Howie Kendrick

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**Howie Kendrick**

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — No. 47
Second Baseman
Born: July 12, 1983 (1983-07-12) (age 24)
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Major League Baseball debut
April 26, 2006 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Selected MLB statistics (through October 5, 2007)
Batting Average	.317
OPS	.792
Home runs	9
RBIs	73
Teams
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2006-present)

Howard Joseph Kendrick (born July 12, 1983 in Jacksonville, Florida) Tabbed as #1 prospect in Texas League by Baseball America in 2005...Attended West Nassau HS (Callahan, FL) and St. John's River Comm. College (Palatka, FL))... Named Conference Player of the Year at SJRCC...Originally signed by Angels' scouts Tom Kotchman.

He is sometimes referred to by fans as "HK-47" due to his initials and jersey number.

2002 Career Highlights Made professional debut with the Angels Arizona Summer League team and led squad with .318 batting average, which ranked ninth-best in the league.

2003 Career Highlights Spent season with rookie level Provo and finished third in the league with a .368 average and .434 on-base percentage and was second in runs scored (65) and fourth in hits (86)...Started season in 4-for-40 slump before responding by hitting .428 (77/180) over next two months (July-August)...Numerous accolades included: Pioneer League Post-Season Honorable Mention, Topps Pioneer League Player of the Month for August, Organization Player of the Month for August and Pioneer League Player of the Week, Aug. 25-31.

2004 Career Highlights Finished season with a franchise-record .367 average at Cedar Rapids and was awarded the Midwest League's batting title (although 41 plate appearances shy of the minimum necessary to qualify, it was determined he would still have the league's highest average if 41 at-bats were added to his totals, per Baseball Rule 10.23)...In 75 contests, registered 36 multihit games...Midwest League Player of Week, May 3-9, and named to Midwest League Post-Season All-Star Team and as Midwest League All-Star Game Selection.

2005 Career Highlights Solidified spot as one of top prospects in the Minor Leagues, hitting exactly .367 (172/469) for second straight campaign in split season with Class A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Arkansas (also hit .367 in Cedar Rapids in 2004 and .368 in 2003 with Provo)...367 clip ranked second in all of Minor Leagues to Rick Short's .383 mark with New Orleans... Totaled 104 runs, 43 doubles, eight triples, 19 home runs and 89 RBI and was named Angels' Minor League Co-Player of the Year with Brandon Wood...With Rancho Cucamonga, hit .384 (107/279) with 12 HRs and 47 RBI in 63 games... Totaled three or more hits 12 times, including three 4-hit efforts and one 5-hit performance...Batted over .400 in April (.404, 40/99) and July (.426, 26/61)...Honors with Rancho Cucamonga included: Organization Player of Month (April), California League Post-Season All-Star Team, California League All-Star Game Selection and Baseball America's High Class-A All-Star team...With Arkansas, hit .342 (65/190) with seven home runs and 42 RBI in 46 games...Named Texas League Player of Month for August after hitting .377 for the month...Posted 20-game hit streak, July 30-Aug. 20...Tabbed as #1 prospect in Texas League by Baseball America...Played for Scottsdale in Arizona Fall League and led league with 46 hits and 27 runs and ranked tied for third with .380 average...Selected as one of 24 players to represent the United States at the 2005 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Phoenix, AZ (Nov. 15-19)...Led all players in tournament with 7 RBI and 3 SBs...U.S. finished 5-0 and plays in the 2006 Americas Continental Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Havana, Cuba in August.

[edit] Major league career

2006 Career Highlights Kendrick served two tours with the Angels in 2006. He finished the year with a .285 average, four home runs and 30 RBIs after batting just .136 with one RBI in his first stint with the Angels. Kendrick had a 16-game hitting streak from July 26 to Aug. 6, the longest by a rookie in the American League all season. He batted .500 (20-for-40) in 10 games in July with one home run and 10 RBIs. Kendrick made his Major League debut on April 26 as the starting second baseman. He was named the Rookie of the Year in the Pacific Coast League and to Baseball America's Minor League All-Star team. Hit .369 with Triple-A Salt Lake, his fifth straight year of topping the .300 mark in the Minor Leagues.

2007 Career Highlights Enjoyed solid sophomore season despite two trips to disabled list with finger injuries...Hit .322 (109/338) with 55 runs scored, 24 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 39 RBI in 88 games...His 109 hits in 88 games projects to 201 for a full season...Missed a total of 67 games on DL...On DL July 14 (retro to July 9) - August 20 with a fracture in his left index finger and missed 35 games...Also missed 32 games during his first DL stint (April 18-May 22) with a middle finger fracture on his left hand...One of club's top performers down stretch as he hit .340 (34/100) in Sept. and .357 (51/143) after All-Star break...Batted .331 (50/151) on the road to lead Angels...Posted season-high three RBI, Aug. 31 vs. Texas, including walk-off single in 10th inning...Had season-high 12-game hit streak June 17-29...Scored winning run in 11th inning Aug. 20 vs. NYY after doubling with one out in the inning...Also doubled and scored what proved to be game-winning run in 13th inning in Angels' July 7 victory at New York...Made first Opening Day roster.

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.

After Adam Kennedy signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals during the 2006-07 offseason, Kendrick made his expected move to be the new starter at second base in the 2007 season. Because of his excellent range and strong arm, Kendrick can move from second in a pinch and has seen time at first.

Kendrick hit his first home run against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on July 26, 2006.