Kyle Kendrick traded to the Yomiuri Giants!

[apsham]

Trade' to Japan leaves Kendrick in shock

Monday, Feb 18, 2008 1:36 am EST

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick was shocked to learn that he'd been traded to the Yomiuri Giants in Japan for a player named "Kobayashi Iwamura."

"I don't know what to think right now," he told reporters outside his locker shortly after getting the news from assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.

Had he truly been thinking, he would have realized that such deals are prohibited. And with a little digging he could have found out that there is no Kobayashi Iwamura playing in Japan.

The "trade" was, in fact, a prank. The ruse was orchestrated by pitcher Brett Myers and was elaborate enough to include Amaro, manager Charlie Manuel, Kendrick's agent, the media and others.

Saw this on the front page of Yahoo. Just amazing.

Edited February 18, 2008 by apsham

[Thatz]

Alright, even though pretty much everyone was in on it, how did he not know that you couldn't be traded to Japan? They're (obviously) not the same league!

Funny story, though.

[NobBe Nobbs]

Ahahaha excellent. If I'd been them, I'd have organised like a fake press conference with "Iwamura" just to fuck with him

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

Taro Tsujimoto approves

[sahyder1]

for those of you who are lazy.

[oldskool]

They went all-out on the prank. The Phillies manager was in on it, Kendrick's AGENT was in on it, they had a decent-sized media group in there to "interview" him about it, they had a trip itinerary made up for his flight into Japan...

[sahyder1]

To quote Manuel...."I would have loved to see him fly to Japan and get off the plane,That would have been the best. As a matter of fact, I would have paid his fare."

[GhostMachine]

I have to wonder if they got the idea for the prank from watching the Tom Sellick movie "Mr. Baseball".

(If you haven't seen it, rent it. Trust me.)

[Vendetta]

Who the fuck is Kyle Kendrick?

[Guest Mr. Potato Head]

10-4 with a 3.87 ERA last year in the Phillies' rotation. Probably got some ROTY votes too.

[Guest Kou]

What the fuck is baseball?

[sahyder1]

Supposedly Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen once pulled the same prank on former pitcher Wayne Gomes.

[Hellfire]

I kinda wish they went all out, sent him to Japan, had him go to some random ballpark and then tell him. That would have been classic. This was pretty damn good though. Everyone played their part, and it worked out great.

[GoGo Yubari]

Who the fuck is Kyle Kendrick?

... there's a link in the article, for fuck's sake.

But yeah, that prank is gold. I especially like the fake press conference.

[james_ewing88]

I started busting out laughing when they showed it on ESPN and one of the players held the "contract" up to Kendrick and said "You got traded for the Hot Dog Eater". I was laughing so hard, I started crying.