By Brian Kopycinski
Jason Kendall was destined for Cooperstown. Born in Torrance, California, the son of former big-league catcher Fred Kendall, Jason was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1st round of the 1992 MLB June Amateur Draft. Catching was in his blood; he had all the makings of an elite athlete. Through his first five major league seasons, Kendall was at a historic pace, comparable to that of Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, and Carlton Fisk.
He averaged .314 at the plate, made three All-Star teams, and accumulated 20 wins above replacement. After the 2000 season, Kendall signed a six-year contract extension for $60 million, at the time the most expensive in Pirates’ history. Then, on Opening Day in 2001, a freak injury altered the course of what surely would have been a Hall of Fame career.
The Pirates opened the 2001 season on the road at Cinergy Field (formerly Riverfront Stadium) against the Cincinnati Reds. The previous season, Pittsburgh finished fifth in the NL Central at 69-93, while Cincinnati placed second, falling short of the Wild Card to the New York Mets, who went on to win the pennant. Kendall was coming off another All-Star year, hitting a career-high 14 home runs.
Pittsburgh’s Todd Ritchie faced Osvaldo Fernández in the opener. Through six innings, the Reds led 3-0. The Pirates fought back with two runs in the top of the seventh to shift the momentum. Reliever Scott Sauerbeck replaced Ritchie in the bottom half. Sauerbeck then crossed Kendall up on a cutter inside that landed awkwardly in his glove and tore every ligament in his left thumb. Tough as nails, he stayed in the game which ended in a Pirates’ loss.
Kendall played through pain all year, appearing in 157 games. He waited until the offseason for surgery and was never the same hitter from then on. His post-2001 numbers reflect this. He never hit more than 6 home runs in a season and slugged over .400 just once. Kendall later revealed that any hard swing for power caused him extreme pain. Regardless, he played through it and still had a remarkable career, one certainly deserving of further Hall of Fame consideration.
In 15 big-league seasons, Kendall caught over 2,000 games. He totaled 2,195 hits, stole 189 bases (the most by a catcher in the modern era), and ranks fifth all-time in hit-by-pitches with 254. He was traded from Pittsburgh to the Oakland A’s and, except for a stint with the Chicago Cubs, mostly played in small markets like Milwaukee and Kansas City. He was undoubtedly overshadowed in the National League by Mike Piazza. Playing as a singles and doubles hitter at the height of the steroid era didn’t help either.
After leaving the Pirates, Kendall never made another All-Star team, nor did he win any Gold Gloves or Silver Sluggers. While he was a solid defensive catcher, that was never his strength. Kendall was a balanced player that possessed elite traits. His durability and hit tool were always his strongest assets. He was a no-nonsense ballplayer who reflected Pittsburgh’s blue-collar identity on the diamond, no matter where he played. It’s shocking that a legacy such as his received just two Hall of Fame votes in his first (and only) year on the ballot in 2016.
Evaluating talent, beyond watching the games, is no easy task. Metrics like WAR help, though they don’t always get it right. Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs calculate it differently, with the latter placing more weight on defensive metrics. Baseball-Reference has Kendall at 41.7 WAR, putting him on par with some Hall of Fame talents. Most would say Yadier Molina is a sure thing for the Hall by now. Molina is a different case, however, as one of the greatest defensive catchers ever and a two-time World Series champion.
Still, the two have nearly identical WAR on Baseball-Reference, with Molina at 41.6. FanGraphs views Molina much more favorably (at 55.6 WAR, thanks to his elite defense), while Kendall sits at 36.5, creating a clear gap. Generally, catchers haven’t gotten the love they deserve for the Hall of Fame. Perhaps Kendall will get another look someday via the Veterans Committee. Modern analytics have opened the door for someone like Ted Simmons. Who’s to say Kendall isn’t deserving, too?
Something else to consider is Kendall’s place in Pirates’ lore. Between him and Manny Sanguillén, there are no greater catchers in the franchise’s century-plus history. Manny played in more meaningful games, winning two World Series rings with the Bucs. Kendall never had that opportunity in Pittsburgh. He was always on losing teams that went nowhere. The closest he ever came as a player was the ALCS with the Athletics in 2006. After retiring, Kendall joined the Royals organization as a coach, where he earned a ring in 2015.
Jason Kendall was a special ballplayer. There aren’t many like him. He brought a tenacity to the game that’s rare today. What doesn’t show up in the box score is something special, something you can’t quantify. We may never see another Jason Kendall. That fact alone makes him worthy of a plaque in Cooperstown. It’s a shame he isn’t already in the Pirates Hall of Fame. Get on it, Bob!