How'd hero Howie get here? It's been a journey
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WASHINGTON -- When Howie Kendrick arrived as a bright-eyed 22-year-old on an Angels team that would dominate the American League West in the late 2000s, it felt like a matter of time. When he joined the Dodgers in the early stages of their National League West dominance, it felt the same.
But after 14 seasons in the Majors and eight trips to the postseason, there’s one thing glaringly absent from Kendrick’s resume: A trip to the World Series.
| Game | Date | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gm 1 | Oct. 11 | WSH 2, STL 0 | Watch |
| Gm 2 | Oct. 12 | WSH 3, STL 1 | Watch |
| Gm 3 | Oct. 14 | WSH 8, STL 1 | Watch |
| Gm 4 | Oct. 15 | WSH 7, STL 4 | Watch |
Shop for postseason gear: After all those years, Kendrick is this close. And this year, he's forcing the issue.
The Nationals -- who took a 3-0 lead in the NL Championship Series with a comprehensive 8-1 victory over the Cardinals on Monday night -- have gotten major contributions from all of their major contributors this month.
And yet Kendrick has arguably been the most important cog in the Nationals’ surprise run to within one game of the first World Series in franchise history. His teammates view him that way.
“He's the greatest ever,” said Anthony Rendon, breaking into an ear-to-ear smile at the mere mention of Kendrick’s name. “You see the man. He's, what, 36 years old, and he's still doing it. He's built like a frickin' cinder block. He's huge. Man, he stays short. He's strong. ... He knows how to hit. That's what he does.”
On Monday night, Kendrick did what he does best. He smacked an opposite-field two-run double in the third inning, sending Nationals Park into a frenzy and putting Washington ahead, 4-0. In the fifth, Kendrick tacked on another RBI double, making it 5-0.
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• Dress for the NLCS with your Nats postseason gear
It was a full-on party in D.C. when Kendrick strode to the plate in the seventh inning. A chorus of “How-ie! How-ie!” grew louder and louder as the ageless right-handed hitter worked himself yet another favorable count. Kendrick rewarded those fans with -- what else? -- a booming double in the gap.
A batter later, he scored on Ryan Zimmerman’s RBI single and was greeted by a swarm of teammates at the top step of the home dugout. Kendrick wasn’t gassed, but Rendon toweled off his teammate’s forehead anyway. An hour later, a reporter would ask Rendon what he thought he’d be doing when he was 36.
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• DC electric with Nats on brink of World Series
“Hopefully not playing baseball,” Rendon joked. “Probably sitting on the couch hanging out with my kids, and [Kendrick] is probably going to play another 20 years.”
Those aren’t Kendrick’s plans. But then again, who would’ve figured he’d be posting his most productive offensive season in 2019. When Kendrick, who batted .344/.395/.572 this year, was drafted 294th overall in 2002, the Nationals didn’t exist. Now he’s spearheading an October for the ages in D.C.
Last week, Kendrick’s 10th-inning grand slam sealed the NL Division Series at Dodger Stadium. On Monday, he became just the 17th player with three doubles in a playoff game and the first since Ben Zobrist in 2015. Kendrick’s nine RBIs are the most in a single postseason in franchise history, Montreal included.
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“He wants it,” said Nationals manager Dave Martinez. “The rest of his teammates feed off that.”
“All the hard work pays off,” said Adam Eaton. “I’m so happy for him. I’m so happy to be his teammate.”
In May 2018, Kendrick tore his right Achilles, prompting questions about his future in baseball. He would return the following April, but the Nationals found themselves 12 games below .500 on May 23 this year.
“I guess,” Kendrick mused, “some of the best things come from the unexpected moments. You don’t really realize it at the time.”
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Kendrick insists he wouldn’t have drawn it up any other way. He never made the World Series with the Angels, despite being drafted the year they hoisted the trophy. He never did so with the Dodgers either, though they would reach the Fall Classic in each of the two seasons after his departure.
“Without all the mistakes and all the hardships and all the successes earlier in my career, none of this would be available, none of this would be possible without all that,” Kendrick said. “... That's the way I look at it: All those failures, and even now my failures still help me be successful.
“You appreciate it even more. This is definitely truly special in a sense that I can appreciate where I came from to where I'm at now.”
One measly win from his first trip to the World Series, that is.