Joe Kennedy (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Kennedy |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: May 24, 1979 La Mesa, California, U.S. |
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| Died: November 23, 2007 (aged 28) Brandon, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| June 6, 2001, for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 2007, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 43–61 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.79 | ||
| Strikeouts | 558 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Joseph Darley Kennedy (born May 24, 1979 – died November 23, 2007) was an American Major League Baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher. Joe played in the MLB from 2001 to 2007. He played for five different teams during his career. These teams included the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Joe Kennedy was born in La Mesa, California. His parents were John and Holly Kennedy. He had an older brother, John Jr., and a younger sister, Bettianne.
Joe started playing Little League baseball in El Cajon, California. In 1991, his El Cajon American Little League team won the Southern California championship. They later lost in the first round of the West Region Tournament.
He went to El Cajon Valley High School. There, he played baseball, basketball, volleyball, and football. After high school, he attended Grossmont College. Then, he entered the Major League Baseball draft.
His Baseball Career
Joe Kennedy was chosen by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. This happened in the eighth round of the 1998 Major League Baseball draft. He made his first appearance in the major leagues on June 6, 2001.
Playing for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Joe Kennedy's first MLB game was on June 6, 2001. He was the first left-handed pitcher to start a game for the Devil Rays in a long time. In his first season, he won 7 games and lost 8 in 20 starts.
In his second year, he started 30 games. He won 8 games and lost 11. He also pitched 5 complete games, meaning he pitched the entire game himself.
In 2003, he was chosen to be the Opening Day starter. This was a big honor. He started 22 games in a row. Then, he hurt his arm and moved to the bullpen. The bullpen is where relief pitchers wait to play. Before his injury, he had started 72 games in a row for the Devil Rays.
He got his first career save on September 10, 2003. This happened against the Blue Jays. He pitched three innings without letting the other team score.
Time with the Colorado Rockies
Before the 2004 season, Joe was traded to the Colorado Rockies. He became the first Rockies starting pitcher to have an earned run average (ERA) below 4.00. His ERA was 3.66, which was a team record. He won 9 games and lost 7 for the Rockies that year.
In 2005, Joe had a tougher time as a starter for the Rockies. He won 4 games and lost 8. His ERA was 7.04, which was higher than before.
Joining the Oakland Athletics
On June 5, 2005, the Oakland Athletics showed interest in Joe. On July 13, he was traded to the Athletics. Another pitcher, Jay Witasick, also went to Oakland. In return, the Rockies received outfielder Eric Byrnes and a minor league player.
Joe first pitched in the bullpen for Oakland. But he became a starter in September when another player was injured. He won 1 game and lost 5 as a starter for Oakland. He finished the year with a 4–5 record and a 4.70 ERA in the American League.
In 2006, Joe pitched well in a middle relief role for Oakland. He had a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. His ERA was very good at 2.31. However, he missed three months of the season. This was due to shoulder and biceps injuries.
Even though he struggled in spring training 2007, Joe was named the fifth starter for the Athletics. By June 2, he had a 1–4 record with a 3.30 ERA. After that, he struggled and was placed on waivers. This means other teams could claim him.
Short Stays with Arizona and Toronto
The Arizona Diamondbacks claimed Joe on August 4, 2007. But he was released by them on August 15. This happened after he allowed 7 runs in just 3 games.
He then signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 28. He was called up to the major league team on September 2. He pitched in nine games for the Blue Jays. All of these were in relief. He won 1 game and lost 0 with a 5.14 ERA. After the season, he became a free agent. This meant he could sign with any team.
His Pitching Style
Joe Kennedy had many different pitches he could throw. His main pitch was a fast four-seam fastball. It could reach speeds of 92-96 miles per hour. He also had a two-seam fastball that was a bit slower.
He also threw a slow curveball and a diving slider. Perhaps his second-best pitch was a tricky changeup. He threw the ball from a 3/4-sidearm angle. This made his pitches especially hard for left-handed batters to hit. He was also very good at getting right-handed batters out.
In 2006, he pitched well in the bullpen for Oakland. He held opposing batters to a low batting average of .254. He had a record of 4 wins and 1 loss with a 2.31 ERA.
His Passing
On November 23, 2007, Joe Kennedy was in Florida. He was there to be the best man at a friend's wedding. He woke up during the night and collapsed. He was taken to a hospital in Brandon. Sadly, he passed away there.
At the time, Joe was married to Jami Kennedy. They had a one-year-old son, and Jami was expecting their second child. On January 15, 2008, doctors announced that Joe had passed away due to a heart condition. This condition involved his mitral valve.
After Joe's passing, his former teammate Frank Thomas kept Joe's glove. Frank kept it in his locker wherever he played. He did this until he retired from baseball in 2010.
See also
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
