Jason Kendall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jason Kendall
Kendall with the Kansas City Royals
Catcher
Born: (1974-06-26) June 26, 1974 (age 51) San Diego, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
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
Pittsburgh Pirates (1996–2004) Oakland Athletics (2005–2007) Chicago Cubs (2007) Milwaukee Brewers (2008–2009) Kansas City Royals (2010)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (1996, 1998, 2000)

Jason Daniel Kendall (born June 26, 1974) is a former American baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 15 seasons. Jason mostly played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He also played for the Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. His dad, Fred Kendall, was also a catcher in the major leagues.

Jason played in 2,085 games during his career. He had 2,195 hits and a .288 batting average. He hit 75 home runs and had 744 runs batted in. Jason was known for his speed. He stole 189 bases, which is a record for catchers since the "dead-ball era" (an early time in baseball history). When he retired, Jason was second among catchers in career hits and doubles. Only Iván Rodríguez had more.

Early Baseball Years

Jason Kendall went to Torrance High School in California. There, he set a national high school 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 hit for a .300 batting average. He was also picked for the National League All-Star Team. The Sporting News magazine named him the NL Rookie of the Year. He was also an All-Star in 1998 and 2000.

In 1999, Jason got hurt during a game. He dislocated his ankle while running to first base. This injury ended his season early.

On May 19, 2000, Jason made history for the Pirates. He was the first player for the team to hit for the cycle at Three Rivers Stadium. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run all in the same game. Later that year, he signed a big contract with the Pirates. It was worth $60 million over six years. This was the most expensive contract in Pirates history at the time.

Jason was good at not striking out. In 2002 and 2005, he had the most at-bats per strikeout in all of MLB. He also led all major league catchers in games played from 2002 to 2004. He played more games as a catcher for the Pirates than anyone else in the team's history.

Time with the Oakland Athletics and Chicago Cubs (2005–2007)

Kendall batting for the A's

After the 2004 season, the Pirates traded Jason to the Oakland Athletics. In 2005, he had a tough time hitting. His batting average was one of the lowest of his career. As a catcher, he allowed 101 stolen bases, which was the most in MLB. But he often batted first in the lineup for Oakland. This is very unusual for a catcher.

In 2006, Jason was involved in a fight during a game. A pitcher threw a ball close to him, and they started yelling. Jason then ran towards the pitcher, and they wrestled. The 2006 season was Jason's first time playing in the playoffs. The Athletics won their division that year.

On July 16, 2007, Jason was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He was traded for another catcher, Rob Bowen, and a minor league pitcher. At the time of the trade, Jason's hitting numbers were low. He also allowed 111 stolen bases that year, the most among all catchers.

Playing for the Milwaukee Brewers (2008–2009)

Kendall with the Brewers in 2008

In November 2007, Jason signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2008, he was very good at throwing out runners trying to steal bases. He caught about 40% of them.

On May 18, 2009, Jason got his 2,000th career hit. He became only the eighth full-time catcher to reach this special milestone. In 2009, his slugging percentage was the lowest among all major league starters.

Final Years with the Kansas City Royals (2010–2012)

In December 2009, Jason signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals.

On September 3, 2010, Jason had surgery on his right shoulder. He had a serious tear in his rotator cuff. This injury caused him to miss all of the 2011 season. He became a free agent after that year.

Jason signed a minor league contract with Kansas City on July 19, 2012. He played in only two games before announcing his retirement on July 24.

After Playing Baseball

After retiring, Jason worked for the Royals for seven years. He was a special coach. During this time, he earned a World Series ring with the team. On May 14, 2022, the Pittsburgh Pirates hired him. He now works in a role helping to develop new players.

How Jason Played

Jason Kendall was known as a very good catcher. He was excellent at blocking pitches and working with pitchers. He had a unique batting stance, standing very open at the plate. He was a "contact hitter," meaning he focused on hitting the ball, not always for power. He also famously did not use batting gloves.

Jason was a very competitive player. He was involved in several on-field fights during his career. Because of his batting stance, he was hit by pitches often. He was hit 254 times, which is the fifth most all-time in baseball history.

Even though he was a catcher, Jason was fast. His 189 stolen bases are second all-time for catchers in the modern era. Because he was good at getting on base and was fast, he sometimes batted first in the lineup. He started 438 games batting leadoff.

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.

Jason also wrote a book with Lee Judge. It's called Throwback: A Big-League Catcher Tells How the Game Is Really Played. The book came out in May 2014.

See also