Starter Kyle Kendrick’s struggles were symbolic of the Rockies’ pitching woes in 2015. In 27 starts, Kendrick went 7-13 with a 6.32 ERA, including a 7.62 ERA at Coors Field.
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I owe former Rockies pitcher Kyle Kendrick an apology. So here it is. I hope it finds him.
I was covering the and I was tweeting up a storm. The Broncos were not playing well — dropping passes, blowing coverage in the secondary — and I was being critical. That’s fine, it’s part of being a “journalist” in this digital age.
But I crossed the line with this juvenile, classless tweet:
It’s 13-9 here at Mile High between and Steelers. Like the 7th inning of a game at Coors with Kyle Kendrick pitching.
— Patrick Saunders (@psaundersdp)
I was trying to be funny and draw attention to myself. It was a low blow and I regret it. It was unprofessional and petty. I heard through the grapevine that Kendrick read my tweet, and I imagine it bothered him.
Yes, Kendrick pitched poorly for the Rockies in 2015, going 7-13 with a 6.32 ERA while serving up 33 home runs. He was a bad fit at Coors Field where he was 2-6 with a 7.62 ERA and gave up 21 homers.
But let me add that Kendrick always treated me with respect and class. He answered my questions, and though he dodged the media a few times, he was a gentleman during a tough time.
I’ll stand behind my stories about Kendrick’s struggles as a pitcher, but he deserved better than my cheap shot via Twitter. I learned a lesson and I’m going to be a better journalist, and a better person, in the future.
