He is sometimes referred to by fans as "HK-47" due to his initials and jersey number. Kendrick earned the nickname "Truck" from former Angels pitching coach Bud Black, due to the similarity of his last name to Eddie Kendricks (of The Temptations), and his song Keep On Truckin'.[1] Kendrick was drafted in the 10th round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft, and named the #1 prospect in the Texas League in 2005.