Jason Kendall (yes, you read that correctly)

[Eddie Collins]

Playing in Pittsburgh, this guy has almost slipped under the radar, despite being a tremendous catcher. Now at age 30, with 9 years under his belt, his stats look like this:

.306/.387/.418

1409 Hits
706 Runs
259 Doubles
39 Triples
67 Homers
140 Stolen bases

He rarely strikes out, and has the anomaly factor, in that he is one of the few leadoff-catchers.

3 time all-star
3 top 10 BA finsihes
already ranks 11th all-time in HBP

Should easily get 2,500 hits in his career. His only huge weakness is his slugging%, but again, he isn't a slugger, so that is expected.

His ink stats are all on good track, he just needs to build some counting stats. Any opinions?

[leecemark]

--Well Pittsburg has been trying desparately to get rid of him (strictly financial as far as I know) for a couple years now and that doesn't help a players rep. I haven't actually seem him play much, but I've heard is below average defensively. he doesn't run much anymore and probably needs to do something about that lack of slugging as he moves into his 30s if he wants to retain hsi value as a hitter.
--If the Pirates find a contender who is willing to take on that contract and Kendall can manage a couple good years for a team with a higher profile that would be a huge boost to his chances. If you are right about him getting 2,500 hits he would end up as a candidate worth talking about. However, Ted Simmons was a much better hitter and probably as good a catcher and hasn't made much of an impression on Hall voters. That doesn't bode well for Kendall.

[Cougar]

Seems to me that 2000 hits and a .300 career BA get him into the discussion. He's at 1409 hits and .306, so it's a reasonable goal. If he catches Simmons in hits, he's really a top candidate. (Simmons being the best catcher not in -- and he'd have to do a lot more than get more hits to convince me he's better than Simba.)

His defense is about average, which is fine given his bat. He was better defensively before the leg injury that really stunted his development as a player overall -- looked like he was starting to develop a little extra-base power until that happened.

As of now, he's not a candidate, but it's not unreasonable to say that he's on track.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Seems to me that 2000 hits and a .300 career BA get him into the discussion. He's at 1409 hits and .306, so it's a reasonable goal. If he catches Simmons in hits, he's really a top candidate. (Simmons being the best catcher not in -- and he'd have to do a lot more than get more hits to convince me he's better than Simba.)

His defense is about average, which is fine given his bat. He was better defensively before the leg injury that really stunted his development as a player overall -- looked like he was starting to develop a little extra-base power until that happened.

As of now, he's not a candidate, but it's not unreasonable to say that he's on track.

He's a .300 career hitter at this writing, so that gets him into the discussion, but the trend is such that he probably will not be in 2 seasons.

Kendall does not have the defensive reputation to overcome his lack of power. His HOF candidacy is dependent on staying at catcher for a long time, and racking up a huge number of career hits.

The big obstacle to Kendall getting into the Hall is that the writers don't think he's a HOFer. Nobody thinks Kendall is a HOFer among the BBWAA; if they do, they are keepin it quiet. He won't go in on the first ballot, and is in danger of being one and done. (Will Clark and Lou Whitaker were one and done, so that's a realistic possibility but not an insult.) If Kendall is able to stay on the ballot, his chances will, over time, depend more and more on his batting stats. So if he hits in the high .290s and has 2,600 hits, minimum, he might get in on the strength of being a catcher.

Even at that, he is still a longshot. I still think that Kendall has to keep his BA over .300, but to do that, he'll have to take his game up a notch, and I don't think he can at this point in his career.

[Cougar]

I don't disagree with a word Fuzzy wrote. Since my previous post, Kendall has changed teams and played a full season in 2005 and a partial in 2006. In that time, he's looked like a player in decline, both offensively and defensively. His big contract is probably the main reason the A's haven't considered other options at catcher yet.

He's aging badly, which a player with a longshot case who needs to reach counting stat milestones and maintain rate stat milestones can't do.

Barring a revival of fortune, Kendall's chances are nil.

[DoubleX]

Underrated when he was at his best. If he played for a winning team and/or in a bigger market, he would have received more praise. Still, a far cry from a Hall of Fame career.

[CTaka]

I tend to think of Kendall as similar to a modern day version of Bresnahan. Good OBP, no power, excellent speed for a catcher, and a solid but not great defensive catcher. I think Bresnahan was clearly better than Kendall, but similar players.

While I am a Bresnahan fan as a solid choice for the HOF, many consider Roger to be on the lower (or lowest) rung in Cooperstown. Barring any significant changes in the rest of Kendall's career, that probably puts Jason in the "close but not quite" level for induction.

[Yankillaz]

We'll have to see if he maintains the same level for, say, 6 or more seasons. But right now, he's not in. I'd rather have Miker Lieberthal running for the Hall.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Some of Kendall's "decline" since coming to Oakland is the result of switching leagues and switching to a tougher hitter's park. It doesn't look like he's adjusting well, however, and some of that decline may well be real.

Kendall's real hope for the HOF is dependent on having a better career in his thirties than he did in his twenties. Fisk did it, and so did Boone. Fisk is a HOFer, and there was much disucussion of Boone as a HOFer at the end of his career, although he didn't make it. A long, long career at or near career norms is Kendall's big hope; if he does that, there may well be a late-in-life reassessment. It's not something one can predict will happen, but it is possible if (A) Kendall stays healthy, (B) Kendall stays at catcher, and (C) Kendall moves into a more favorable park to help his numbers.

[Cougar]

Some of Kendall's "decline" since coming to Oakland is the result of switching leagues and switching to a tougher hitter's park. It doesn't look like he's adjusting well, however, and some of that decline may well be real.

The fact that Oakland is a tough park for hitters is undoubtedly unhelpful, but the fact is, it's far from the whole story. I don't think his road stats are very good either.

Switching leagues is not as hard as it used to be, with interleague play and all the player movement today.

I think you can adjust for context all you want, but eventually a guy just needs to hit, whatever his circumstance. Oakland's had two offensive MVP's this decade, and they had numbers that didn't need park adjustment. (Granted, PED's were an issue in at least one case...)

[KCGHOST]

Kendall was awful in 2005 and he is putting up similar numbers this year. Starting to look like the end of the line for him.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Kendall was awful in 2005 and he is putting up similar numbers this year. Starting to look like the end of the line for him.

He'll play a long time, but not at the level he needs to play at to emerge as a HOF candidate. That's what it looks like at this moment in time. If he gets hot and finishes at .320, I'll obviously change this assessment.

[candy curveball cummings]

Jason Kendall

Of the 13 Hall of Fame Catchers:

Only 4 have higher career Batting Averages than Kendall

Only 3 have higher career On Base Percentages than Kendall

Only 3 have more stolen bases than Kendall

Only 7 have more career hits than Kendall (unless he gets injured or just falls off the planet, Kendall will pass Lombardi in ’07, making it only 6 with more hits than Kendall)

Only 8 have more runs scored than Kendall (he will most likely pass Hartnett this year, making it just 7 with more runs than Kendall)

Does Kendall have a shot, or none at all? What more does he have to do?

[Fuzzy Bear]

Of the 13 Hall of Fame Catchers:

Only 4 have higher career Batting Averages than Kendall

Only 3 have higher career On Base Percentages than Kendall

Only 3 have more stolen bases than Kendall

Only 7 have more career hits than Kendall (unless he gets injured or just falls off the planet, Kendall will pass Lombardi in ’07, making it only 6 with more hits than Kendall)

Only 8 have more runs scored than Kendall (he will most likely pass Hartnett this year, making it just 7 with more runs than Kendall)

Does Kendall have a shot, or none at all? What more does he have to do?

Kendall has a shot, but it's not a good shot, and his chances seem to be diminishing.

To have a real shot, Kendall needs to keep his BA over .300. The trade to Oakland has clobbered him on that score. Kendall has no power to offer, although his career OBP is pretty good.

Kendall is not considered a top defensive catcher. He calls a good enough game, but he's had injuries, and his throwing arm is not good. He gets no help here.

Kendall has never received a vote for MVP. He has played in only 3 All-Star games, none since 2000. He has never been the best catcher in his league, although his competition has been Mike Piazza, so that's not a big ding against him.

If Kendall makes it to 2,500 hits, or thereabouts, with his BA and OBP no lower than what they are now, he MIGHT make the HOF. Kendall's problem is that, like Don Sutton, he just doesn't seem like a HOFer, even though he's done (as least superficially) some of the things that HOFers at his position do. But if he stays at catcher and makes it to 2,500 hits at the BA and OBP levels he's at now, he's in the game. (Kendall will DEFINITELY make the HOF if he gets 3,000 hits, but it is extremely unlikely that he'll last that long.)

I don't think Kendall will keep his BA over .300. Kendall has played almost 1,500 games at catcher (1,493 to be precise). He's also had major injuries, so he's at the stage where he could be expected to wear down. If he doesn't; if he shows unusual durability, THAT would be a sign of greatness.

If Kendall ages in the pattern that is likely, he'll resemble more closely the one HOFer he is comparable to: Rick Ferrell. He'll also resemble more closely one of the still burining HOF controversy cases: Thurman Munson. Is Kendall better than Munson? Is he better than Ferrell? Is Ferrell better than Munson?

Maybe none of those questions matter, either. Ferrell is considered a HOF mistake; being better than Ferrell, in and of itself, isn't an argument for the HOF. On the other hand, I doubt Kendall is as good as Munson, who was a Gold Glove defensive catcher who was the best catcher in the AL at one time, and who DID win an MVP award and who DID lead his team to a pennant. If Munson isn't in the HOF, why, really, are we discussing Kendall? (There may be a good answer for that question, but it needs to be asked.) The same can be said for Kendall vis a vis Bill Freehan, Lance Parrish, and even Bob Boone.

One thing that would help is for Kendall to get out of Oakland and play in a park that would mask his decline a bit. A trade to Houston or Chicago would be helpful. Oakland is KILLING his BA. Another thing would be a return of his power; Kendall hit only ONE HR last year; he's hit as many as 14 in a season. A few more All-Star selections would be helpful as well.

I'm not betting on any of the good stuff to happen here, though. Kendall will play a few more years, end up with a BA in the .290s, and miss the HOF. He's overshadowed by Piazza, Rodriguez, Pierszynski, Mauer, even Posada. He's not thought of as a HOFer now, and he's not doing anything to add to this.

[dgarza]

Kendall is a long shot. He's been on somewhat of a downturn. He would realy need to kick things into high gear for about 3 years to have a descent shot. I don't think he'll maintain his .301/.381.400.

There are a few catchers who have higher numbers than Kendall but are not HOFers with at least a similar numbers games.

All the catchers with a higher average are or will be HOFers.

Wally Schang has the highest OBP, but I have Kendall only rank slightly ahead on Schang at this point.

Slugging percentage is not in Kendall's favor. Even Benito Santiago has a higher slugging %, so does Ted Simmons, Smoky Burgess, Darrell Porter, a host of others.

I think he's just going to find himself in that group of catchers who were very good, but far enough from boarderline like an Elston Howard.

And I know this sounds shallow, but he hasn't been an All Star since 2000. I think he's going to need that kind of recognition just for support and to make more of a name for himself.