Phillies' World Series Champ Supports Wife in Her Return to Reality TV

Former Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick won a World Series in 2008. His wife, three-time Survivor contestant Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, paused her entertainment career so that she could support him and start a family. With Kyle retired from MLB, Stephenie is back to competing on reality television, and Kyle is now playing the role of supportive spouse.

Almost 15 years after her husband Kyle Kendrick raised the Commissioner's Trophy and collected a World Series ring as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick made her triumphant return to reality television.

Stephenie had been out of the limelight for 12 years when she suddenly appeared on USA Network's new competition series, Snake in the Grass last August. In January, she appeared on Peacock's new reality competition show, The Traitors. The Philadelphia native has been trying for a win on reality television since 2005, when she first emerged as a fearless, seemingly invincible 24-year-old on CBS' Survivor: Palau.

Stephenie instantly became a fan favorite on Palau, endearing herself to over 20 million viewers. As her 'Ulong' tribe got decimated and lost every single immunity challenge, Stephenie didn't crack; she stood tall, outlasting her entire tribe. As a tribe of one, she was absorbed into the opposite Koror tribe and was later voted out on Day 30, finishing in seventh place.

Quickly, Stephenie became the face of the Survivor franchise and perhaps the series' most beloved contestant ever. Looking to capitalize on their new star, Survivor's production team wasted no time in bringing back America's sweetheart. Months after returning from Palau, Stephenie received a call, and before she knew it, she was trudging through the jungles of Guatemala, giving it another go on reality television.

Stephenie competed on the show's 11th season, Survivor: Guatemala, alongside her Palau tribemate Bobby Jon Drinkard. The duo that failed to win a single immunity challenge was granted a rare second try. It was the first time contestants from a past Survivor season had been brought back to play the very next season with a group of new castaways.

Stephenie placed second on Survivor: Guatemala, then competed on the franchise's 20th season, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, in 2010. As the face of Survivor in the show's heyday in the mid-2000s, Stephenie had a wide variety of opportunities present themselves to her. She became the Philadelphia Flyers' in-arena host, acted on a pair of television soap operas, made several media appearances (including an in-studio guest spot on Howard Stern), and received a number of high-profile modeling and hosting opportunities.

On the heels of an early exit from Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Stephenie suddenly vanished from the world of entertainment, got married, and faded into the background, playing the role of supportive wife and loving mother.

"Kyle and I always had an understanding that — when I met him and we decided to get married and have children, I said to him, I will support you your entire career," Stephenie said in February on the Jack Vita Show. "I will follow you wherever you go. My life will become your life. I will give it all up for you. But when you're done playing, if the situation presents itself, and the time is right for me and our family, whatever that may be, and it's a good opportunity, I'm going to take it. And he always was supportive of that and okay with that."

Kyle made 30 starts out of the Phillies' pitching rotation in 2008, the same year that the club won its second World Series title in franchise history. Kyle was a key member of the Phillies' pitching staff for eight years (2007-2014), logging a sub-4.00 ERA in four different seasons.

The Phillies won the National League East five straight times (2007-2011) during Kyle's tenure with the club and boasted a dominant pitching rotation featuring the likes of Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Pedro Martinez, Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton and Kyle. In 2007, he started Game 2 of the National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies, a team he would later sign a free agent contract with in 2014.

Stephenie was there, from their first encounter in 2008 at a Philadelphia restaurant she owned, throughout his entire playing career. She followed him around, traveled to road games and picked up and moved whenever Kyle's career called for it.

Now, with children ages eleven, nine and four, Kyle, 38, retired from professional baseball, and the right opportunities presenting themselves, it felt like the perfect time for her to get back in the saddle.

"(Kyle's) retired (now), and he's fine with being retired," Stephenie said. "He would like to get back in some capacity with baseball, but he likes being home, he likes helping with the kids, he likes being a stay-at-home dad. So when these opportunities came up, he was like, 'you have to."

Kyle last appeared in a Major League game in 2017, as a member of the Boston Red Sox. He made two spot starts in May of that season, in place of an injured Steven Wright, after pitching for the Los Angeles Angels' Triple-A team in Salt Lake City for all of 2016.

Four years after Kyle threw his last big league pitch, Stephenie made a quick trip to Costa Rica to compete on Snake in the Grass in December 2021. A few months later, she received a call to appear on The Traitors. This time, she would need to be gone for at least three weeks.

Stephenie initially declined. The show would require her to board a flight to Scotland on the same day of her son's first Holy Communion, an important milestone she would never miss. After talking with both Kyle and her son, Kyle Jr., she had a change of heart and accepted the invitation. She was able to get on a flight to Scotland hours after celebrating the momentous occasion, with filming beginning the very next day.

"I told her she would be great on the new show and it would be fun for us as a family to watch together," Kyle said. "I knew how proud the kids would be to watch their mom on TV. It was a no-brainer for her to go."

With his wife gone, Kyle took care of the kids, just as Stephenie did when the pitcher would travel for an away series. Now, it was Kyle's turn to be the supportive spouse.

"I love spending time with my kids, so I was looking forward to it just being the kids and I," Kyle said. "It’s a lot more relaxed when I’m in charge, but we had a great time, and had lots of Uber Eats meals."

Stephenie returned home from Scotland in May, and did not tell her family how she performed on the new series. She kept the show's outcome a secret for over seven months, and her family binged the 10-episode series in a matter of days after its January 11 release on Peacock.

In college, Stephenie was an all-conference lacrosse player and captain of the Monmouth University women's lacrosse team. Reality television has given her an outlet to channel that same competitive spirit that made her a Northeast Conference champion in 2001. That same spring, her team competed in the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship.

She later spent years at the ballpark as a proverbial cheerleader, watching her husband pitch. Now, Kyle gets a turn to nervously cheer on his wife as she competes.

"I do get a little nervous watching her because I want her to do well and I know how competitive she is," Kyle said.

The Traitors places 20 people in a castle in Scotland. The cast is made up of ten contestants that have appeared on reality television before, and ten rookies. Three of the 20 contestants are 'traitors'. The other 17 are 'faithfuls'. Each night, the traitors 'murder' one of the faithfuls, eliminating them from the game. The faithfuls must attempt to figure out who the traitors are. Before a competitor is murdered each night, the cast meets and votes to banish someone from the castle. The faithfuls try to oust the traitors, while the traitors do their best not to blow their cover. Meanwhile, the traitors and faithfuls compete in a series of challenges in order to boost the prize pot.

In her return to her first multi-episode competition series, Stephenie greatly impressed, reaching the program's penultimate episode before she was eliminated with just seven contestants remaining.

Stephenie formed a close alliance with Big Brother winner Rachel Reilly Villegas and longtime friend and four-time Survivor contestant Cirie Fields. The three vowed to protect each other at all costs. However, Cirie happened to be a traitor.

Stephenie and Rachel correctly pinpointed the identity of one of the show's three traitors early in the season, leading to that cast member's banishment. Cirie appeared to be fearful of the threat that Rachel and Stephenie posed to her game, as both were onto the traitors. In the show's eighth episode, Cirie turned on Rachel to vote her out and banish her from the castle. Minutes into the next episode, Cirie and her fellow traitors whacked Stephenie, making Stephenie the final contestant 'murdered' of the season. The move helped Cirie become the sole winner of The Traitors, and collect the $250,000 prize.

"When she got murdered, I was pissed," Kyle said with a laugh. "Knowing she was right on most of the traitors and nobody listened to her was upsetting, but that’s the game. I thought Steph played a great game, kept her mouth quiet at the right time but spoke up when she needed to. I'm very proud of how she did, and the kids and I enjoyed watching her."

After five tries, Stephenie remains winless on reality television, but Kyle is optimistic that his wife will break through and pick up a victory soon.

"Hopefully she can get invited to do more shows," Kyle said. "It would be fun for the family to watch, and I know she enjoys doing them, knowing the kids are taken care of at home."

Kyle is now embracing his role as supportive spouse, while he takes care of the kids and cheers his wife on. He hopes Stephenie will compete on another show soon, and Stephenie hasn't ruled out the possibility.

"Even right now, he's like, 'What are you going to do next?" Stephenie said. "I'm like, 'I don't know.' I'm not just going to do any reality show that comes my way. It has to be the right fit. It has to be an adventure. It has to be something competitive. We'll see what's next. I don't know."

Stephenie recently visited the Jack Vita Show to discuss her time competing on The Traitors.

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