Our condolences go out to Joe Kennedy’s family for their loss.
Kennedy, 28, came up with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2001 and in his first two years, looked to be a promising young starter for them. The wheels fell off in 2003, however, and he went to Colorado, where he was the Rockies’ best pitcher, going 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA in 27 starts.
After starting off poorly in 2005 for the Rockies, the Athletics acquired him and was a swingman out of the bullpen. He remained with the Athletics for close to two years then was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks (the Athletics were in rebuild mode and wanted to save Kennedy’s arbitration money). He pitched 2.2 IP for them before being released, and the Blue Jays signed him where he finished the season out of his bullpen.
His final numbers are: 43-61 record, 908.2 IP, 222 games, 139 starts, 4.79 ERA.
Kennedy’s cause of death is currently not known, reported ESPN.com.
I always liked Kennedy, especially when he was coming up with the Devil Rays. He was a young, rising starting pitcher who seemed to hold a lot of promise. At only age 28, he had years left in the game, and it’s a shame he won’t be able to realize those years. Baseball’s loss, however, is nothing compared with the loss his wife and one-year old son is experiencing.
Rest in peace, Joe.
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