Baseball Notebook | Pitcher Kennedy dies
TAMPA, Fla. - Joe Kennedy, a journeyman left-hander who pitched for three major-league teams last season, died at his in-laws’ home Friday. He was 28.
After going to bed early, Kennedy woke up at about 1:15 a.m. Friday and collapsed as he was leaving a bedroom at the home of his wife’s parents, Hillsborough County sheriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue took Kennedy to Brandon Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, she said.
“We were terribly shocked,” Blue Jays President Paul Godfrey told The Associated Press. “From what we understand, he was in Brandon … to be the best man at a wedding today.”
Godfrey didn’t have particulars on the cause of death.
“Obviously, when a 28-year-old man dies, ballplayer or not, it’s a terrible, terrible thing,” he said.
Kennedy, listed at 6 feet 4 and 252 pounds, spent seven years in the majors, playing last season with Oakland, Arizona and Toronto. He also spent time with Tampa Bay and Colorado and had a 43-61 career record with a 4.79 earned-run average in 222 appearances.
“He was such a focused kid from the time we took him in the draft,” said Florida Marlins executive Dan Jennings, who was the scouting director for Tampa Bay when the Rays selected Kennedy in the 1998 draft. “He was on a mission to become a major-league pitcher.”
Kennedy made his major-league debut in June 2001.
“You think all athletes and all young people are invincible,” Jennings said. “Then when you see something like this, it’s very tragic.”
Craig Weissmann, the Tampa Bay scout who signed Kennedy, described him as a fierce, determined competitor.
“He really dedicated himself and was really on a mission to become a major-league pitcher,” Weissmann said. “You wish, as a scout and a major-league organization, you wish every kid could develop that fast.”
Godfrey said Toronto was interested in bringing Kennedy back.
“We had every intention to speak to him,” he said. “We had him on our list to talk to.”
Colorado first baseman Todd Helton, one of Kennedy’s closest friends, told The Denver Post: “It’s a sad day and a sad situation. He’s leaving a wife and a little boy behind.”
Note
• Free-agent closer Francisco Cordero, 32, reportedly has reached a preliminary agreement on a four-year, $46 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds.
The deal, which includes a club option for a fifth year, is subject to Cordero passing a physical exam, ESPN.com reported.
Cordero was second in the National League with 44 saves last season for Milwaukee and made the NL All-Star team.