There may not be a more controversial player on the A's than Jason Kendall. The reason? His $10 million price tag. So many viewed Kendall as a miserable failure last season because of his double playitis and power shortage.
I'm not going to argue his intangibles because they aren't something you can measure. Either you believe in them or you don't. Billy Beane has said several times it was either having Kendall or keeping Rhodes and Redman, and frankly most people would have taken that deal any day of the week.
What I want to use this post to ask is, why do so many ANers think that Kendall will hit a home run next season? I put up a poll last week just to see what people thought and nearly 70 percent of the audience thinks Kendall will go deep in 2006. What is it? Is it the law of averages? Do you think that he's just due? Do you think he might get an inside-the-park homer? Or do you think that he will be much more comfortable in the AL this year?
I just want to see why you voted as you did. So here's your open forum to let us know. I personally don't think he will just because I remember him hitting the ball to the wall (in the air) maybe three times all season. He hit three homers in his last season in Pittsburgh. I think he provides a lot for a team, but I just don't think he'll hit a home run.
