No one gripes more about Kyle Kendrick than I do. No one. So when I say that the man who once started Game 2 of the 2007 NLDS had a decent season, that means something. Going into 2011, we thought Joe Blanton had been marginalized, but what about Kendrick? The man started 83 games from 2007 to 2010, ducking into and out of the starting rotation seemingly at random, but when Cliff Lee came back, Kendrick dropped all the way to seventh in the starting pitcher pecking order. Of course, because of injuries to Blanton and Roy Oswalt, Kendrick wound up making 15 starts in 2011 anyway, to go with 19 relief appearances. So how did it go?Rather well, actually.There’s an axiom I heard articulated first by ESPN’s Keith Law, though I’m not sure it originated with him. It goes like this: there are three things a pitcher can do: miss bats, not walk people, and get ground balls. Do one, and you can pitch in the majors. Do two, and you’ll be a good starter. Do all three,...
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