Tag Archives: Jason Kendall

March 27, 2025

Catcher Leadoff

The Yankees posted their opening day lineup and catcher Austin Wells bats leadoff, and the plan is to use him in this slot against right handed pitchers. Is this a good strategy? Wells does bat better against righties than lefties. In his brief career, however, his OBP vs. LHP is .319. That’s not terrible, but it’s not great either. If the idea is to put a man on for Judge, New York could probably do better.

Teams have tried this with other catchers, but a problem arises in home games. It takes the catcher some time to remove his gear, giving him less time in the on deck circle to prepare for his opening PA, and this tended to derail the experiment. I remember the Pirates trying this with Jason Kendall. They got some good milage out of that, but wound up getting better production when he batted third.

I would bat Wells ninth, making him a secondary leadoff hitter as the lineup makes the turn. The Yankees could use Jasson Dominguez showing the on-base prowess of this minor league career. Then they could bat a switch hitter at the top and not worry about platooning.

July 7, 2011

Kendall Under the Knife

Jason Kendall will miss the rest of 2011 and likely all of 2012:

Jason Kendall, one of five players in major league history to catch 2,000 games, has re-torn rotator cuff muscles in his throwing shoulder and will require a second surgery that will sideline him at least through 2012.

The 37-year-old will undergo surgery next week in Los Angeles.

I don’t think the chances of him returning are very good. As a young man he got on base at a good clip, but he hasn’t had a decent OBP since 2004. He’s never had much power, and according to R-WAR, has not been a great defender. Unless he’s willing to play for the minimum, I don’t see why a team would go for him.

March 18, 2010

Kendall Can’t Pay Attention

Jason Kendall’s divorce proceedings veer into amphetamine use today as the couple fights for custody of the children:

Chantel Kendall has alleged in legal docs that a Los Angeles psychiatrist prescribed Adderall to Jason after just one in-person visit, concluding the catcher had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Adderall is an amphetamine, and amphetamines have been used by Major League ballplayers for years to enhance performance. Players diagnosed with ADHD are permitted to use the drug in prescribed dosages.

Chantel claims in the docs that Jason took more than the prescribed amount of Adderall numerous times when he was watching their kids.

Here’s a good reason not to get divorced: Your spouse airs your dirty laundry.

December 11, 2009

Kendall a Royal

2 Replies

The Kansas City Royals signed Jason Kendall to a two-year contract, with terms not disclosed. I read recently he turned down $2 million for the season from the Brewers, so I assume he’s getting more than that from Kansas City.

As recently as 2006, Kendall did a great job getting on base. Last year, he came in at .331, 21 points better than the Royals catchers. However, the Royals backstops hit for power, combining for 31 homers and a .504 slugging percentage. So even though Dayton Moore made a move to get more on base, he does so with a massive loss of power. Kendall slugged under .350 in each of the last five seasons.