Timone
02-17-2008, 07:50 PM
LOL...
Sitting there in the manager's office next to Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro Jr., Kyle Kendrick just wanted to break down and cry.
The Phillies second-year pitcher was called in for a meeting after Saturday's practice and floored when told he'd been traded to Japan.
Kendrick took the bait.
Unaware he was the victim in a well-planned prank, Kendrick signed a letter on Phillies letterhead acknowledging the deal, then read over a travel itinerary that had him leaving the country early this morning.
“I'm pretty gullible,” said Kendrick, a shy 23-year-old who was a 10-game winner as a rookie in 2007. “I trust people, maybe a little too much. I thought it was real.”
Kendrick was to told to catch a 7:05 a.m. flight today to Atlanta, Delta Flight 1039, then connect onto Delta Flight 0055 at 9:55 a.m., for a 14-hour, 30-minute journey to Tokyo.
In total shock, Kendrick exited Manuel's office and phoned his agent, Joe Urbon, who played along and confirmed the Phillies traded him to the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Central League. If this really happened, Kendrick wouldn't be required to go to Japan, but Urbon instructed the pitcher otherwise.
A few minutes later, Kendrick headed back to the Phillies clubhouse with Amaro at his side and the assistant GM, looking sad, waved the media over to Kendrick' locker and announced the trade.
“It's a deal we thought was important for us to make and the fact of the matter is we're trying to get to the next level,” Amaro said.
Kendrick then was available for questioning, and in came a few serious ones and some comical ones.
Soon enough, the kid was spared more agony when teammate Brett Myers jumped out from behind and made like Ashton Kutcher when screaming, “You've been Punk'd.”
As a large group of players, coaches and media broke into a loud laugh, Kendrick wiped sweat from his face and flashed a relieved smile.
“I've never been so happy,” Kendrick said after the most elaborate Phillies clubhouse prank in many years. “I wanted to cry. I'm going to call my agent and tell him he's fired.”
Everyone was in on it — Kendrick's teammates, coaches, the front office, his agent ... even the media. Manuel was even miked up by a television station, which filmed the entire joke.
The timing was perfect, as Kendrick was pranked the same day new insurance starter Kris Benson showed up for his first workout with the Phils.
Myers — who else? — concocted the idea and the Phillies agreed to have a little fun on Day 3 of spring training for pitchers and catchers. Amaro wrote a trade letter to the Yomiuri Giants actual general manager while “trading” Kendrick for fictional pitcher Kobayashi Iwamura.
“You were traded for a hot dog champion,” Myers said to Kendrick.
Saw the video on SportsCenter. Funny shit.
Sitting there in the manager's office next to Charlie Manuel and Ruben Amaro Jr., Kyle Kendrick just wanted to break down and cry.
The Phillies second-year pitcher was called in for a meeting after Saturday's practice and floored when told he'd been traded to Japan.
Kendrick took the bait.
Unaware he was the victim in a well-planned prank, Kendrick signed a letter on Phillies letterhead acknowledging the deal, then read over a travel itinerary that had him leaving the country early this morning.
“I'm pretty gullible,” said Kendrick, a shy 23-year-old who was a 10-game winner as a rookie in 2007. “I trust people, maybe a little too much. I thought it was real.”
Kendrick was to told to catch a 7:05 a.m. flight today to Atlanta, Delta Flight 1039, then connect onto Delta Flight 0055 at 9:55 a.m., for a 14-hour, 30-minute journey to Tokyo.
In total shock, Kendrick exited Manuel's office and phoned his agent, Joe Urbon, who played along and confirmed the Phillies traded him to the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Central League. If this really happened, Kendrick wouldn't be required to go to Japan, but Urbon instructed the pitcher otherwise.
A few minutes later, Kendrick headed back to the Phillies clubhouse with Amaro at his side and the assistant GM, looking sad, waved the media over to Kendrick' locker and announced the trade.
“It's a deal we thought was important for us to make and the fact of the matter is we're trying to get to the next level,” Amaro said.
Kendrick then was available for questioning, and in came a few serious ones and some comical ones.
Soon enough, the kid was spared more agony when teammate Brett Myers jumped out from behind and made like Ashton Kutcher when screaming, “You've been Punk'd.”
As a large group of players, coaches and media broke into a loud laugh, Kendrick wiped sweat from his face and flashed a relieved smile.
“I've never been so happy,” Kendrick said after the most elaborate Phillies clubhouse prank in many years. “I wanted to cry. I'm going to call my agent and tell him he's fired.”
Everyone was in on it — Kendrick's teammates, coaches, the front office, his agent ... even the media. Manuel was even miked up by a television station, which filmed the entire joke.
The timing was perfect, as Kendrick was pranked the same day new insurance starter Kris Benson showed up for his first workout with the Phils.
Myers — who else? — concocted the idea and the Phillies agreed to have a little fun on Day 3 of spring training for pitchers and catchers. Amaro wrote a trade letter to the Yomiuri Giants actual general manager while “trading” Kendrick for fictional pitcher Kobayashi Iwamura.
“You were traded for a hot dog champion,” Myers said to Kendrick.
Saw the video on SportsCenter. Funny shit.