Earl G. "Ken" Kendrick Jr. is an American businessman who is the principal owner and managing general partner of the National League's Arizona Diamondbacks. He became part-owner with the team's inception in 1995. He has been managing general partner since 2004, overseeing day-to-day operations and acting as the organization’s designated representative when the Major League Baseball owners convene. Prior to his position with the team, Kendrick founded Datatel, Inc., a software development company, and served as a banking industry executive in Texas.
Early life and career
Kendrick was born in 1943, in Princeton, West Virginia, and graduated from West Virginia University in 1965. While at West Virginia University, Kendrick was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. Kendrick was the Vice-President of the University's Inter-Fraternity Council in the year 1964. He was the founder of Datatel, Inc., a software development company, and served as a banking industry executive in Texas in the 1980s and 1990s; in 1989 he was an investor in Texas-based Woodforest National Bank.
Diamondbacks tenure
During his tenure, the D-backs have twice captured the National League West Division, reaching the NLCS for just the second time in the franchise’s existence in 2007. Under Kendrick’s leadership, through equity and debt restructures, the team has eliminated more than $200 million of debt. After leading negotiations on the team's multi-billion dollar television rights deal with FOX Sports Arizona, Kendrick authorized the D-backs to sign pitcher Zack Greinke to a six-year deal with the largest annual average value in Major League Baseball history. During Kendrick's time as Managing General Partner, the Diamondbacks have hosted an All-Star Game at Chase Field in 2011, and opened a Spring Training facility that is widely considered the finest in all of baseball in Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. In 2013, ESPN the Magazine rated the D-backs as the No. 6 team in Major League Baseball in its Ultimate Standings, which gauges success both on and off the field and Yahoo! has referred to the Arizona Diamondbacks as the "best workplace in sports."
Personal life
Kendrick is active in various philanthropic endeavors, beginning with his role as Chairman of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. He also serves on boards for various charities including the Barrow Neurological Institute, Brophy College Prep, the Phoenix Art Museum, The Buddy Program, Childhelp USA, UMOM New Day Centers, Challenger Center for Space Science Education, TGen Foundation, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Roaring Fork Conservancy, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Arizona Heart Foundation and is Founding Chairman of the Datatel Scholars Foundation. In politics, Kendrick and his wife Randy have made donations to conservative groups connected with the Koch brothers. Kendrick and his wife raised funds for Marco Rubio during the 2016 Republican primaries. As a prostate cancer survivor, Kendrick has made significant contributions over the years to fund research in that field and in 2013, the Cleveland Clinic created The Kendrick Family Chair for Prostate Cancer Research. As of 2016, Kendrick is the owner of the T-206Honus Wagner baseball card once owned by Wayne Gretzky, considered the most valuable trading card in the world. The Wagner card and 34 other iconic and rare baseball cards in Kendrick’s collection, titled "The D-backs Collection," were previously displayed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.
