Mark Hendrickson is a 40-year-old grandfather who is trying to make it onto the Baltimore Orioles pitching staff. He’s had an interesting life already, and is trying to make it even more so if he can have a good spring.
People always say athletics is a young man’s game. Once you get in your mid-30’s you should start looking for the end. Don’t tell that to Tom Brady, almost 40 and playing in the Super Bowl. Don’t tell that to Randy Johnson, who had over 200 victories AFTER age 30. And don’t tell that to Mark Hendrickson.
Mark who?
Meet Mark Hendrickson, a 40-year old trying to play MLB ball.
Most grandfathers spend their days in a rocking chair, waxing poetic about the good old days of their youth, and complaining about how the young athletes of today are no match for yesteryear’s warriors.
This grandfather is going out and trying to prove it.
Hendrickson played for five teams over ten major league seasons. He compiled a 58-74 record with a 5.03 ERA with the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins and the Orioles. He last pitched in the majors in 2011. He had a spring training invitation in 2013, pitched in Triple-A for a while, then played in the independent league.
And baseball is his second sport.
The 6-foot-9 Hendrickson was the Philadelphia 76ers’ second round draft pick in the 1996 NBA draft. He played power forward for the 76ers, the Sacramento Kings, the Nets (in New Jersey) and the Cleveland Cavaliers over four seasons before he was done, then tried an MLB career. He even got posterized by Michael Jordan.
Now he is trying to get a second chance in baseball.
In 2013, Orioles manager Buck Showalter spoke to Hendrickson about his arm slot, how he should lower it. Hendrickson took the advice and in 55 appearances with the York Revolution he posted a 1.54 ERA.
Of course, Hendrickson wasn’t facing the competition he would be facing if he made the Orioles, but he feels he can make it. He doesn’t feel this is a charity case.
“This is me taking my career by the horns, so to speak, and doing what I need to do,” Hendrickson said. “Because, realistically, the biggest hurdle for me is getting past the age factor and getting people who are front-office people to not look at age and say, ‘Well, forget him.’
“It’s about relationships that I have, reaching out to Buck. He’s a straight-shooter. He’s not doing a charity case. If he doesn’t think I can help, then I’m not going to be here. So for me, it’s just taking that initiative and saying, ‘Look, I don’t want to waste your time. You don’t want to waste my time. Let’s give this a shot.'”
Hendrickson threw in front of Showalter, pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti on Monday, and again on Wednesday. Now it’s up to Showalter to decide whether Hendrickson gets an invite to Spring Training.
Hendrickson may not be 22, but he feels the same excitement for the game, and feels he has some unfinished business. He is extremely motivated.
“I’m a grandfather, for goodness’ sake, and that was two months ago,” Hendrickson said. “Now there’s extra motivation. How many active grandfathers have been in the big leagues? Well, that right there is motivation in itself…
“I miss it,” he said. “This is a challenge, what I’m doing. When Buck mentioned to me about dropping down, my whole intent of dropping down was to get to the big leagues. That’s the whole reason I did it and that’s why I’m still playing. That’s the challenge that I have at 40.”
Hendrickson would not be the first major league player to play and be a grandfather. The ageless wonder, Julio Franco, was a grandfather at age 49 (or 59?) playing for the Atlanta Braves before he retired in 2007.
Showalter won’t say if Hendrickson earned an invite yet. “I don’t even know if we’ll bring him to camp or not. We’ll see. I’ll sit down with Dom and Dave when it’s over and see what they think and also see what our roster invite [list] looks like.”
Hendrickson making it to the big leagues when the regular season begins is a real longshot, but what the hell, why not get him into Spring Training and see what he can do, and work on whatever else he needs to work on?
This is a great story (especially for the older people), and being a lefty, if he can show something, he can be useful. Can’t have enough lefties on a pitching staff. And if anyone can work with Hendrickson and get him over the top, it’s Showalter.
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