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Hobby Musings: Jason Kendall Has What in His Collection!? – Interview
Editor’s Note: Some text has been altered from original audio for clarity.
KS: Hey, everyone. Welcome to another edition of Hobby Musings. I’m Kelsey Schroyer. Joined by a very special guest today, former All-Star catcher Jason Kendall. Mr. Kendall, thank you for joining us.
JK: Kelsey, thanks for having me, man. I greatly appreciate it. These are cool little things that I enjoy doing.
KS: So starting right off the bat, Signatures for Soldiers. You’re one of the many athletes who has lent his support and his signature to that cause. How did you get involved with them?
JK: You know what, Tim contacted me, and I just think it’s such an unbelievable cause, and what he’s doing and how much money he’s raised is amazing to me right now. But it’s such a cool thing. He should be so proud of himself, and I tell him this all the time. What he’s doing is something so cool, and I know that a lot of different people have a lot of different family members, friends, whatever it may be, in the service, whatever branch it may be, and it’s just his little way of giving back.
I’m assuming all your listeners know who Tim is. But I mean, what an unbelievable individual, and obviously he connected you and I, and that’s why I’m here. I’m not going to lie to you, because I don’t do too many interviews, but I do do some, and when Tim told me about you, I was like, of course I will, because I think what he is doing is so neat and so inspiring. It’s just something that you don’t see that much, because I know that he has family and work and this and that, but he still dedicates his time to making sure that your soldiers are going to get some…it’s just cool. I mean, I can get really deep, I’ll probably get emotional, but I just think it’s really neat what he has done, and that’s why I’m here today. So it’s a pleasure to meet you, and it’s a pleasure to be on with you.
KS: Signatures for Soldiers does have a great cause where they sell the memorabilia to raise money for them. Getting to you specifically, you’ve been signing autographs now for decades, probably three decades plus at this point. Did you ever imagine your signature would go to a cause like this and be able to support something like this?
JK: That’s a good question. I mean, you sign so many things throughout your playing career, coaching career, whatever it may be if you’re a professional athlete. No, I can honestly tell you that…I know there’s a lot of charities that are out there where you sign certain things, but something like Tim is doing no, I don’t think I ever thought that I would be signing something (for that). I mean, obviously you do certain things, like I said, for certain charities throughout your career, but no, it’s something so cool, something so different, something so unique, and something so necessary. So, it’s very very cool, but I never thought I would be doing that. Anything Tim needs, I’m all on board.
KS: Now that’s awesome. So, going back to kind of the beginnings of your career, do you remember the first time someone ever asked you to sign an autograph?
JK: No, I don’t. I’m almost 50 years old. Well, 49, I think. No, but it’s always a cool thing, except for the collectors that are there every day, every night, at three in the morning when you’re hopping off the buses. But, I mean, that is what it is, and that’s if that’s how they get paid, that’s totally fine as well. But you can only sign so many things for one person. I mean, when you’re about that 20 to 50 (range). What can you sell my baseball card really for? Two cents? You can only get so many Snicker bars or Skittles or whatever from it. But I mean, it’s also a way some people make a living, and I respect that as well.
KS: So you kind of alluded to some of the more oddness of it. What do you think is the strangest thing someone has ever asked you to sign?
JK: I don’t know if I can…well. There’s so many different things out now from bobbleheads to figurines to cards. I mean, obviously cards, but that’s another great question. I’d have to really think, and if I can come up with something, and I probably will here throughout the interview, then I’ll let you know. I think more than anything as a player, coach, it’s the kids that you really want to do something for, because they remember it, and I’ll never forget.
I was very fortunate growing up in a big league family. My father played twelve years in the big leagues for the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians. Rod Carew was my favorite player. He was my favorite next to my dad. My dad was my favorite player, but my second was Rod Carew. And I’ll never forget. My dad was really good friends with Doug Rader, took me down to Anaheim Stadium, and Doug Rader was managing the Angels. At the time, it was the California Angels, and Rod Carew was down there playing for the Angels. I went to meet him at batting practice, and we’re on the field. My mouth was just, and I’ll never forget, I didn’t say anything. I remember my dad saying, like, this is a guy you’ve always wanted to meet, et cetera, et cetera. You didn’t say anything, and I’ll never forget.
So he wrote, to Jason, best wishes to you, Rod Carew. A month later, me and my brother didn’t have a baseball, and we were outside playing. It was in a case, it was a really nice case, but took it out. Next thing you know, it goes down the gutter. And so he’s got me by my feet trying to pull me out. Maybe 7th, 8th grade. So we never got it, but it’s funny because I’m with Pittsburgh and we’re playing the Brewers. And at the time, Rod Carew was a hitting coach. I went over there after our BP. We’re at PNC, and I said, hey, Rod. And I told him the whole story, and he signed a baseball. To Jason. Best wishes to you, Rod Carew.
KS: I’m surprised he didn’t inscribe, don’t lose this one.
JK: Yeah, well, no, he should have. You’re absolutely right. I told him, but he was just the nicest man ever. So that’s my big, huge collector story. As far as with Rod Carew.
KS: You alluded to your dad being in the major leagues, as you mentioned, a long time major league career. When you got drafted and you were starting your baseball journey, did your dad give you any advice in terms of how to deal with the trading card deals, how to interact with the fans, the autographs, that kind of stuff?
JK: You know what? He really didn’t, because I think it’s just a different generation as of when I played. It’s a completely different generation now. He really never said too much about it because, it was one of those generations where… I didn’t see my dad that much because when he played, they didn’t make the money that we made. They did not make it at all, and when he came home, he had to work UPS, he had to work construction. And what I’m doing now is, and I’ve always told myself this, if I ever made the money, and it’s because of the players like my father who went through lockouts, who went through strikes, is the reason why players today are getting that money, and I was very fortunate to get that as well.
I always said that if I ever get to that point, I’m not going to do anything until my babies are out of high school. I did some things and I’m still kind of in the mix here and there, but it never got to that point as far as about talking about cards because they weren’t as big. Now If you would have saved some of those cards that we had back then, it’d be really big, and nobody would have to do anything anymore. I remember my dad saying when he grew up, he used Joe DiMaggio’s cards just like everybody else, the noise on your bike to make it sound like a motorcycle. Now that card today, you have that card today, it’s worth millions of dollars or whatever it may be. So we never really had that talk. It was more just baseball, baseball, baseball, and me wanting to pick his brain, but never about the baseball cards, because I don’t think it was necessarily that big as it is when I started and when I played, and as it is now.
KS: From what. I can remember, your first autograph card that you would have signed for companies, I believe it was 1993, because I believe it was that same set that Jeter was in, in that high school uniform. So kind of taking that the starting point to now, because you signed cards for companies like companies in the last couple of years as a fan favorite project and what have you. Seeing that development from what it was in the early 90s to today, what is your take on how much that the card business has blown up so to speak?
JK: It’s unbelievable. So what is that Jeter card worth right now today? Because I know exactly what you’re talking about. The one, it has a yellow background, I believe. And yes, I have about 40 packs of those somewhere. I don’t know where they are. What they did at the time, and I don’t even know what company it was, but they sent you a bunch of packs like they probably still do today. And they have never been opened. They have never been and there’s probably 40 packs. And I was telling you before we hopped on that I know there’s some pretty good ball players in my draft that year. I could think of Jeter. I think of Johnny Damon. Phil Nevin.
KS: I think Phil Nevin was first overall that year.
JK: So what would those be right now? Just out of curiosity.
KS: I mean, if they’re all the autographs, they’re all in decent shape, might have a decent little money pile there.
JK: There’s no autographs. What if they’re not autographed? I’m sure I have some of those, but what if they’re just in a package that have never been opened?
KS: We’re going to have to talk offline on that one. I’m not sure what the unautographed ones are. I don’t think as much, unfortunately. But we’re going to figure that out. So talking about someone like Derek Jeter, you mentioned speaking with Mr. Carew. Throughout your career, were there any other players you kind of linked up and asked for autographs or memorabilia?
JK: You know what? I never was into that. Because of my father, I think I grew up in that generation where. I had certain things I want to say, players that I really respected. But when I found out my son was being born, I got some from Bagwell. Guys that I obviously respected, but that I was friends with. Jeter signed a bat to my son Kuyper. I never really got into it, but players would always be like, can I get a jersey? Can I get a bat? I always was like, when I get to the ballpark, I’m playing baseball. Yeah, you can have a jersey, but go ask our clubhouse guy. I didn’t know where you actually got it, I was just like, hey, so and so wants a jersey. I know those things are expensive. I ain’t paying for it. I remember signing certain things, but as far as memorabilia that I have now, I have certain things, just from more of friends. Some of the stuff that you see behind right now is just things that my wife put up. Now I’m wishing I did do all that stuff. So not really that much.
KS: So how about from your own career, though, because you made multiple All-Star teams. Did you keep anything from your career for yourself like the jerseys or the bats or anything from the All–Star teams?
JK: You know what, I’m trying to think. This is actually something really cool, and I’m going to take you to it. Hopefully this will work with your show. I’m sure we’ll lose connection here in a second, but I’m going to try to take you to see. This was 1996. This is one thing that I do have. I was the only rookie. I was a rookie. So 1996, I’m 21 years old and I went to Philadelphia. I’m in a locker in between Ozzie Smith, who played with my father, and Barry Larkin. So I’m sitting there, I’m already just fired up. So I’m going to take you on a little (tour). This is one thing that I do have and that nobody will take from me. And then I’ll get back down.
It’s the jersey I had. Tony Gwynn, Fred McGriff, Al Leiter, Tom Glavine, Eric Young, Ricky Bottalico, Pedro Martinez, Ozzie Smith, Barry Bonds. Bobby Cox was the manager. Old Ken Caminiti is the only one that’s up there. He signed it. Completely different spot. I think it’s actually kind of cool. There’s Chipper Jones, Ellis Burks. Can you see that at all?
KS: Absolutely, I can see it. That’s incredible. I recognize a lot of those signatures.
JK: Yeah, I can sit here and do this. Lance Johnson. One dog. Anyhow, that’s something that I have framed. This right here is where I caught my 2,000th game, and the Royals made that for me. It says Jason Kendall 2,000th game caught.
But the one cool thing is, now that you’re bringing this up to me right now, this is something that probably nobody in this world has. And then I’m going to show you something else. When I was in Milwaukee, I asked our clubhouse guy, can you get me a pine tar rag from every team out there? This is old school now. I got National League, Major League Baseball, American League. And my wife did this for me. And then I got all the National League, and there’s the American League.
But this one right here, this is really cool. So when I caught my 2000th game, the Royals did this as well. Guy by the name of Jeff Davenport who’s still the equipment manager and traveling secretary. The five guys at the time and Yaddy Molina has done that since, but I had it all signed. So those are the collectibles that I have that, to actually get back to your question, those are the ones that I have. Hopefully I didn’t bore you with that.
KS: Absolutely not. That’s amazing. It’s cool to see it. It’s cool to see all that stuff. Awesome. You alluded to you wish you had kind of collected some more stuff. If you had to think about it, what’s the one thing you wish you had kept from your career that you didn’t?
JK: Great question. Nothing. Everything that I did in baseball, I have zero regrets with. I can’t honestly remember. Maybe the… honestly I don’t know. There’s nothing that I can honestly say that I’m like, oh man, I wish would have had that. Those are some of the cool things that I have here in my home where every time I kind of walk down, there’s a little maybe special meaning, but you don’t even think about that as a player until after you’re done. But I can honestly say everything that I did on a baseball field, everything that as far as collecting this, collecting that, I don’t have any regrets. The stuff I have here, I’m completely satisfied with.
KS: Looking at your trading cards over the year because you obviously had a lot of them released. Do you have a favorite trading card of yourself that you always really liked?
JK: There is one where I thought it was the funniest one in the world. My bat is shattered, completely shattered. Somebody just jammed me, and the bat head is falling off. It’s, like, almost detached. So I’m like this. That one’s pretty cool because those are just pictures you can’t get unless, I’m assuming as a photographer, it’s just luck, and it’s been on a baseball card. It’s not the most flattering one by any means, but it’s pretty cool.
KS: For your dad’s career. Is there anything you try to collect of your his, like his cards or anything else? I know you said it was a different generation.
JK: Here we go. No, we got to go back to the wall now. Yes, I have a lot of them, and it’s funny because a lot of collectors would come up to me and give me some of my father’s cards, but here are some of them.
KS: Oh, that’s cool. Yes, I see 72, 73, 74, 75, yeah all those 70s ones. It looks like 80 Topps in the bottom right corner.
JK: Those are just some. I got some pictures. These are all with the Padres. I’m probably making your viewers dizzy.
KS: I think they’re going to enjoy seeing this as much as I am. It’s cool to see.
JK: Here’s something right here. Kendall Krunch.
KS: Oh, my gosh. I remember Kendall Krunch.
JK: Well, the Kendall Krunch part of it was, by the way, it was the worst cereal ever. I think it’s one of those ones where you can have the milk in there and maybe a day later it’s still crispy. I don’t know what they put in it. The worst part about that is, the day that I was able to come back after my snapped ankle. Is the day that it came out. So, Kendall Krunch. The irony of the whole thing is kind of like, really?
KS: I mean, what better snack to come back to than a nice heaping bowl of Kendall Krunch?
JK: I know. I hear you.
KS: All right, Mr. Kendall, this has been great. Thank you so much for taking the time to join us today.
JK: No problem, man. Thank you for having me. Any time.
Kelsey’s ability to bring hobby coverage to the mainstream sports fan has been a true asset. GTS is happy to feature his thoughts on collecting in Hobby Musings. The opinions expressed are his and do not necessarily reflect those of GTS Distribution.
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