[1] He was recruited by John Moores, a British businessman and baseball executive, to come play professionally in Britain; he abandoned his Canadian wife and three children to play in the U.K.[2] He began his career in the British league with the York Maroons of the Yorkshire League in 1937.

[2] Kendrick also pitched two games in a series of "test matches" between the Great Britain and United States national teams which would become retroactively known as the inaugural Amateur World Series, the first major international baseball tournament.

[2] In the two games he started, he pitched two shutouts and struck out 16 and 12 American batters, respectively, to deliver Great Britain the championship.

[3][4] During World War II, Kendrick played in games against American servicemen, including one against Skippy Roberge, a former Major Leaguer.

[2] He was inducted into the British Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 2009.