Free-agent infielder Howie Kendrick announced Monday on his Instagram account that he has decided to retire, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post was among those to report.
This concludes an outstanding career for the 37-year-old Kendrick, who entered the professional ranks as a 10th-round pick of the Angels in 2002. Kendrick was regularly a formidable offensive presence in their uniform, even earning his lone All-Star nod in 2011. The Angels wound up trading Kendrick to the Dodgers in 2014 for left-hander Andrew Heaney, though Kendrick’s numbers dipped somewhat in their uniform. Kendrick’s Dodgers days concluded when they dealt him to the Phillies in 2016. His tenure in Philly also didn’t last long, as the club traded him to the Nationals during the ensuing season.
The move to Washington couldn’t have worked out much better for Kendrick, who was an integral part of the Nats from the 2017-19 regular seasons. Above all, his contributions during the team’s first-ever run to a World Series title in 2019 will never be forgotten by the franchise or its fans. Kendrick hit a grand slam in Game 5 of that year’s NLDS against the Dodgers, which helped the Nationals to a series-deciding win, and continued his heroics during the Fall Classic. With the Nats in danger of losing Game 7 to the Astros, Kendrick smacked a two-run homer in the seventh inning that gave the Nats a 3-2 lead they never relinquished.
Last season didn’t go well for Washington or Kendrick, whose numbers slid during an injury-shortened campaign, though he’ll always be regarded as a key component of their title-winning club and someone who was consistently a quality producer. Kendrick slashed .294/.337/.430 with 127 home runs and 126 stolen bases across 6,421 big league plate appearances, and he made upward of $71.6MM during his time in the majors, according to Baseball-Reference. MLBTR wishes Kendrick the best in retirement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Always liked him as a player. Very underrated. It’s a shame that this weird season was his last, but he can definitely look back on his career and be very proud of it.
Call me blind but I didn’t see this coming
I had a feeling he would
I thought that he’d either continue playing or retire
Brilliant observation. lol
I thought he was done after he ruptured his achilles at age 35.
Instead, he came back, hit .344/.395/.572, and then got himself an LCS MVP award and a championship.
Good stuff.
Yeah, awesome player. Many don’t realize he had insanely good batting averages in the minors. And I always smile at the story of him not knowing who Rudy Giuliani was a few years after 9-11 in Spring Training when Rudy shook his hand.
SI: “It wasn’t until after the game that Kendrick learned that the man was former New York Citymayor and 2008 presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani. “I just shook his handand didn’t think twice about it,” Kendrick says. “I didn’t know I was supposed to know him. My bad.”
@i like al conin:
Wow, you’re not kidding. Career .358 hitter in the minors.
Kendrick rose to the upper echelons of top prospects. His one knock was that it was too easy for him to make contact, which suppressed his walk rate.
WOAH
He has a clutch World Series hit on his resume. Few can say that. I wish him well in retirement.
And an extra innings elimination game grand slam, definitely a pair of rare achievements
Best years were in philly
Years
39 games
Yeah, but he got 48 of his 1,747 hits in Philly.
There could be no better year than the one when he single-handedly broke the Nats’ NLDS curse and then hit the home run which gave the Nationals their first World Championship. He will be a legend in the DC area for a century. It doesn’t get better than that.
Overlooking 2020 and really thinking of 2019 and Kendrick’s incredible post season run concluding with the WS win….that’s how I’ll remember Howie Kendrick at the end of his career. I wish you well in your retirement Howie!!
Lol, baseball reference is your friend.
Thankyou bgrant for your contribution.
– no one
I mean it was clearly a joke.
Heck of a career including some incredibly memorable moments in October.
Probably the most underrated player since he came into the league.
Probably the most underrated player named Howie Kendrick in the mlb in the last decade.
Idk, there was a lot of hype that he would win multiple batting titles when he came up. He was a solid player his first few years, but I think he really took off in the latter part of his career.
Nooooooo!!! I need him to play on my “All Older Than Me” team. Finding infielders is always hard.
Somebody sign Jed Lowrie!
My roster is completely empty unless Fernando Rodney makes a comeback
Seriously. Satchel Paige would be my ace
Don’t get your hopes up: 2020 had the youngest oldest players in MLB history.
I would love to know your roster as I just turned 36
Baseball is losing a great smile. Enjoy retirement Howie.
Happy retirement howie. Watched you many years with my pops while you were in angels. Very underrated!
I don’t think he reads these comments but I’ll make sure he gets your message.
Thank god he retired now he can’t torture the yankees anymore
They never could figure out how to get him out. Surprisingly, there were other teams he tortured even more. Tampa, Minnesota, St. Louis and Arizona. Seemed to rise up against the better teams.
Aw man. Sport losing a guy who always came to play.
When someone retires we always need to ask was he the best hitting second baseman of all time?
Not in this case.
Rogers Hornsby and Rod Carew say hi.
Sandburg and especially Grich.
Jeff Kent. Roberto Alomar was no slouch at the plate either
We now have the first great invitee to future Nationals Old-Timers Games. He will be joined by Hall of Famer Max Scherzer, Ryan Zimmermann and Stephen Strasburg when they retire. I hope they will play in those games for years before National-for-Life Juan Soto retires and is inducted into the Hall of Fame by acclimation.
You are correct every word. Go Nats!
Since Soto is this reincarnation of Ted Williams he probably won’t have to retire until he is 47
Thanks, Howie!
Man, I was so excited about Howie the prospect, as he dominated the minor leagues like I had never seen before. Never became the superstar player I thought he would for the Angels, but was a huge part of the most successful stretch in Angel’s history. There are certain players that help make a team a winner and Howie is one of those.
His minors BAs: .318 .368 .363 .367 .369
Hitting machine.
The hype surround him was “future batting champion.” To the point his career was almost going to seem like a disappointment if he didn’t challenge for one.
That sweet inside-out swing worked just fine, though, and for a long time.
angels should have extended him.
No! We got a pitcher who’s injured every season. So much better than some great hitting and fielding everyday playing second baseman.
Interesting. Said he wanted to continue his career only a few weeks back. Perhaps a change of heart or his agent told him interest was lukewarm and he’d have to accept a minor league/Spring Training invite.
Either the offers weren’t pouring in or the ones that were weren’t to his liking. Its somewhat telling when the Nats locked up Josh Harrison right away, could be they offered Howie the same deal and he declined or maybe not. Only Howie and Rizzo know the answer
Um, I know. There’s zero chance Rizzo offered Howie the same deal ($1M guarantee, maximum $1.25M with incentive bonuses) that Josh Harrison signed.
He may not have been eager to deal with another spring of COVID precautions and being away from family. He doesn’t need the money.
He’ll go down in Nats fanhood as the guy to bring a WS to DC. Without him, we don’t have a WS. Yes, it’s a team effort, but the HR off the pole in game 7 and the grand slam vs the Dodgers in extras game 5 are legendary. Howie IS the man.
THE TRUCK!!!
Wish him the best
Right on Howie! Killed it!!!
Enjoy your retirement Howie. The Angels lost that trade. Should have been an Angels player your entire career.
A great player, through and through. Congratulations on an excellent career and best of luck in your next chapter, Howie!
Kendrick was always one of those players you don’t really think of until you make a list of solid players you’d like to see on your team if you can’t get a major star.
Congrats on the career and going out on your own terms.
Howie will be a Nats legend forever. You knocked out the dodgers after a tough series and came up when it mattered most. Dominated in the NLCS. Finally, you hae had the most important swing in Nats history, Thank You for everything!
AN ANGELS LEGEND!!! Watching this guy with the Angels was a blast when I was a kid. World Series hero and Astro killer, Howie Kendrick
I have a lot of respect for Howie! Congratulations on a great career and your retirement!
This is all very fascinating but it’s been almost an hour since we’ve had a worthless Blue Jays rumor
Congrats on a fine career
Congratulations on a fine career!
Man….what a career! I miss him as a Halo but he sure kept going and at least went and won a championship. Enjoy the rest and relaxation with your kids and family! You deserve it!
Very underrated and ridiculously consistent throughout his career. How consistent?
vs. RHP: .293/.335/.423
vs. LHP: .296/.343/.447
at Home: .297/.339/.437
on Road: .290/.335/.423
Congrats on a great career, Howie!
Never the batting champion that people said he would be, but other than that, he had a very good career, enjoy retirement, Howie!
On the other hand, winning batting titles isn’t exactly the easiest thing for a hitter to do.
Batting titles are extremely difficult to win. Especially playing parts of your career in home pitchers’ parks.
Always one of my favorites on the Angels.
Great great career ….for whatever reason he was pretty bad for his go round with LAD
I never understood it – After he left he was better than ever-
Good case in not judging all time arcs the same –
Howie first 10 seasons Angels/Dodgers– ages 22-32 -OPS 778
Last 4 seasons Phils/Nats—————- ages 33-36— Ops 870
Or maybe theres just better home cookin back East than Socal?
It is unusual. Just as I thought he was done, his rate stats got better. Maybe moving off 2B and becoming a part-time role player kept him stronger over the season? His stats improved when his role changed.
The Dodgers didn’t want to use him as an everyday player. The wanted to play him once a week. Dave Robert’s, wanted to be something he wasn’t at that time. A utility player.
Outstanding player and better teammate. You will always be in the hearts of National fans. Thank you sir.
Thanks for the memories Howie. We’ll never forget you and Adam Eaton driving that car.
You don’t last 18 years or bank 71 million in the majors without some serious skills.
Really enjoyed his Angel years….. hope he has a great retirement.
Wow I’m surprised by this… maybe I’m out of the loop but I had thought the last he had talked about it that he had intended to play one more season as he didn’t want his last one to be a Covid one. But maybe he/his agent had been in contact with teams he’d have been interested in playing for and there just wasn’t going to be a fit. So rather than try to force it or accept a minor league deal and work to crack a ML roster he decided to just hang it up. Regardless he’s got nothing to have regrets about he hd a wonderful career and will be remembered forever by Nationals fans (and general baseball fans like myself) for his tremendous 2019 postseason performance.
Have a great retirement Hitman. Thanks for everything you gave to the Nationals. We would not have won 2019 without you.
I was just looking at his baseball reference page and noticed that he put up some truly INCREDIBLE numbers in the minor leagues. One could really argue that he probably should have made it to the majors faster than he did seeing as he hit like .360+ for the majority of his minor league career. Obviously in the end it didn’t matter much as he wound up having a very successful major league career — but you’ve got to wonder why a guy hitting .360+ would spend so long in the minors!
Bill Stoneman was always cautious with young guys and the Angels had Adam Kennedy putting up solid BAs (if nothing else) and playing good D. But yeah, angel fans were screaming for Howie for a while before he debuted.
A quality player whose signature moments helped make history happen for the Nats. Can’t argue with that! (the $71MM doesn’t hurt either)
Just a really solid good all around player, man. We’re seeing fewer & fewer players like this. Players are becoming carbon copies of one another. I absolutely think that’s a big part of why so many fans are now labeling baseball as “boring”.
I miss seeing more guys on more teams like Kendrick. Guys who could do a little of everything. Players like that just don’t really get compensated anymore. I get it. The big bucks are in hitting home runs. While I agree TTO is really the most efficient way to score that also doesn’t mean the aesthetics of the game have not suffered, too.
Enjoy your retirement, man.
Howie, come home to the Angels and coach first base. We have an opening.
Pretty great stats and paydays for a tenth round draft choice!
Just a great hitter. Angels should never have let him go.
Congrats on a nice career.
They got Heaney for him. Not a bad deal at all.
@Halo11Fan, he was a throw in on the Dee Gordon trade. Look at what the Dodgers got in that trade. Even 6 years of a number 4 or 5 starting pitching vs 1 year of a consistent hitting every day second baseman was and still is a bad trade. But Jerry Dipsnot has never won a trade in his career.
@angelsfan4life. Angels career I assume? Cuz he’s made some solid trades for the Mariners! Try and keep up or stop trashing people.
@letsplaytwo, how did that Dee Gordon trade work out? Trading Trumbo for three guys who washed out in less than two years. Yes he won the Paxton and Cano trades. Hell he traded Trumbo a two time All Star, for five guys who never even came close to being All Stars.
He’ll be missed. The best part about him leaving the Angels is he was no longer cast in those awful Howard commercials.
Really liked Howie. Still have my #47 jersey- bought it on Amazon and three days later he got traded. My wife absolutely loved to watch him play. He was her favorite until a certain Trout came along.
A professional hitter til the end. I’m glad he’s retiring as a Nat.
God Bless you Howie.
Solid career. I’m glad he is leaving when he is known as a hero
He’s earned it. Really good player for a long time
Always liked him as a player and most importantly, a person. Great veteran presence and will have a ton to offer as a coach should be go that route. Congrats Howie!
Thank you Howie Kendrick for your great career. I loved you as an Angel and Yankee killer and John Sterling knew that and duly noted this.
Very happy for your legendary postseason in 2019 with the Nats capping off your nice career.
Professional as it gets. And will always be remembered in Nats history.
left Philly too soon. would’ve rather kept him instead of trading for Mills.
Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Maicer Izturis. Sheer Class!
Great article, great player.wishing him the best in his retirement.
A very good solid player, wish him luck in his new career.
CLUTCH He won the big one. Congratulations on a prosperous baseball career.
Four seasons in a Nationals uniform, but forever engraved into DC sports lore. 2020 season surely not his best, but needless to say that foul pole clang still rings in the ears of us Nats fans. Best of luck, Howie!
loved this guy. I remember when he came on the scene many baseball people expected a lot out of him. some talk at that time that he could be triple crown material. that he was pure line drive hitter. I was sad when he left the halos
as a Dodger fan i always respected his approach. felt horrible watching him leave the field on a golf cart thinking his career was over. he didn’t deserve to go out like that. then he came back and beat LA and won a championship. didn’t like to see the Dodgers go down but i was happy for him. true team mate and a solid dude. bon voyage amigo.
just came in and wanted to make a positive comment and then went back and read everything everyone wrote. lots of love for a solid talent.
Well done, Howie. Enjoy your retirement.
Looking forward to giving Howie the rapturous ovation he deserves at Nats Psrk some day. We weren’t able to give it to him last season. Thanks for everything, Howie.
From a Nationals Fan: Thanks for the memories Howie. The NLDS Slam and the WS Game 7 Foul-Pole dinger will live with us forever.
Is this the last of the Howies? Are there any players in MLB or the minors that go by this name?
If not, so too is it the end of an era.
According to Yahoo! Fantasy baseball, there are no other MLB Howies…
Always smiling, always having a great time. Cheers to the next journey in your life. HK47