Jason Kendall to Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Jason Kendall is out for the next eight-to-ten months as he’ll require shoulder surgery. Not just a snarky Royals fan’s latest joke, but a reality.
Playing Kendall virtually every day likely did not help his body. Catchers do not age well, and asking a 36-year-old to catch nearly 90% of the innings played is a bit much. But you know what? Kendall caught 91% two seasons ago, and was over 80% last season too. The high percentage of games caught by Kendall is not a defense of using him that much, not at all. My issue is the original contract itself calling for two years. I won’t rehash that argument either.
Instead, I’d like to pay tribute to Kendall’s career if this winds up being the last time we see him in the majors. For a string of years Kendall was one of the best hitting catchers around. Here are his run values (park-adjusted too) from 1997 through 2000:
17.3
33.5
22.8
27.4
From there, things go downhill a bit, although he managed a string of decent seasons with the Pirates and Athletics that lasted until the mid-2000s and included two near-five win seasons. Between that 97-00 period, Kendall was amongst baseball’s more underrated players, such is the price one has to pay when playing for a perennial cellar dweller.
Only recently (well, 2007) did Kendall become a bit of a laughing stock offensively. He has posted four of his five worst offensive seasons the last four years, which is not a sweet or charming end to a career, and neither is the injury route. It’s a shame that his career might end like this, but he’s had a long and ultimately fan-fulfilling career.
0
Yeah, this guy was a joke… if he had played 40 years ago, he’d be a hall of famer. If he had retired 4 years ago, he’d have a career average over .300. Oh, and he could run for a catcher while batting .288, almost getting 2200 hits, and walking more than he struck out.
Jesus… only a 3 time all-star who had a gun before his twilight years. Disregard his errors, and he was awesome at catcher… he robbed hits, and started more double plays than most catchers ever.
Injuries derailed his potential HOF career. Before the dislocated ankle and then the other thumb injury, he truly was a great all-around player.
Darn, there goes the power.
i wouldn’t close the book on kendall yet. i doubt the guy is ready to call it quits, and the royals will be eagerly awaiting his return (his veteran presence helps the pitching staff…?)
It would be a shame if this was it for Kendall. He’s been one of my favorites for many years. As others have pointed out, he was among the best catchers, and certainly the all-around best, at his peak. If not for the injuries possibly a HOFer. At this point he was only about 25 games caught from passing Gary Carter for fourth all-time behind Rodriguez, Fisk and Boone.
Are you guys effing serious? HOF my @$$! His first few years were great, no question, but then he fell off a cliff. It’s only thanks to some Re-Animator’s evil magic that he’s continued on. Only twice in the last 10 years did he OPS over 710. The A’s paid him $34 million and he responded by leading the league in GIDP. I can see giving him a tip of the cap for his ability to take a pitch for the team, as his HBP numbers have always been impressive. Other than that maybe he can join David Eckstein and whoever else in the “all-scrappy” team, but other than the delightful “sulk off” moment he gave us, he’ll go down in this A’s fan’s book as a major disappointment. I have no idea how he suckered the Brew Crew and the Royals out of another $11.5 million!
He was hitting over .300 with above average speed, and a cannon at catcher. 3 time all-star, and if he hadn’t gotten hurt repeatedly, he’d be the guy Mauer is now.
We all know that with any knowledge of the game… I was saying years back, he’d easily have been a HOF’er, and if it weren’t for so many injuries he’d be one still. Sorry, James III, you must not know baseball.
Right, I don’t know baseball, because I don’t quote advanced metrics like batting average, I guess? Thanks for the defense below, Jason, but I think any objective look at the analytics shows that the guy’s been barely average for most of his career. Above replacement level, certainly, but light years from the HOF unless you’re looking at durability.
And just out of curiosity, Kyle, why the need to be snide?
Yes, we are effing serious! As I stated, “if not for all of the injuries possibly a HOFer”. And as another poster stated “Injuries derailed a possible HOF career”. You notice that we all say “possible” and we all point out the injuries Kendall suffered after which he wasn’t even close to the same ballplayer as before. You yourself point out that “he fell off a cliff”. Well yes, BECAUSE of the injuries!
Kendall OPSed .773 (as a rookie), then .825, .884, .939 (the year he almost tore his ankle off), then .882 (with a broken bone in his hand all season, which subsequently robbed him of all his power). Then he fell off a cliff as you say and was never the same. Which, redundantly, is why some of the above posters, myself included, said if not for all of the injuries he could have possibly been a HOFer. I don’t see why that is a ridiculous statement.
You should give James III a break. Although I agree that he’s way overreacting, us A’s fans have our memories of him dominated by the not so good years. I was hopeful that he wouldn’t drop off so much from his last years on the Pirates, but unfortunately the injuries, age and ballpark were not kind to his move to the A’s.
One point on which James III is utterly wrong, it’s not Kendall’s fault that he had a giant contract. The A’s chose to take it on (it was a contract swap for Mark Redman if I remember correctly), well aware they were overpaying for what he had left in the tank.
Reply fail. That was in reply to Kyle.
Kendall was one of my favorites for a long time… but what “cannon arm” are you guys talking about? The knock on the guy early in his career was that even though he called a good game, he was easy to run on.
Later in his career, other than a really out-of-place looking 43% CS rate in 2008, looks like his overall CS% is around 25%, which is slightly below average.
Fangraphs does have CS stats from the beginning of his career — a little better than I thought, but still nothing approaching a cannon. His best year was his all-around phenomenal 1999, in which he nailed 30/69 runners. Most years he was under 33%.
He was one hell of a QB in high school. Yes, he did go to the same HS that I did. He gave it his best at all times and you can’t refute that fact. The job of catcher is one tough career and I think he’s done well. Heck, 36 years old? financially, he’ll be fine. I actually played catch with his dad while little Jason watched. C’mon you guys, he was a team player and gave it his best. good luck to the lad.