Jason Kendall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jason Kendall |
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Kendall with the Kansas City Royals
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: June 26, 1974 San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 1, 1996, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 30, 2010, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .288 | ||
| Hits | 2,195 | ||
| Home runs | 75 | ||
| Runs batted in | 744 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Jason Daniel Kendall (born June 26, 1974) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played for 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Jason spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. His father, Fred Kendall, was also a catcher in the major leagues from 1969 to 1980.
During his 15-year career, Jason Kendall played in 2,085 games. He got 2,195 hits and had a .288 batting average. He also hit 75 Home runs and had 744 runs batted in. Kendall is known for having the most stolen bases by a catcher since 1920, with 189. When he retired in 2012, he was second among catchers in career hits and doubles. Only Iván Rodríguez had more.
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Early Life and High School Baseball
Jason Kendall grew up in San Diego, California. He went to Torrance High School in California. While playing high school baseball, he set a national record. He got a hit in 43 games in a row! After high school, the Pittsburgh Pirates chose him in the first round of the 1992 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 23rd player picked overall.
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1996–2004)
Jason Kendall started playing in the major leagues in 1996. In his first year, he was amazing! He hit for a .300 average. He was also chosen for the National League All-Star Team. The Sporting News even named him their NL Rookie of the Year. He was also an All-Star in 1998 and 2000.
In 1999, Jason had a serious injury. He hurt his ankle while running to first base in a game. This injury ended his season early.
On May 19, 2000, Kendall made Pirates history. He was the first player for the team to hit for the cycle at Three Rivers Stadium. Hitting for the cycle means getting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. He helped the Pirates win by bringing in five runs. Later that year, he signed a big contract with the Pirates. It was worth $60 million, which was the most expensive contract in Pirates history at the time.
From 2002 to 2004, Kendall was a very busy catcher. He played more games and innings behind the plate than any other catcher in baseball. He is still the Pirates' all-time leader in games caught as a catcher.
Time with the Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs (2005–2007)
After the 2004 season, the Pirates traded Kendall to the Oakland Athletics. In 2005, he had a tough time hitting the ball well. He also allowed more stolen bases than any other catcher in the league. However, he often batted first in the lineup for Oakland. This is very unusual for a catcher!
In a game in 2006, Kendall got into a disagreement with another player, John Lackey. Lackey threw a pitch close to Kendall, and they started yelling at each other. Kendall then ran towards Lackey, and they had a brief fight. The 2006 season was special for Kendall because it was his first time playing in the playoffs. The Athletics won their division, and Kendall got his first playoff hit.
On July 16, 2007, Kendall was traded again. This time, he went to the Chicago Cubs. He continued to struggle with his hitting. He also allowed many stolen bases while with the Cubs.
Playing for the Milwaukee Brewers (2008–2009)
In November 2007, Kendall signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was very good at throwing out runners trying to steal bases in 2008. He stopped about 40% of them! Because he played so many games, his contract was extended for 2009.
On May 18, 2009, Jason Kendall reached a big milestone. He got his 2,000th career hit! This made him only the eighth full-time catcher to reach that many hits.
Final Years with the Kansas City Royals (2010–2012)
In December 2009, Kendall signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals. In September 2010, he had to have surgery on his right shoulder. This injury was serious and made him miss the entire 2011 season. After the 2011 season, he became a free agent.
Kendall signed a minor league contract with Kansas City in July 2012. He played in just two games before deciding to retire on July 24, 2012.
After Baseball
After retiring from playing, Jason Kendall worked as a special coach for the Royals for seven years. During this time, he earned a World Series ring with the team. In May 2022, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired him to help with player development.
How Jason Kendall Played
Jason Kendall was known as a very skilled catcher. He was great at blocking pitches and working with his team's pitchers. Even though his throwing arm wasn't the strongest, he was very good at his job.
When he batted, Kendall had a unique style. He stood very close to home plate and didn't use batting gloves. He was a "contact hitter," meaning he focused on making contact with the ball. He was also known for being very competitive. He was sometimes involved in arguments on the field. Because he stood so close to the plate, he was hit by pitches often. He was hit 254 times in his career, which is one of the highest numbers ever.
Even though he was a catcher, Kendall was also a threat to steal bases. His 189 stolen bases are the second most by a catcher in modern baseball history. His ability to get on base and his speed meant he sometimes batted first in the lineup. He started 438 games batting leadoff, which is very rare for a catcher.
Personal Life
Jason Kendall moved to Kansas City in 2010. There, he met his wife, Tricia Kendall. They are raising their children: Ethan, Kuyper, Cole, and Karoline.
In May 2014, Kendall released a book he wrote with Lee Judge. It's called Throwback: A Big-League Catcher Tells How the Game Is Really Played.
More About Baseball
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a catcher leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
