Sunday, September 13, 2009

2008 Chachi #29 Kyle Kendrick HL

Kyle Kendrick will be making an emergency start in Game 1 of today's double header with the Mets. (I guess it's not really an emergency if they've been planning this out for about a week.)

But I digress . . . Back on February 16, 2008, Kyle was the target of an elaborate practical joke as he was led to believe he had been traded to the Yomiuri Giants (of the Japanese Baseball League) for Kobayashi Iwamura. In on the joke were then assistant-GM Ruben Amaro, Jr., manager Charlie Manuel, Kendrick's own agent and the prank's architect, Brett Myers. Members of the media also participated, as they staged an impromptu news conference around a stunned Kendrick in front of his locker.

A relieved Kendrick was eventually told by Myers he'd been "Punk'd". Watching the video of the prank a year in a half later, you almost feel sorry for the guy.

Kendrick was an integral part of the Phils' Postseason push in 2007, but he struggled in 2008 and was left off the Postseason roster. He spent the majority of 2009 starting for AAA Lehigh Valley, where he had a decent season. Today's start may be the first of several auditions for Kyle as he tries to make his way into the team's 2010 starting rotation plans.

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