Yardbarker: Jason Kendall

The Weekend Mug, now with more Australians! And another Canadian!

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 01:12:07 -0500

After trading J.J. Hardy, Doug Melvin realized he had to win back the hearts of Wisconsin women everywhere. Enter Oeltjen. View full size photo » Some things to read while on a social networking site far, far away. So far this is my second week doing the weekend post. My first weekend was immediately after the Carlos Gomez trade, and this weekend comes after the Brewers announce signing Gregg Zaun. It's m...

Why did #Brewers sign Gregg Zaun? Source said Jason Kendall was seeking $5 million to come back for...

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:00:16 -0500

Why did #Brewers sign Gregg Zaun? Source said Jason Kendall was seeking $5 million to come back for another year Ed Price from fanhouse.com. Jason Kendall's .636 OPS last season was far and away the worst among MLB catchers with enough ABS to qualify for the batting title.

Not to (Type) B

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:28:50 -0500

Yesterday began with a call from the Milwaukee Brewers. “Hello, Tyler. As a ticket holder in previous seasons, we thought you may be interested in a holiday 4-pack,” the woman said. Shaken from sleep, I struggled to answer, “Maybe… maybe later,” I managed. “Maybe later.” And judging by how Milwaukee handled Tuesday’s deadline to offer arbitration to the team’s five Type B free agents, I’m sure many fans share my groggy sentiment. As the Dec. 1 deadline came and went, Mike Cameron, Jason Kendall, Dave Weathers, Braden Looper and Felipe Lopez were not offered arbitration. Now, most of these declined arbitration cases aren’t exactly surprising, AND just because these players weren’t offered arbi doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t be back. But it probably does. But where...

Let's wait on Jonathan Lucroy

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:39 -0500

by Darren Hauck - AP Jason Kendall's ability to get hit by pitches isn't a good enough reason to bring him back for 2010, at any price. View full size photo » All of a sudden, after two years of sticking with Jason Kendall, the Brewers look like they're ready to make a move behind the plate. Frankly, it's about time. Earlier this week, Doug Melvin told Arn Tellem (who represents Jason Kendall) no...

Update on catchers...

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:34:00 -0500

A name that has not been mentioned is that of Jason Kendall, the 35 y/o right hander is no longer the player he once was with the Pirates. From 1996 through 2000 he was considered one of the best catchers in the league, a standout defender with a great arm and a solid bat. During that time Kendall was a two time All-star, now his defense is beginning to slip and so is his bat. Still a great pitchers' catcher and would be a solid mentor for the young catchers, Kendall would be an inexpensi...

Brewers Catching Flak

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:55:22 -0500

Among the numerous questions the Brewers are facing this offseason, one of the more glaring comes at the catcher position. With rumors of the club opting to not re-sign Jason Kendall in favor of farmhand Jonathan Lucroy, the $5 M question is — should Milwaukee’s backstop be a player who’s never played above double-A ball OR should it be a player who plays with the skill of a double-A player? I won’t bore you (or myself) with the numbers, but the bottom line is that Kendall was one of the worst full-time offensive players last season. And with the Brewers pitching rankings floating between then middle and rear of the majors in 2009, his defensive prowess didn’t warrant his $5M salary. So here...

Looking back at Community Projections: Catchers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:33 -0500

by Darren Hauck - AP Jason Kendall is very proficient at getting hit by pitches, but that's about the only thing Brewer catchers did really well in 2009. View full size photo uploaded October 29, 2009 Now seems like as good a time as any to start a series looking back at our expectations for 2009, who met or exceeded them, and who fell short. We'll start today with a look at catchers, to get them out of the way. ...

The Thursday Thinker: Brewer catchers since 1996

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:00:20 -0500

More photos » by Darren Hauck - AP Jason Kendall is one. Can you name the other 26? Browse more photos » Ok, here's a new offseason feature: The Thursday Thinker. If you've been clicking links in the Mug lately, you've most likely come across a Sporcle quiz. For as long as I can come up with new ideas, I intend to post a new one every Thursday. The link to the quiz is below, but before I post...

Is this worth noting?

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:45:58 -0500

Here's something else to discuss, if you're sick of the J.J. Hardy conversation: Before August 8, Jason Kendall started 93 of the Brewers' 109 games (85%), and hit .232/.318/.262 (.598 OPS)Also before August 8, Mike Rivera started 16 of the Brewers' 109 games (15%), and hit .203/.294/.271 (.565 OPS)Combined before August 8, Brewer catchers hit .228/.317/.280 (.597 OPS)Since August 8, Jason Kendall has started 14 of 21 games (67%), and is hitting .356/.482/.444 (.927 OPS)A...

Game Thread #118a

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:41:53 -0500

Where we find ways to blame all of this on Jason Kendall.

Game Thread 114a

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:21:58 -0500

In which Mike Rivera hits three more home runs so he'll have something to talk about while Jason Kendall starts tomorrow anyway.

Wait, Who Was Jason Kendall Talking About?

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:24:48 -0500

The long list of baseball code words added another entry last night when Brewers catcher Jason Kendall repeatedly, wantonly and vindictively began referring to Pirates pitching coach Joe Kerrigan as "Dave Kerwin," or possibly "Dave Kurwin" or "Dave Kirwan." I mean, of all the no-good rotten things to call a baseball lifer in the heat of battle. Who needs "mutha$&%^ing ^#*$#&*" when you can just make up a fake name that sounds like that of a high...