Jason Kendall was hitting with his son, Kuyper, on Sunday afternoon when he learned of Oneil Cruz's left ankle injury, suffered in the sixth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park.
The former Pirates catcher had watched Cruz during his time as a volunteer roving instructor in the minor leagues last year. Kendall also knows plenty about horrific ankle injuries, as anyone who was watching Brewers-Pirates on July 4, 1999 can attest.
With the Pirates being no-hit by Milwaukee's Steve Woodward, Kendall dropped a bunt down the third-base line. While trying to beat third baseman Jeff Cirillo's throw to Mark Loretta, Kendall's right foot landed on the foul side of the bag. His ankle snapped, and it felt "like a piece of paper ripping."
