As Kyle Hendricks ’12 prepares for his likely National League Championship Series debut next week, both current and former Big Green baseball players reflected that the poise and unwavering confidence of the Chicago Cubs’ starting pitcher has contributed to his success in Major League Baseball.
Regardless of whether Hendricks is striking players out or giving up runs, his calm demeanor remains unchanged. In fact, Hendricks has earned the nickname “The Professor,” perhaps for his studied, cerebral approach to pitching.
Hendricks made his entrance in the major leagues in 2014 and tied for seventh place in the National League Rookie-of-the-Year voting with a sparkling 2.46 ERA. His first postseason appearance came last Saturday, when he pitched just under five innings as the starting pitcher in the Cubs’ 6-3 game 2 victory in the National League Division Series last Saturday.
During Hendricks’ time at the College, he helped the Big Green win two Ivy League championships in 2009 and 2010. He also earned First-Team All-Ivy recognition and was named Dartmouth’s pitcher of the year in 2011.
Dartmouth baseball head coach Bob Whalen said Hendricks came to the College because he wanted to pursue excellence in both baseball and academics at an Ivy League institution. Whalen admired the way in which Hendricks strove for success in all avenues, particularly his desire to be a great student, player and teammate.
Whalen also noted Hendricks’ impressive athletic abilities.
“His stuff was advanced, even at a young age,” Whalen remarked. “He’s a very athletic kid with a pitcher’s body. His fastball command is exceptional and his ability to throw strikes was noticeable very early on.”
As a teammate, Hendricks exuded confidence and led by example, Chad Piersma ’13, who used to catch for Hendricks at Dartmouth, said.
His poise and confidence inspired those on the field with him, Piersma said.
Although Hendricks was drafted in 2011 to the Texas Rangers during his junior year in college, Hendricks returned to Dartmouth for his senior fall and winter before spring training and then subsequently finished his Dartmouth career in fall 2013.
Piersma said that Hendricks remained the same approachable person despite his talent and professional status. Big Green players who had never played with Hendricks expressed similar sentiments about his friendly and congenial manner.
“During his time back at school, you would have never been able to guess that [Hendricks] was a professional athlete,” former Big Green second basemen Thomas Roulis ’15 said. “He was always very down to earth and easy to get along with.”
Big Green pitcher Duncan Robinson ’16 said that he admired Hendricks’ subtle confidence and the high expectations that he has set for other Dartmouth baseball players.
“His success has brought a great name to the program,” Robinson said. “It allows current players and recruits to gain more recognition, and it allows greater progress for the program. He has set the bar and we want to get to where he is.”
During his time at the College, Hendricks’ talent enabled him to perform well in the Ivy League Conference. When Hendricks got to the major leagues, however, he had to adjust his game to better adapt to this higher level of competition and skill, Whalen said.
Because Hendricks is no longer a rookie, other teams have had the opportunity to study Hendricks, and he has done the same for them, Whalen said. Whalen added that Hendricks’ ability to utilize videos and advanced scouting information in a smart way has allowed him to adjust his game and become more competitive.
Further, both Piersma and Whalen said that Hendricks’ experience at Dartmouth helped prepare him for a career in the major leagues.
“He had to take a Dartmouth approach to baseball,” Piersma said. “[Hendricks’] talent took him over the top in the Ivy League, but when he came to the major leagues he had to reinvent himself because of all the faster pitchers that were out there. He had to study and scout pitchers in an intelligent manner in order to relearn the game as a finesse pitcher.”
Since Hendricks’ debut in the MLB on the Chicago Cubs in 2014, Hendricks has amassed a 15-9 record and 3.49 ERA. As a rookie, advanced metrics suggested his ERA was about 54 percent better than the average National League pitcher, adjusting for park effects, although he regressed in his sophomore season.
According to Chicago Tribune sports columnist Steve Rosenbloom, Hendricks opened eyes last year when he went 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA, which helped to earn him a spot in the starting rotation this season.
In his transition from an upstart rookie to a starting pitcher, Hendricks must rely on his command, rather than sheer power, because he cannot blow past hitters, Rosenbloom said.
Similarly, the Chicago Tribune’s baseball writer Mark Gonzales also said that Hendricks’ pitching in his rookie season earned him a spot on the rotation.
“He struggled during parts of the 2015 season, but his spot in the rotation never was in jeopardy,” Gonzales said. “He has a knack for changing speeds and frustrating batters. [Hendricks’] best asset is that his delivery remains the same, whether he’s throwing an 89 miles per hour fastball or a 79 miles per hour change-up. His deception frustrates batters.”
Looking forward to the start of the Championship Series this weekend, Whalen and the Big Green players are hoping to see Hendricks play and excel in the series.
“I would love to see [Hendricks] just go out there and pitch well — win or lose,” Robinson said. “When he’s out there on the mound, I want everyone to see that he is a great pitcher. He deserves recognition because of the all the hard work he has put in.”
On Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs secured a position in the National League Championship series by clinching a historic postseason victory at Wrigley Field against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4 of the series. The Cubs will play the New York Mets this Saturday.
The Cubs’ media relations team did not return requests for access to Hendricks for comment.
