John Kennedy

From SoSH

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Kennedy's Moments in the Sun 3 Transactions 4 External Links

Overall Career

John Edward Kennedy (born May 29, 1941 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former infielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Washington Senators, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Seattle Pilots, Milwaukee Brewers, and Boston Red Sox.

Kennedy had just one full season in the major leagues, in 1964, when he played in 148 games for Senators manager Gil Hodges, batting .230 with seven home runs and 35 runs batted in. He would never again get as many as 300 at-bats in a season and was never more than a middling hitter, but after he and Claude Osteen were traded to Los Angeles before the 1965 season, he proved his value as a utility infielder. Kennedy appeared in Sandy Koufax's perfect game as a late-inning replacement for Dodgers third baseman Jim Gilliam.

After playing briefly with the Yankees and with the Pilots (remaining with them for part of their first season as the Brewers), Kennedy was sent to Boston, where he became known as "Super Sub." He retired after the 1974 season.

Since retiring, Kennedy has managed, scouted, and coached in the minor leagues, and spent a few years managing the independent North Shore Spirit in Lynn, Massachusetts. Kennedy expresses no regrets about his role in the majors, saying, "It was great fun. I got to play with Hall of Fame guys like Mickey Mantle, Yastrzemski, Drysdale, and Koufax."

Kennedy's Moments in the Sun

• Kennedy was the ninth player in major league history to hit a home run in his first at-bat. His home run broke up Dick Stigman's no-hitter. The Senators eventually lost the game anyway, but by a 9-7 margin instead of the 5-0 margin in place when he came to bat.
• Kennedy's first at-bat with the Red Sox came on July 15, 1970 at Fenway Park. He hit an inside-the-park home run to start a three-run rally. The Red Sox won the game 8-4.

Transactions

• Before 1961 Season: Signed by the Washington Senators as an amateur free agent.
• December 4, 1964: Traded by the Washington Senators with Claude Osteen and $100,000 to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a player to be named later, Frank Howard, Phil Ortega, Pete Richert, and Ken McMullen. The Los Angeles Dodgers sent Dick Nen (December 15, 1964) to the Washington Senators to complete the trade.
• April 3, 1967: Traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the New York Yankees for Jack Cullen, John Miller, and $25,000.
• November 13, 1968: Purchased by the Seattle Pilots from the New York Yankees.
• June 26, 1970: Purchased by the Boston Red Sox from the Milwaukee Brewers.
• October 24, 1974: Released by the Boston Red Sox.

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
• Where Are They Now: John Kennedy by Joan Geary at BaseballSavvy.com