
-led his league in games caught seven times and in caught stealing five times
-hit three home runs off of Curt Schilling, two off of Tom Glavine, and one each off of Tim Hudson, Trevor Hoffman, and Huston Street
-ranks fifth in career hit by pitch (254)
-among MLB catchers, ranks sixth in career games caught, eleventh in double plays, and third in putouts
-also played 29 games in the outfield, four as a DH, 41 as a pinch hitter, and two as a pinch runner
Other catchers who were better than him:
ReplyDeleteGary Carter
Mike Piazza
Joe Mauer
Bill Dickey
Gabby Hartnett
Mickey Cochrane
Roy Campanella
Ted Simmons
Bill Freehan
Kendall had five or six very good seasons, but for his career he hit .288 with an OPS+ of 95. He was a very good player, but not even close to the top 10.
I knew that this would be controversial.
DeleteGary Carter - ninth on my list (speed, 26 point differential in batting average)
Mike Piazza - clouds of uncertainty (let's leave it at that)
Joe Mauer - injuries ruined his career as a catcher; this wasn't the case with Kendall.
Bill Dickey - tenth on my list (hitter friendly era)
Gabby Hartnett - his hitting was enhanced by both the 1930's and Wrigley.
Mickey Cochrane - same as Mauer and Dickey
Roy Campanella - short career, finished by age 34, low counting statistics, Ebbets Field
Ted Simmons - (what did Simmons have that Kendall didn't?)
Bill Freehan - speed, counting statistics
I don't care practically at all for adjusted OPS (or adjusted ERA to an extent) in the steroid era, to be honest. The rates are tainted.
Anyway, there are more that ten catchers in Cooperstown. What about Kendall?