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Joe Kennedy (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Joseph Darley Kennedy was an American
Major League Baseball
left-handed
pitcher
. He pitched from 2001-2007 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
, Colorado Rockies
, Oakland Athletics
, Arizona Diamondbacks
, and the Toronto Blue Jays
.
and graduated from El Cajon Valley High School in El Cajon, California
. He played baseball as well as basketball
, volleyball
and football
. After high school he attended Grossmont Community College
. From there he entered the major league draft.
in the eighth round (252nd overall) of the Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut on June 6, with the Devil Rays.
During three seasons Kennedy pitched 72 consecutive starts before being relegated to the bullpen
after suffering an arm injury in . Traded to the Colorado Rockies
before the season, Kennedy became the first Rockies starter to have a sub 4.00 earned run average
, setting a franchise record with a 3.66 ERA.
From 2001–04, Kennedy posted a 27-38 record with 381 strikeout
s and a 4.63 ERA in 610.1 innings pitched
.
In 2005, Kennedy struggled as a starter for the Rockies, going 4-8 with a 7.04 ERA. On July 13 of that year, Kennedy, along with pitcher Jay Witasick
, was traded by the Rockies to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder
Eric Byrnes
and minor league
infield prospect Omar Quintanilla
. Kennedy pitched in the bullpen for Oakland before being pressed into the starter role in September when Rich Harden
was injured. Kennedy went 1-5 as a starter for Oakland, and finished the year with a 4-5 record and a 4.70 ERA in the American League
.
Kennedy pitched well in a middle relief role in Oakland's bullpen in 2006, with a record of 4-1 and a 2.31 ERA. Unfortunately, his role was diminished as he missed three months with shoulder and biceps injuries.
Despite struggling in spring training with an ERA above 11.00, Kennedy was named the fifth starter for the Athletics at the start of the season. Through June 2 he compiled a 1-4 record with a 3.3 ERA in 62 2/3 innings. Kennedy was claimed by the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 4 after being placed on waivers by the Athletics. He was designated for assignment
on August 15 and later released by the Diamondbacks. He signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 28 and was called up to the major league team on September 2. He pitched in nine games, all in relief, for the Blue Jays in the final month of the season and went 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA. He became a free agent after the season.
to be the best man at the wedding of a friend. He woke up in the middle of the night and collapsed at the home of his in-laws. He was taken to Brandon Hospital in Brandon
, where he was pronounced dead. At the time of Kennedy's death, he was married to Jami Kennedy, who was pregnant with their second child (the couple's first son was one year old at the time.) On January 15, 2008, it was announced by the medical examiner that Kennedy had died of hypertensive heart disease
with degeneration of the mitral valve
.
After Kennedy's death, Frank Thomas kept Kennedy's glove in his locker wherever he played until he retired.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. He pitched from 2001-2007 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, and the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
Early life
Kennedy was born in La Mesa, CaliforniaLa Mesa, California
La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....
and graduated from El Cajon Valley High School in El Cajon, California
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
. He played baseball as well as basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. After high school he attended Grossmont Community College
Grossmont College
Grossmont College is a community college located in El Cajon, California, in the county of San Diego. The campus sits in the Fletcher Hills community of El Cajon and is bordered by the cities of San Diego and Santee. Grossmont College is one of the two colleges that make up the Grossmont-Cuyamaca...
. From there he entered the major league draft.
Professional career
Kennedy was drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil RaysTampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the eighth round (252nd overall) of the Major League Baseball draft. He made his major league debut on June 6, with the Devil Rays.
During three seasons Kennedy pitched 72 consecutive starts before being relegated to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
after suffering an arm injury in . Traded to the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
before the season, Kennedy became the first Rockies starter to have a sub 4.00 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, setting a franchise record with a 3.66 ERA.
From 2001–04, Kennedy posted a 27-38 record with 381 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 4.63 ERA in 610.1 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
In 2005, Kennedy struggled as a starter for the Rockies, going 4-8 with a 7.04 ERA. On July 13 of that year, Kennedy, along with pitcher Jay Witasick
Jay Witasick
Gerald Alphonse "Jay" Witasick, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his major league debut on July 7, as a member of the A's versus the California Angels...
, was traded by the Rockies to the Oakland Athletics for outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Eric Byrnes
Eric Byrnes
Eric James Byrnes , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He has played for the Oakland Athletics, the Colorado Rockies, the Baltimore Orioles, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Seattle Mariners...
and minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
infield prospect Omar Quintanilla
Omar Quintanilla
Omar Quintanilla is an American professional baseball infielder who is a free agent.-Early life:He attended Socorro High School in El Paso, Texas, where he led the city of El Paso in home runs, RBI, and was elected to the Texas All-State shortstop...
. Kennedy pitched in the bullpen for Oakland before being pressed into the starter role in September when Rich Harden
Rich Harden
James Richard Harden is a Canadian professional baseball pitcher.-Early years:Harden attended Claremont Secondary School in Victoria, British Columbia. He was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in the 38th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft...
was injured. Kennedy went 1-5 as a starter for Oakland, and finished the year with a 4-5 record and a 4.70 ERA in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
.
Kennedy pitched well in a middle relief role in Oakland's bullpen in 2006, with a record of 4-1 and a 2.31 ERA. Unfortunately, his role was diminished as he missed three months with shoulder and biceps injuries.
Despite struggling in spring training with an ERA above 11.00, Kennedy was named the fifth starter for the Athletics at the start of the season. Through June 2 he compiled a 1-4 record with a 3.3 ERA in 62 2/3 innings. Kennedy was claimed by the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 4 after being placed on waivers by the Athletics. He was designated for assignment
Designated for assignment
Designated for assignment is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball. When a player is designated for assignment, he is immediately removed from the club's 40-man roster. This gives the club 10 days to decide what to do with the player while freeing up a roster spot for another...
on August 15 and later released by the Diamondbacks. He signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 28 and was called up to the major league team on September 2. He pitched in nine games, all in relief, for the Blue Jays in the final month of the season and went 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA. He became a free agent after the season.
Scouting
Kennedy had a bevy of pitches at his disposal, featuring a low-90s four-seam fastball, an 88–90 MPH two-seam fastball, a slow curve, a diving slider and, possibly his second-best pitch after his fastball, a deceptive changeup. His powerful delivery was at the 3/4-sidearm slot, which made his pitches particularly hard for left-handed batters to pick up. He was also very effective against right-handed batters. After struggling a little as a spot-starter for the Athletics, he pitched well in the bullpen in 2006, holding his opponents to a .254 batting average and going 4-1 with a 2.31 ERA.Death
On November 23, 2007, Kennedy was in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
to be the best man at the wedding of a friend. He woke up in the middle of the night and collapsed at the home of his in-laws. He was taken to Brandon Hospital in Brandon
Brandon, Florida
Brandon is a census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 103,483.-Founding:...
, where he was pronounced dead. At the time of Kennedy's death, he was married to Jami Kennedy, who was pregnant with their second child (the couple's first son was one year old at the time.) On January 15, 2008, it was announced by the medical examiner that Kennedy had died of hypertensive heart disease
Hypertensive heart disease
Hypertensive heart disease is any of a number of complications of arterial hypertension that affects the heart.-Symptoms:* Fatigue* Cardiomegaly* Irregular pulse* Swelling of feet* Weight gain* Nausea* Shortness of breath...
with degeneration of the mitral valve
Mitral valve
The mitral valve is a dual-flap valve in the heart that lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle...
.
After Kennedy's death, Frank Thomas kept Kennedy's glove in his locker wherever he played until he retired.