Kendall: Astros’ story not going away soon
Ex-catcher says he could have hit .400 with signs
Jason Kendall’s Pittsburgh reputation is an interesting one.
Some see the former catcher as a throwback, a hard-nosed ballplayer who didn’t take any [stuff] from other teams or players and gave it everything he had each day. It’s hard to say any of that is wrong.
Others get hung up on the fact that he didn’t hit for a ton of power late in his career while carrying a fairly sizable contract or had the reputation — fair or not — as being something of a malcontent in the clubhouse.
But give Kendall this much: The guy is strikingly honest.
Appearing Sunday with host Dan Zangrilli on 93.7 The Fan, the former Pirate addressed the Astros cheating scandal and said what many around baseball have probably been thinking.
“I think first of all there’s probably about 40 people, maybe more, that are probably happy the coronavirus is going on right now,” Kendall said. “They’re all in the Houston Astros organization, because obviously there’s a lot more important things going on now. But that story is not going to be leaving them.”
It’s a fair point by Kendall, and it wasn’t meant to offend. It also should not be interpreted literally. It’s more a point about news cycles.
A career .288 hitter who six times in Pittsburgh hit .300 or better, Kendall brought up another interesting point. How, if he knew what pitch was coming, he would’ve hit .400, something no Major League Baseball player has done since Ted Williams (.406) in 1941. (The next-best was Tony Gwynn’s .394 for the Padres in 1994.)
“You hit over .300 in the big leagues, you have an idea of what’s going on,” Kendall said. “If I had known what was coming for a full year, I would have hit .400, I’ll guarantee you. Now, look at George Brett, Tony Gwynn or Mike Trout. I think you know what I’m saying, the elite of the elite. They’d hit .550.”
Stealing signs without the use of technology has been around forever, though Kendall said he never trusted a runner at second base giving him a heads up on what was coming.
“If he messes up and I’m looking for a breaking ball and get a heater up by my neck, I’m not going to feel good,” Kendall said.
Zangrilli also asked Kendall what he would’ve done if he noticed some sort of trash can-banging cacophony coming from the opposing dugout. In typical Kendall fashion, he said he would’ve taken immediate and decisive action.
“If I was catching and I heard it, after the first couple ones where a guy’s throwing a nasty slider or a good fastball [and it’s getting hit], I’d walk over to the dugout and say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna tell you what. Everybody is getting hit in the neck until this stops.’ ” Kendall said. “That’s my short version.”
The idea of Kendall as Clint Hurdle’s replacement turned into an interesting debate this past offseason after a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter — this one — called Kendall out of the blue and asked him, for the sake of a story, if he would ever be interested.
Absolutely, Kendall said, proceeding to explain in rather strong terms why he’d take the job and what he would potentially do with it.
The Pirates never broached the possibility, while Kendall has continued to enjoy life at home; he no longer works for the Kansas City Royals and has embraced his role as a full-time dad.
Still, it would be a fascinating ideological clash if Kendall ever did manage. While he has long been old school, he would have to adapt to the modern game, where “Let the Kids Play” is a thing, and bat flips very much exist.
Could Kendall chill out and do that? He thinks so. It all comes down to a matter of respect.
“Times change,” he said. “You have to learn how to change with the times. I was with the Royals during their [2015 World Series] run. I have an American League Championship Series ring. I have a World Series ring. You have to learn how to treat people.
“But you have to lay down the law the first day of spring training. These are grown men. At the same time, they’re kinda kids, too — 21, 22, it’s getting younger and younger. You have to learn how to manage different personalities and treat them like you want to be treated.
“I think that just goes in life, to be honest with you. You treat people the way you want to be treated. That’s how you get respect.”
That’s not to say Kendall wouldn’t police the whole bat-flipping thing, especially if he was catching.
“If somebody bat flipped when I catching and showed up my pitcher? I would definitely say something to ’em and have no problem with it. I would probably still do it today,” Kendall said.
“But as a leader and a manager, you have to let them have fun. As long as they’re ready to play the game.”