KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Royals took their team picture before batting practice today, and I watched Liam Hendriks walk out somewhat sheepishly toward the risers in center field, having his picture taken with teammates he hasn't met yet. Hendriks was acquired by the Royals in a trade with Toronto on July 28, and the Aussie righthander is making his debut with his new team tonight.
As Twins fans know well, Hendriks is one of the most extreme examples of what's commonly called a "Four-A" player in baseball today -- a guy who looks like a superstar in the minor leagues, but who cannot find success in the majors:
-- Hendriks went 9-3 with a 2.20 ERA in Class AAA Rochester two years ago.
-- When the Twins let him go last winter, the Blue Jays claimed him and he went 8-1 with a 2.33 ERA for their Triple-A team.
-- Since the trade last month, he's gone 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA for the Royals' top minor league team.
Yet here are his ERAs the past four seasons in his various major-league opportunities: 6.17, 5.59, 6.85 and 6.08.
"You never know with a pitcher. You never know when they're going to figure it out or find their niche," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who watched Hendriks start 17 games before finally earning his first victory. "We know he's got the fastball. In the minor leagues, it's different -- these guys can hit the fastball."
We'll see if the Twins can, too. Hendriks has started 31 games in the majors, and has a 3-13 record. But he's never faced his former team.
