Poor Kyle Kendrick

Are they doing anything productive down in Clearwater?  First it was t-shirts made up for the entire team to mock a photograph of Pat Burrell and then, as you've probably heard by now, the entire Phillies organization, the Philadelphia sports media, Kyle Kendrick's agent, heck, probably even the Japanese ambassador were in on a practical joke with Kendrick as the target.

He was brought into Charlie Manuel's office where he was given the "news" that he was traded to a team in Japan for Kobayashi Iwamura, a completely fictional individual.  The participants did a great job pulling off the joke and not letting on.

The footage from Comcast Sportsnet, via YouTube:

One of the best lines is when Pat "Man or Machine" Burrell shakes Kendrick's hand, deadpans, "It was nice knowing you," and then makes a beeline in the opposite direction.

Hopefully the fun and games won't get in the way of preparing for anything, you know, like making the playoffs for the second year in a row.