Howie Kendrick

Infobox MLB player
name=Howie Kendrick


width=150
position=Second baseman
team=Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
number=47
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1983|7|12
birthplace=city-state|Jacksonville|Florida
debutdate=April 26
debutyear=2006
debutteam=Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
statyear=September 23, 2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.307
stat3label=Home runs
stat3value=12
stat4label=Runs batted in
stat4value=106
teams=
*Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (by|2006-present)

Howard Joseph Kendrick III (born July 12, 1983 in Jacksonville, Florida) is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He attended West Nassau HS (Callahan, Florida) and St. John's River Community College (Palatka, Florida), where he was named Conference Player of the Year.

He is sometimes referred to by fans as "HK-47" due to his initials and jersey number. Kendrick earned the nickname "Truck" from former Angels pitching coach Bud Black, due to the similarity of his last name to Eddie Kendricks (of The Temptations), and his song Keep On Truckin'. [http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070309&content_id=1835999&vkey=spt2007news&fext=.jsp&c_id=ana]

Kendrick was drafted in the 10th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft, and named the #1 prospect in the Texas League in by|2005.

Major league career

Kendrick had a one-on-one collision with actor Ben Affleck during his rookie season in the stands on the first base side of Fenway Park. On a foul ball that was hit towards where Affleck, accompanied by actress Jennifer Garner, was sitting, Kendrick snatched the ball from the outstretched arms of Affleck, recording the out. Fans sitting nearby bothered Affleck about not taking the ball away from Kendrick. The event landed Kendrick's picture in "People" magazine. In an edition of the syndicated "Access Hollywood", Kendrick presented Affleck an autographed baseball for his birthday as a token of sympathy for the actor's misfortune at Fenway Park.

Kendrick hit his first home run against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on July 26, mlby|2006. After Adam Kennedy signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2006-mlby|2007 offseason, Kendrick made his expected move to be the new starter at second base for 2007. He batted .322 in 88 games and again batted over .300 in mlby|2008.

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=435602 |espn=6524 |br=k/kendrho01 |fangraphs=4229 |cube=K/Howie-Kendrick
* [http://www.minorleaguenews.com/baseball/features/articles2006/08/fab50/03.html No. 3 - MLN FAB50 Baseball 2006] - Minor League News
* [http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/060223top100c.html Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects: 2006]
* [http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=435062 Minor League Splits and Situational Stats]
* [http://sportsline.com/mcc/messages/chrono/1214911 CBS Sportsline - Message Boards Young Prospects]