2019 playoff hero Kendrick calls it a career
Jessica Camerato
@jessicacameratoThe Major League career of a Nationals World Series hero has come to a close.
Howie Kendrick announced his retirement Monday night on Instagram following 15 seasons in the big leagues. The 37-year-old posted his decision with a photo of himself and his family holding the championship trophy.
¡°A dream that started as a 5 yr old boy in the town of Callahan, Florida,¡± Kendrick wrote. ¡°I will be forever grateful for the many life lessons baseball has taught me on this 32 yr journey.¡±
Kendrick became a free agent this offseason after the Nationals declined their portion of the 2021 mutual option on his contract. He had entered Spring Training in ¡®20 planning for it to be his last year, but the shortened season led him to give his next move some extra consideration.
¡°I love baseball, I love the game,¡± Kendrick said in September, after ending the season on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. ¡°That¡¯s one of the toughest decisions you¡¯re ever going to make.¡±
Kendrick¡¯s career began when the Angels selected him in the 10th round of the 2002 June Draft. He played nine years with them -- earning an All-Star selection in ¡®11 -- before spending the next two seasons with the Dodgers. From there, he was traded to the Phillies in ¡®16, and then acquired by the Nationals on July 28, 2017. Kendrick clicked in Washington, and he re-signed with the Nats as a free agent in ¡®18 and ¡®19.
In his second-to-last season, Kendrick solidified his place in baseball history with clutch performances that powered the Nats to their first World Series title. After making a comeback from an Achilles injury in 2018, Kendrick hit a standout .344 in the '19 regular season. That was a sign of things to come in October.
Kendrick belted a go-ahead, 10th-inning grand slam in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Dodgers, and he was named the Most Valuable Player of the NLCS against the Cardinals. On the biggest stage, he clanged the go-ahead homer off the right-field foul pole in Game 7 of the World Series to help lift the Nats over the Astros for the ultimate prize.
¡°Last but not least, my Beloved Washington Nationals, thank you for embracing me as one of your own,¡± Kendrick wrote in his announcement. ¡°I feel as though I¡¯d been a National my whole career and the wild, humbling and crazy ride we had in 2019 truly culminated everything I¡¯d learned in my career, and we all became World Champions.¡±
Kendrick concludes his career with a .294/.337/.430 slash line and .767 OPS. He tallied 1,747 hits, 724 RBIs and 127 home runs over 1,621 games (5,950 at-bats). Defensively, Kendrick had a .986 fielding percentage from games played at first, second and third base and in the outfield. Among all active players, he ranks eighth in singles (1,228) and assists (3,323).
¡°I will always love the game of baseball and will constantly reflect on the lifelong memories made,¡± Kendrick wrote. ¡°For now, it¡¯s time to drop the mic and enter a new stage of my life.¡±