The Top 79 Cub Killers of My Time #65: Jason “Has the Genitals of a” Kendall
Posted by: Bad Kermit in Lists, The Top 79
Oh, Jason Kendall. Unlike a lot of other people, I actually didn’t mind it when the Cubs acquired you last summer. For one thing, at least you could catch the damn ball behind the plate. For another, it meant that there was no chance the Cubs would have to pitch against you. I shan’t soon forget your years in Pittsburgh, Jason, when so often you made life for the Cubs an absolute nightmare. Hence, Jason Kendall’s appearance at number 65 on The Top 79 Cub Killers of My Time.
Kendall was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the twenty-third overall pick of the 1992 draft. In 1996, at the young age of twenty-two, Kendall was anointed the Pirates’ catcher of the future. He appeared to be just that. In his first year, Kendall played in 130 games, put up a .300/.372/.401 line, finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting (behind winner Todd Hollandsworth and Edgar Renteria), and was selected to the All-Star Game.
A pest at the plate with a discerning eye, Kendall drew 35 walks in his rookie year while striking out only 30 times. Against the Cubs, of course, the light-hitting Kendall put up a .333/.500/.667 line. His 1.167 OPS against the Cubs was higher than it was against any other team. He tripled twice against the Northsiders and hit one of his three home runs. Kendall was a particularly rude house guest at Wrigley Field that year. He batted .364/.500/.818 for an incredible 1.318 OPS in five games at the Friendly Confines.
Kendall’s dominance of the Cubs continued throughout the course of his career. Going into the 2008 season, he has a lifetime OPS of .302/.392/.425 versus the Cubs. His 47 RBIs off Cub pitching are second only to his 50 off the Cardinals, and it took him 77 more plate appearances to collect those extra three. He also has more career triples against the Cubs (3) than any other team. His 28 career RBIs as an opposing player at Wrigley Field are more than his totals at any other visiting park.
Above all else, Kendall has an amazing ability to get on base. Whether leaning into a pitch after falling behind 0-2 (which he did 25 times in his career) or threatening the umps to call a small strike zone by mentioning the number of bodies he has buried under the dirt floor of his basement, Kendall seemed like he was on base all the time against the Cubs. Even though Pittsburgh was terrible throughout the course of Kendall’s career, the pesky Kendall made the Pirates a tough team to face.
Now that he’s back in the NL Central playing for the Cubs’ top contender for the pennant, expect a lot of Kendall cursing in 2008. Just don’t do it loudly enough that he can hear you, or you’ll find yourself bound with duct tape in the back of Kendall’s windowless van before you can say, “You look like Manson.”
Why You Should Hate Him: The 2000 Cubs were terrible. So were the 2000 Pirates. So their June 29, 2000 game at Three Rivers Stadium was about as pointless as an AA meeting in the Cardinal clubhouse. That didn’t stop Kendall from causing many a Cub fan to fling many a remote control at many a television. Kevin Tapani pitched brilliantly, giving up only one earned run and three hits over six innings pitched. Tapani also managed to get Kendall to ground into outs during his first two times to the plate.
In the bottom of the sixth, however, Kendall managed to draw a two-out walk, steal second base and advance to third as Joe Girardi launched a ball into center field, and then score on a Wil Cordero single. After that run scored, the Cubs were still clinging to a 3-2 lead. In the top of the 8th inning, Sammy Sosa hit a solo shot to put the Cubs up 4-2.
Then came the bottom of the 8th. After Todd Van Poppel quickly recorded the first two outs, Warren Morris reached on an error to bring Kendall to the plate. Kendall promptly served a game-tying home run into the left center field seats to bring the Pirates back to even. In the bottom of the 10th, with the game still tied 4-4, Tim Worrell put guys on second and third with one out before making the odious mistake of intentionally walking Morris to get to Kendall. Kendall smacked the second pitch he saw into left field to hand the Cubs one of their 97 losses that season.
Did You Know? Starting during the 2004 season, Kendall had a 246-game, 957-at-bat homerless streak. The streak lasted from July 28, 2004 until May 30, 2006, the better part of two calendar years. Maybe it was a good idea to finally put on those batting gloves in May of 2006, huh, Kendall? Plus, you don’t leave incriminating fingerprints when you’re wearing gloves. What’s that, Jason? You cut off the tips of your fingers to avoid leaving fingerprints? Terrifying. Tags: Chicago Cubs, Cub killers, Jason Kendall, Pittsburgh Pirates
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God, I totally forgot Hollandsworth won RoY. Man, that sure parlayed itself into a Hall of Fame career…
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Probably my favorite player to grace the Cub Killers segment, BK. I too was happy to see the serial killer in a Cub uniform, it was just too bad we didn’t have him four or five years ago. We really could have used him in 03, when both of our catchers were automatic outs. On a side note, did Rob Bowen ever arrive in Oakland? I don’t remember ever hearing anything about him after the trade. Too bad Kendall didn’t get Barrett instead.
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It didn’t take Jason long, when he put on the Cub uniform, to prove that he couldn’t catch the ball either.
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Mike D. reply on March 20, 2008:
Agreed.
He was horrible behind the dish.
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Bad Kermit reply on March 20, 2008:
No doubt, but he was still better than Barrett.
Yay?
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JackB reply on March 21, 2008:
At least Kendall USED to be good. Barrett never had that distinction. I do remember Kendall having some issues when he first came over from the As and he was fuckin’ awful at throwing out runners, but at least he could call a good game. Your catcher needs to be the most baseball savvy guy on the field, plus take zero shit from the pitchers. Kendall certainly fit that bill. If I were a pitcher, I’d be too fucking scared to shake him off. Just seeing those demented eyes behind the mask would be enough for me.
Hopefully Soto picks up right where he left off last year and is the man for the next ten years or so. I like any guy who’s got cojones big enough to grab El Toro Loco by the jersey in the middle of a game, forcing him to pay attention. Assuming Soto saw the pictures of Barrett’s face, that was a pretty brave move. And he can throw runners out, unlike any of the catchers we’ve had since . . .since . . .well, since EVER, as far as I can remember.
Brad D reply on March 23, 2008:
I think the name your groping for is Jody Davis. The comment dates me though. I’m 30 and he is the
Cubs catcher I remember, in 84 when Steve Garvey Broke my heart with those freakish forearms.
I destroyed my entire tops 83 Padre’s card collection from that set.
Brad D reply on March 23, 2008:
Oh and Gary Hart broke our hearts with his, by modern media stadards,
Tame affair on the S.S. “Monkey Business”
JackB reply on March 26, 2008:
Ah, Jody. I’m 31 and I too remember Jody Davis, although not in great detail. Unfortunately, most of my Cub memories are post-Jody, as a herd of nameless catchers and third baseman ran amuck on the northside. Hopefully, Soto can be the Aramis Ramirez of catchers and make us forget all those who came before him.
I find it hard to believe there have been 64 Cubs better at killing than Kendall.
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I always thought he kinda looked like Johnny Knoxville “Hi I’m Jason Kendall and this is me trying to throw out a runner”
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This picture of Kendall is Jason’s best “Blue Steel” pose.
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He certainly did kill the Cubs…when he was a Cub
Kinda like Keith Moorland at 3rd, or Moises Alou in the outfield or Flash Gordon
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I’ve become hooked. Every time I watch a game and see a Cub Killer, I automatically think of their Bad Kermit nickname.
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I hate you Genitals
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