Top Ten Pittsburgh Pirates of the Decade: 9. Jason Kendall

Statistically, the 1996 Pirates were one of the most pathetic teams in the history of Pittsburgh baseball.  Run down the list of individual team leaders from that season and it’s a who’s who of Major League mediocrity.  Jeff King, Al Martin, Orlando Merced, Denny Neagle (before the hookers), Francisco Cordova, and a pre-power hitting Jay Bell.

Jim Leyland’s ‘96 Bucs lost 89 games, bad enough for fifth in the National League Central.  There was reason for hope, though.  Crouching behind the plate was 1992 first round pick Jason Kendall.  He brought a wealth of natural baseball knowledge, he could call a game, manage a rag-tag pitching staff, and he could hit.

Kendall might have had some difficulty knocking one out of the park even if he used second base as the plate, but doubles, triples, clutch singles, and free-passes were a nightly occurrence.  In nine seasons with the Buccos Kendall appeared in 1252 games, and only missed a significant stretch of time once when his ankle nearly popped out of his skin.  Kendall’s consistency as a hitter in a Pirates’ uniform afforded him a very nice .307 batting average during his time in Pittsburgh.

In typical Pittsburgh fashion, Kendall’s time was up with two years remaining on a six-year $60 million deal after the 2004 season.  He was shipped to Oakland for Arthur Rhodes and Mark Redman, an ageless left handed reliever and southpaw starter with an awkward delivery.

Kendall would later be dealt to the Cubs, and eventually spend a couple of years catching in Milwaukee.  He hasn’t hit .300 or totaled more than three home runs since leaving the ‘Burgh, which is alright by me.

Tags: Jason Kendall, Pittsburgh Pirates