Kyle Hendricks offered a funny quote Tuesday about not being named the Chicago Cubs’ Opening Day starter.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon announced on Monday that Jon Lester would start on Opening Day. Hendricks had pretty similar stats to Lester last season, though the southpaw gets the nod due to his resume and veteran leadership. Hendricks joked that he went on a rampage after learning the news.
Hendricks, 29, is 52-33 with a 3.07 ERA in his MLB career, all spent with the Cubs. Lester has gone 61-31 with a 3.33 ERA in his four seasons with the Cubs. They have pretty similar numbers, so you could make the case for Hendricks being the Opening Day starter. But when you look at Lester’s career accomplishments and status as a veteran leader, that factors in and gives him the nod.
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