When You Speak of Me, Speak Well

"We had a senior catcher (at Torrance High School) and Jason was a sophomore, so he was sitting on the bench, which he'd never done before,'' Mike Kendall said. "Then our catcher got hurt, and I was pitching, so they asked me who I wanted to catch, and I said to put Jason in there.

"I had a no-hitter going through the fifth inning, and I hadn't shaken him off the whole time. Then, when I finally shook him off, he came out to the mound and told me to throw a curveball. I said, 'I'm the senior, you're the sophomore, I put you in the game.' He went back to the plate, let (the hitter) know a fastball was coming, and it got hit up the middle.''

Jason Kendall disputes that, saying he never told the hitter what was coming (and he wasn't on the bench to start the game, he was playing second). He did offer to fight his brother, though.

"I was like, 'OK, let's go,'" said Kendall, putting up his fists.

Whatever the case, Mike Kendall never questioned the pitch selection again.

"At that point, I had to throw what he wanted," Mike Kendall said. "And with Jason catching, I wound up having my best season ever."