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Ian Kennedy

January 01, 1970

For other people named Ian Kennedy, see Ian Kennedy (disambiguation).

Ian Patrick Kennedy[1] (born December 19, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Between 2007 and 2023, he played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

Ian Kennedy
Kennedy with the Kansas City Royals in 2016
Pitcher
Born: (1984-12-19) December 19, 1984 (age 39)
Huntington Beach, California, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 1, 2007, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
September 15, 2023, for the Texas Rangers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record104–114
Earned run average4.16
Strikeouts1,775
Saves66
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals

A standout pitcher at La Quinta High School in California, Kennedy played three seasons of college baseball for the USC Trojans. The Yankees selected him 21st overall in the 2006 MLB Draft and he quickly rose through the team's farm system, making his major league debut the next year. The Yankees traded Kennedy to the Diamondbacks after the 2009 season, and he became Arizona's ace, leading the National League in wins during the 2011 season.

The Royals moved Kennedy to the bullpen in 2019 after a series of injuries, and he found a new role as the team's closer, and he continued to work as a relief pitcher for the remainder of his career.

Early life edit

Kennedy was born on December 19, 1984, in Huntington Beach, California.[1] From a young age, he was known for his natural pitching talent, particularly in finding his target with a fastball.[2] Kennedy began gaining a reputation as a power pitcher when he was a freshman at La Quinta High School in Westminster, California, pitching a five-inning perfect game. As a sophomore, he posted a 10–2 win–loss record with a 1.33 earned run average (ERA).[3] As a junior, he boasted a 0.38 ERA and recorded 168 strikeouts in 90+1⁄3 innings pitched, with a fastball speed hovering between 88 and 92 mph (142 and 148 km/h). As a batter, Kennedy also recorded seven home runs and 31 runs batted in (RBIs) that year.[4] He missed most of his senior season with a fractured patella but managed to put up an 8–0 record and a 0.43 ERA in the games that he did play. Kennedy graduated high school in 2003 with a 39–2 record.[5]

Between his junior and senior year of high school, Kennedy played internationally with the 2002 US Junior National Team, with whom he went 1–0 with a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings. Kennedy was tapped as the starting pitcher for the US team's bronze medal match at the 2002 World Junior Baseball Championship, where he took the win with only one earned run and 10 strikeouts in seven innings of work.[6]

College career edit

The St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB) drafted Kennedy in the 14th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft, but he chose not to sign with the team, instead honoring his commitment to play college baseball for the University of Southern California (USC). There, he followed Anthony Reyes as the team's pitching ace.[7] In 2004, he was the first freshman to make the top of the USC starting rotation since Randy Flores had done so in 1994. He pitched 92+2⁄3 innings, striking out 120 batters and posting a 7–2 record with a 2.91 ERA. At the end of the year, Kennedy was named to the Baseball America Freshman All-America Team.[8] That summer, he helped take the US College National Team to a gold medal at the World University Baseball Championship, putting up a 3–1 record with a 3.81 ERA and leading the team with 40 strikeouts. Kennedy was credited with the win in the championship match against Japan, where he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning.[9]

USC baseball coach Mike Gillespie opened the 2005 season with the intention of using Kennedy up to three times a week, pitching on Fridays, Sundays, and Tuesdays to limit the damage of the school's dearth of starting pitchers. Pitching coach Dave Lawn, meanwhile, focused on improving Kennedy's command and stamina, which would allow him to pitch deeper into each game.[10] His sophomore year turned into a breakout season for Kennedy, who went 12–2 with a 2.54 ERA, earned consensus All-American honors, and helped lead the Trojans through the first round of the 2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament.[11] Ultimately, however, the Trojans fell to Oregon State at the Corvallis Super Regional and were eliminated from the tournament.[12] Kennedy, meanwhile, was named the Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year after striking out 95 batters in his first 67+1⁄3 innings.[13]

Going into the 2006 college baseball season, USC lost many staples of its rotation to the MLB draft, including catcher Jeff Clement and third baseman Billy Hart, and Kennedy was called upon to be a leader for the younger members of the team.[14] That February, he came within one out of a no-hitter against Kansas before senior Ritchie Price recorded a hit in the ninth inning.[15] Ultimately, Kennedy could not repeat the success of the previous season, slumping to a 5–7 record with a 3.90 ERA in 2006.[16] Kennedy finished his college baseball career with a 24–12 record and a 3.09 ERA. He came in third at the time for all-time USC strikeouts with 380, and was second in strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) with 10.99.[17]

Professional career edit

Minor leagues edit

The New York Yankees selected Kennedy in the first round, 21st overall, of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 39th player in USC history to become a first-round MLB draft selection.[18] He signed with the team in mid-August for a $2.25 million signing bonus, roughly $750,000 more than expected for a 21st overall draft selection, and was assigned to the Class A Short-Season Staten Island Yankees of the New York–Penn League.[19] Kennedy made his professional baseball debut on September 6, 2006, pitching 2+2⁄3 innings against the Tri-City ValleyCats.[20] After playing one game for Staten Island, Kennedy spent the winter with the West Oahu CaneFires of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league. In nine games there, including seven starts, he posted a 0–2 record and a 4.45 ERA, striking out 45 batters in 30+1⁄3 innings.[21]

Following his brief Staten Island outing, Kennedy was assigned to the Class A Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League to begin the 2007 season.[22] In 10 Class A starts, Kennedy posted a 6–1 record with a 1.29 ERA, striking out 72 batters in 63 innings and holding his opponents to a .183 batting average. He received a promotion to the Double-A Trenton Thunder at the start of June and won his Double-A debut against the Binghamton Mets on June 6, 2007.[23] On July 24, Kennedy and his rotation mate Joba Chamberlain were both promoted from Trenton to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. At the time of his promotion, Kennedy led the Yankees' farm system with 129 strikeouts and was tied for first with 11 wins.[24] He made only six starts with Scranton, going 1–1 with a 2.08 ERA and striking out 34 batters in 34+2⁄3 innings. Altogether, Kennedy posted a 12–3 minor league record in 2007, with a 1.91 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 25 starts and 146+1⁄3 innings.[21]

New York Yankees (2007–2009) edit

After Mike Mussina lost three starts in a row for the Yankees, recording a 17.69 ERA in the process, Kennedy was called up to take his spot in the rotation at the end of August, becoming the second Yankee that season to climb from Class A to major league ball.[25] He made his major league debut on September 1, 2007, allowing only one earned run in seven innings of an eventual 9–6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[26] After going 1–0 with a 1.89 ERA in his first three major league starts, Kennedy had to be scratched from a scheduled September 22 game against the Toronto Blue Jays because he strained a muscle in his upper back.[27] The injury forced Kennedy to miss the remainder of the season.[1]

 
Kennedy with the Yankees in 2008

Rather than acquiring a veteran free agent starting pitcher during the 2007–08 offseason, the Yankees chose to entrust their starting rotation to a trio of young pitchers: Kennedy, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes.[28] The plan did not work as expected: Kennedy went 0–2 with an 8.37 ERA in his first six games and was optioned to Triple-A on May 4, with Darrell Rasner taking his place at the back of the rotation.[29] After finding success in the International League, including a four-game stretch with a 1.33 ERA, Kennedy was called back up to the Yankees for an emergency start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 8. He allowed nine hits and five runs and was pulled out of the game in the third inning. Kennedy's major league record for the season fell to 0–4 while his ERA rose to 8.17.[30] It would be his last major league start in the Yankees organization.[31]

Kennedy opened the 2009 season in Triple-A but began feeling numbness in his pitching hand that April. On May 8, he was diagnosed with an aneurysm around his biceps and underwent surgery the following week.[32] He began facing live batters again at the start of September,[33] and from there, Kennedy pitched in six minor-league games, including two starts, for a total of 27+2⁄3 innings. He returned to the major leagues on September 20, with manager Joe Girardi intending to utilize Kennedy as a long reliever.[34] Kennedy made his first Yankees appearance in over a year on September 23, walking two batters and hitting another with a pitch during the eighth inning of an eventual 3–2 win over the Angels.[35] Kennedy was subsequently left off of the postseason roster on the Yankees' run to a 2009 World Series championship title.[20] After the season ended, he joined the Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League to make up for the mostly-lost season. Experimenting with developing off-speed pitches, Kennedy had a 4.25 ERA during his fall league stint, putting up a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.6 in his 29+2⁄3 innings.[36]

Arizona Diamondbacks (2010–2013) edit

On December 8, 2009, Kennedy was part of a three-team, seven-player trade with the Yankees, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Detroit Tigers. Kennedy, Phil Coke, and prospect Austin Jackson went from New York to Detroit in exchange for All-Star center fielder Curtis Granderson, with Kennedy then flipped to Arizona alongside Edwin Jackson so that the Tigers could acquire Diamondbacks pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth.[37] The Diamondbacks started showing interest in Kennedy when he pitched for the Arizona Fall League,[38] and he earned a position in the Arizona starting rotation by the end of March 2010.[39] The Diamondbacks' player development staff agreed at the start of the season to limit Kennedy's workload to a total of 180 innings, an amount that would help the pitcher extend his durability without pushing him into additional injuries.[40] Kennedy picked up his first win in over two years on April 29, pitching eight innings in the Diamondbacks' 13–5 rout of the Chicago Cubs. Kennedy was able to take a one-run game into the eighth inning before giving up a grand slam to Kosuke Fukudome, and Daniel Stange was called in to pitch a perfect ninth inning for his own MLB debut.[41] On August 26, Kennedy struck out a career-high 12 batters in an 11–5 victory over the San Diego Padres. He cited Arizona's early lead, in which they picked up nine runs in the first 3+1⁄3 innings, with helping him relax enough to maintain his command.[42] Kennedy finished his first full major league season with a 9–10 record and a 3.80 ERA in 32 starts, as well as 168 strikeouts in 194 innings. He also walked 70 batters and led MLB with 16 wild pitches.[43]

 
Kennedy with the Diamondbacks in 2011

Arizona manager Kirk Gibson tapped Kennedy to serve as the Diamondbacks' opening day starter for the 2011 season, after he went 0–0 with a 7.88 ERA during spring training.[44] Kennedy took two innings to settle into his rhythm, allowing three earned runs in six innings of the eventual 7–6 loss to the Colorado Rockies.[45] After a brief trip to New York to be with his wife and their newborn child, Kennedy pitched his first major league complete game on April 25, outdueling ace Cliff Lee in a 4–0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies.[46] He continued to perform well through the summer, building a seven-game winning streak as well as 22 straight starts in which he threw at least 100 pitches. Both of those streaks were broken on August 19, when Kennedy allowed three runs and five hits to the Phillies in three innings.[47] With an eight-inning outing in the 1–0 defeat of the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 19, Kennedy became the first National League pitcher that season to reach 20 wins.[48] Kennedy finished the season with 21 wins, tying Cy Young honoree Clayton Kershaw as the NL win leader.[49] He also ranked among the leaders in the NL with 198 strikeouts, a 2.88 ERA, and 222 innings pitched. Additionally, at no point during the 2011 season did Kennedy lose two or more consecutive starts.[50] Kennedy finished fourth in voting for the 2011 NL Cy Young Award, behind Kershaw, Roy Halladay, and Cliff Lee.[51]

The Diamondbacks' banner season echoed Kennedy's: after finishing last in the NL West during the 2010 season, Arizona clinched the NL West title with a 3–1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on September 23.[52] Kennedy was called upon to start Game 1 of the 2011 National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching opposite Yovani Gallardo. He was unable to carry his regular season success into the playoffs, giving up four earned runs in 6+2⁄3 innings and taking the loss in the 4–1 defeat.[53] Kennedy faced Gallardo again in game 5, with neither pitcher taking the decision. While John Axford's first blown save for the Brewers took the game into extra innings, the Diamondbacks were eliminated on a walk-off RBI from Nyjer Morgan.[54]

Kennedy picked up his first opening day win in 2012, outpitching Giants ace Tim Lincecum in a 5–4 victory.[55] He struggled early in the season, with a 3–5 record and 4.65 ERA by the start of June, but felt "like [he] got in a nice little groove" against the Giants on June 1, allowing only one run in 7+1⁄3 innings.[56] In his next start, after making a "secret" mechanical change to his pitches, Kennedy matched his career high 12 strikeouts in a 10–0 shutout of the Colorado Rockies.[57] That July, he lasted eight innings in two consecutive starts, giving up three runs across the 16 total innings. In the second start, Kennedy also hit his first career triple, clearing the bases in a 6–3 defeat of the Rockies.[58] While his record and ERA dropped to 14–11 and 4.14 during the 2012 season, respectively, Kennedy boasted an 8.0 K/9 ratio for the second year in a row, and maintained a 2.0 Wins Above Replacement for the year.[59]

 
Kennedy with the Diamondbacks in 2013

Kennedy once again served as Arizona's opening pitcher for the 2013 season, striking out eight batters and allowing two runs in seven innings of a 6–2 defeat of the St. Louis Cardinals.[60] On June 11, while facing the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers, Kennedy accidentally glanced a fastball off of Yasiel Puig's face in the sixth inning. In the next inning, Dodgers starter Zack Greinke retaliated by striking catcher Miguel Montero in the back. In the bottom half of that inning, Kennedy struck Greinke in the helmet with a pitch, leading to a benches-clearing brawl between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, with six players and coaches ejected from the game.[61] Kennedy was suspended for 10 games for what MLB referred to as "intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Zack Greinke ... after a warning had already been issued to both clubs".[62] At the time of his suspension, Kennedy was 3–4 with a 5.21 ERA.[63] He returned on June 29, where control problems led to four runs in 4+1⁄3 innings and Arizona extended its losing streak to 21 games.[64]

San Diego Padres (2013–2015) edit

On July 31, 2013, the Diamondbacks traded Kennedy to the San Diego Padres in exchange for relief pitcher Joe Thatcher, relief prospect Matt Stites, and a compensatory pick in the upcoming draft. Padres general manager Josh Byrnes was also the Diamondbacks' general manager when they had acquired Kennedy prior, and he referred to the pitcher as "the first guy I have ever traded for twice".[65] The Padres immediately added Kennedy to their starting rotation, where he joined Andrew Cashner, Tyson Ross, Eric Stults, and Edinson Volquez.[66] After being traded, Kennedy struggled on the road, going 0–2 in his first four away starts with a 6.95 ERA. In his worst outing of the season, Kennedy allowed six runs on eight hits in 3+2⁄3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.[67] He posted a 4–2 record and a 4.24 ERA in 10 games with San Diego that season, striking out 55 batters in 57+1⁄3 innings.[43]

Going into the 2014 season, Padres manager Bud Black placed Kennedy in the second spot of the starting rotation, between opening day starter Andrew Cashner and No. 3 Tyson Ross.[68] On May 9, while facing the Miami Marlins, Kennedy not only tied his career-high 12 strikeouts as a pitcher, but he hit the first home run of his career, a solo shot against Miami starting pitcher Jacob Turner in the sixth inning.[69] Over the course of the season, Kennedy saw noticeable improvement in his ERA, walks plus hits per innings pitched (WHIP), and strikeout-to-walk ratio over the previous season, which he credited to Black and pitching coach Darren Balsley, the latter of whom taught Kennedy to strengthen his leg kick when pitching to improve his command.[70] Balsley's advice helped Kennedy add an extra mile per hour of velocity to Kennedy's fastball, which now reached speeds of 95 mph (153 km/h) and helped him strike out an average of 9.27 batters per nine innings.[71] On September 27, while facing the San Francisco Giants for his 33rd and final start of the season, Kennedy passed his 200th inning pitched of the season for the third time in his career, and struck out his 200th batter of the season for the first time. He finished the year with a 13–13 record and a 3.63 ERA.[72]

 
Kennedy with the Padres in 2015

While starting the Padres' 2015 home opener against the Giants, Kennedy had to be taken out of the game in the third inning with a left hamstring strain. He explained later that he had begun to feel pain in the area on the final pitch of the second inning, and that he had asked to be taken out to avoid injuring his arm by altering his pitching mechanics.[73] He returned on April 25 to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving up eight hits and eight runs in 4+1⁄3 innings while striking out only two batters.[74] The injury set Kennedy off-course at the start of the season, and by the end of May, he had a 7.15 ERA in eight starts. He recovered through the middle part of the season, striking out 93 batters in 16 starts between June and August while holding his opponents to a .229 batting average, but struggled again at the end of the year. In his final six starts of 2015, batters hit .297 against Kennedy, who had a 5.61 ERA in that span.[75] He finished the year with a 9–15 record and a 4.28 ERA but showed considerable improvement in his fastball velocity and in his K/9 ratio, the latter of which was 9.3 for the year.[76]

At the end of the season, the Padres tendered Kennedy a one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer under the anticipation that he would reject it in search of a multi-year contract elsewhere. Kennedy rejected the offer, becoming a free agent that winter.[76]

Kansas City Royals (2016–2020) edit

 
Kennedy with the Royals in 2016

On January 16, 2016, the Kansas City Royals signed Kennedy to a five-year, $70 million contract, with an opt-out clause built in prior to the 2018 season.[77] Kennedy was happy to join the team, which he described as "an easy environment", and particularly enjoyed the reunion with his Yankees pitching coach, Dave Eiland.[78] On the final day of spring training, Kennedy exited the mound shortly before the fourth inning with left hamstring tightness. Manager Ned Yost said that the removal was precautionary for a "slight" injury.[79] Kennedy later took the win in his Royals debut, striking out seven batters in 7+2⁄3 innings in a 7–0 shutout of the Minnesota Twins.[80] The Royals could not keep apace of their previous World Series-winning season, however, and on July 25, Kennedy managed to load the bases within six minutes of the first pitch of the game, putting the Royals in a 4–0 deficit out of the gate.[81] He followed this effort by allowing only three runs in four starts, but was not credited with a win between June 26 and August 15. The drought was ultimately broken when Kansas City defeated Detroit 3–1.[82] While Kennedy was mostly happy with his performance during the 2016 season, in which he went 11–11 with a 3.68 ERA and struck out 184 batters in 195+2⁄3 innings, he was disappointed that the Royals did not reach the postseason, and his 33 home runs allowed were "a lot more" than he had been "expecting or hoping for".[83]

At the start of the 2017 MLB season, Kennedy served as the Royals' No. 2 starter, behind former reliever Danny Duffy.[84] After going 0–3 with a 3.03 ERA in his first six starts, Kennedy suffered another hamstring injury on May 4, leaving the mound against the Chicago White Sox after 4+1⁄3 innings.[85] He returned on May 21, lasting only two innings while walking three batters and giving up a pair of home runs. Kennedy and manager Ned Yost both clarified that the pitcher felt physically fine, and that his command issues were mental.[86] Ultimately, however, the hamstring injury continued to bother Kennedy through the remainder of the season, particularly when he tried to utilize his changeup, historically Kennedy's most effective approach. His 5.38 ERA for the year was Kennedy's worst since 2008, and after returning at the end of May, his opponents boasted a .528 slugging percentage against him.[87] Despite struggling his way to a 5–13 record for the year, Kennedy chose not to opt out of the remainder of his Royals contract, saying that it "would be pretty stupid" to forego the final three years of the agreement.[88]

A number of injuries befell Kennedy during the 2018 season. On April 24, he was hit in the foot with a line drive off the bat of Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. Kennedy was able to finish pitching the inning but had to be removed from the game afterwards with a contusion. It was the first time in Kennedy's 274 major league starts that he had not recorded at least one strikeout.[89] Most of Kennedy's summer was taken up with a left oblique strain: he was originally put on the 10-day disabled list for the injury at the end of June, with a return date of July 10. During that attempted start, Kennedy lasted only three innings before a recurrence of the oblique strain forced him off the mound and back onto the disabled list.[90] Kennedy returned to the mound in full on September 9 to pitch six innings against the Minnesota Twins.[91] Injuries limited Kennedy to only 22 starts for the year, in which he went 3–9 with a 4.66 ERA and struck out 105 batters in 119+2⁄3 innings.[43]

The injuries that Kennedy had suffered in 2018 worried the Royals, who moved him into the bullpen to start the 2019 MLB season, believing that the decreased innings workload would help Kennedy stay healthy through the season.[92] Kennedy himself was hesitant to make the change, believing that he was capable of another year in the starting rotation, but he ultimately had a successful stint as the Royals' closer.[93] On July 28, Kennedy recorded his 20th save of the year, becoming the sixth pitcher since saves were recorded in 1969 to compile 20 wins and 20 saves in a single season.[94] For the period between May 30 and September 23, Kennedy led MLB with 28 saves, including 19 after the All-Star break, and he noticed a physical improvement to becoming a reliever, in contrast to feeling "like you get hit by a truck every fifth day" as a starting pitcher.[93] Kennedy posted a 3–2 record and a 3.41 ERA for the season, striking out 73 batters in 63+1⁄3 innings and successfully converting 30 saves in 34 opportunities.[43]

Upon learning that the 2020 MLB season would be shortened to 60 regular-season games as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Royals manager Mike Matheny decided not to assign any permanent roles like closer or setup man for his bullpen. Instead, he left the option open for dominant relievers like Kennedy to enter games in earlier innings if he believed that they were in a position to change the course of the game.[95] On August 15, Kennedy made his first starting appearance since 2018, pitching the first two innings of a bullpen game against the Minnesota Twins.[96] At the end of the month, he was placed on the injured list when he suffered a left calf strain in the ninth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox. Kennedy attempted to field a ground ball but began limping afterwards and had to be removed from the game.[97] The injury limited Kennedy to only 15 appearances during the truncated season,[98] during which he posted a 9.00 ERA and a 1.786 WHIP.[43]

Texas Rangers (2021) edit

On February 23, 2021, Kennedy signed a minor-league contract with the Texas Rangers, a deal which included an invitation to spring training. The Rangers were under new general management from Kennedy's former Royals teammate Chris Young.[99] When Texas released their opening day roster on April 1, Kennedy and fellow spring training invitee Matt Bush were both named to the 25-man roster.[100] The oldest member of the Rangers' bullpen by three years, Kennedy entered the season expecting to serve as the team's setup man, but a series of season-ending injuries to Bush, José Leclerc, and Jonathan Hernández forced the team to turn to Kennedy as their closer. By May, Kennedy had secured nine saves in nine attempts, giving the Rangers the most saves in the American League.[101] As the season progressed, the Rangers rarely held leads late into games, and they had less use for Kennedy as a closer. At the start of June, he had a brief stint on the injured list for a strained hamstring.[102] In his half-season with the Rangers, Kennedy posted a 2.51 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP in 32 appearances, while successfully converting 16 saves in 17 opportunities.[103]

Philadelphia Phillies (2021) edit

Kennedy was part of a trade deadline package deal on July 30, 2021, that sent him, starting pitcher Kyle Gibson, prospect Hans Crouse, and cash considerations to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitcher Spencer Howard and prospects Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner.[104] The Phillies, who had been struggling with both an unreliable bullpen and an injury-riddled starting rotation, acquired Kennedy hoping he would serve as a dependable closer. This allowed acting closer Ranger Suárez to join the rotation.[105]

Arizona Diamondbacks (second stint) edit

On March 16, 2022, Kennedy signed a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks.[106] Kennedy made 57 appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2022, struggling to a 4–7 record and 5.36 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 50.1 innings pitched. On November 8, the Diamondbacks declined their half of a $4 million mutual option and Kennedy entered free agency.[107]

Texas Rangers (second stint) edit

On January 27, 2023, Kennedy signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers organization.[108] On March 29, it was announced that Kennedy had made the Opening Day roster, and his contract was selected to the 40-man roster.[109] He made 11 appearances for the Rangers, registering a 7.20 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10.0 innings pitched. On May 11, Kennedy was designated for assignment.[110] He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A Round Rock Express on May 14.[111] However, Kennedy rejected the assignment and instead elected free agency.[112]

On June 20, 2023, Kennedy re–signed with the Rangers on a minor league contract.[113] After posting a 3.51 ERA in 22 games for Triple–A Round Rock, he was selected back to the major league roster on September 5.[114] On September 16, Kennedy was placed on the 60–day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain, ending his season.[115]

Retirement edit

Kennedy announced his retirement from professional baseball on November 2, 2023, shortly after winning the World Series with Texas. In 497 games across 17 MLB seasons, Kennedy finished his career with a 104–114 record and a 4.16 ERA.[116][117]

Pitching style edit

Kennedy's primary pitch as a starter has always been his four-seam fastball, but he started to gain traction as the Diamondbacks' ace when he learned to selectively incorporate off-speed pitches like a two-seam fastball and a cutter into his repertoire.[36] In 2018, his final year as a starting pitcher, Kennedy utilized five different pitches: a fastball with an average speed of 92 mph (148 km/h), a 78 mph (126 km/h) curveball, an 85 mph (137 km/h) changeup, an 88 mph (142 km/h) cutter, and an 87 mph (140 km/h) slider.[118] The mental care that Kennedy takes when deciding when and which off-speed pitch to throw has drawn comparisons to that of Mike Mussina and Greg Maddux, both of whom Kennedy observed when he was developing as a pitcher.[119] Kennedy is also one of several pitchers to utilize a unique changeup grip known as the Vulcan, in which the ball is gripped with a two-finger split reminiscent of the Vulcan salute in Star Trek.[120]

In the bullpen, Kennedy maintains a three-pitch repertoire centered around his fastball, with a changeup and a curveball acting as his off-speed pitches.[121] His average fastball velocity has steadily increased throughout his major league career, and has been at its highest during the 2021 season, where it carried an average velocity of 94.9 mph (152.7 km/h).[122] His off-speed pitches also became faster after Kennedy transitioned to the shorter innings workload required of a reliever: his curveball jumped an average of 3 mph (4.8 km/h) after moving to the bullpen in 2019, while his changeup simultaneously rose by 2.5 mph (4.0 km/h).[123]

Personal life edit

Kennedy married Allison Jaskowiak, then a member of the USC Trojans women's basketball team, on October 6, 2007, in Kirkwood, Missouri.[124] Many of his Yankees teammates had hoped to attend the wedding, but they wound up being in the midst of an 11-inning playoff game against the Cleveland Indians.[125] Kennedy and Jaskowiak have six children; four daughters and two sons.[1] One daughter was born July 31, 2015, two hours before Kennedy was scheduled to start a game against the Miami Marlins. He had planned to return to California when his wife went into labor, but ran into delays and watched the birth over FaceTime in Miami.[126]

While playing for the Padres, Kennedy and his family began inviting the children of United States Navy members to baseball games. After signing with the Royals, he expanded upon this trend: at every home Saturday game, Kennedy would invite members of various military branches to watch the game from a Dugout Suite, where they would receive free food and Royals merchandise.[127] Kennedy was a recipient of the 2019 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, presented to baseball players for their continued support of members of the United States military.[128]

References edit

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External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ian Kennedy.
  • Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet

January 01, 1970
kennedy, other, people, named, disambiguation, patrick, kennedy, born, december, 1984, american, former, professional, baseball, pitcher, between, 2007, 2023, played, seasons, major, league, baseball, york, yankees, arizona, diamondbacks, diego, padres, kansas. For other people named Ian Kennedy see Ian Kennedy disambiguation Ian Patrick Kennedy 1 born December 19 1984 is an American former professional baseball pitcher Between 2007 and 2023 he played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball MLB for the New York Yankees Arizona Diamondbacks San Diego Padres Kansas City Royals Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies Ian KennedyKennedy with the Kansas City Royals in 2016PitcherBorn 1984 12 19 December 19 1984 age 39 Huntington Beach California U S Batted RightThrew RightMLB debutSeptember 1 2007 for the New York YankeesLast MLB appearanceSeptember 15 2023 for the Texas RangersMLB statisticsWin loss record104 114Earned run average4 16Strikeouts1 775Saves66TeamsNew York Yankees 2007 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 2013 San Diego Padres 2013 2015 Kansas City Royals 2016 2020 Texas Rangers 2021 Philadelphia Phillies 2021 Arizona Diamondbacks 2022 Texas Rangers 2023 Career highlights and awardsNL wins leader 2011 Medals Men s baseball Representing United States World Junior Championship 2002 Sherbrooke World University Championship 2004 Tainan City A standout pitcher at La Quinta High School in California Kennedy played three seasons of college baseball for the USC Trojans The Yankees selected him 21st overall in the 2006 MLB Draft and he quickly rose through the team s farm system making his major league debut the next year The Yankees traded Kennedy to the Diamondbacks after the 2009 season and he became Arizona s ace leading the National League in wins during the 2011 season The Royals moved Kennedy to the bullpen in 2019 after a series of injuries and he found a new role as the team s closer and he continued to work as a relief pitcher for the remainder of his career Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 3 Professional career 3 1 Minor leagues 3 2 New York Yankees 2007 2009 3 3 Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 2013 3 4 San Diego Padres 2013 2015 3 5 Kansas City Royals 2016 2020 3 6 Texas Rangers 2021 3 7 Philadelphia Phillies 2021 3 8 Arizona Diamondbacks second stint 3 9 Texas Rangers second stint 3 10 Retirement 4 Pitching style 5 Personal life 6 References 7 External linksEarly life editKennedy was born on December 19 1984 in Huntington Beach California 1 From a young age he was known for his natural pitching talent particularly in finding his target with a fastball 2 Kennedy began gaining a reputation as a power pitcher when he was a freshman at La Quinta High School in Westminster California pitching a five inning perfect game As a sophomore he posted a 10 2 win loss record with a 1 33 earned run average ERA 3 As a junior he boasted a 0 38 ERA and recorded 168 strikeouts in 90 1 3 innings pitched with a fastball speed hovering between 88 and 92 mph 142 and 148 km h As a batter Kennedy also recorded seven home runs and 31 runs batted in RBIs that year 4 He missed most of his senior season with a fractured patella but managed to put up an 8 0 record and a 0 43 ERA in the games that he did play Kennedy graduated high school in 2003 with a 39 2 record 5 Between his junior and senior year of high school Kennedy played internationally with the 2002 US Junior National Team with whom he went 1 0 with a 2 77 ERA in 13 innings Kennedy was tapped as the starting pitcher for the US team s bronze medal match at the 2002 World Junior Baseball Championship where he took the win with only one earned run and 10 strikeouts in seven innings of work 6 College career editThe St Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball MLB drafted Kennedy in the 14th round of the 2003 Major League Baseball draft but he chose not to sign with the team instead honoring his commitment to play college baseball for the University of Southern California USC There he followed Anthony Reyes as the team s pitching ace 7 In 2004 he was the first freshman to make the top of the USC starting rotation since Randy Flores had done so in 1994 He pitched 92 2 3 innings striking out 120 batters and posting a 7 2 record with a 2 91 ERA At the end of the year Kennedy was named to the Baseball America Freshman All America Team 8 That summer he helped take the US College National Team to a gold medal at the World University Baseball Championship putting up a 3 1 record with a 3 81 ERA and leading the team with 40 strikeouts Kennedy was credited with the win in the championship match against Japan where he took a no hitter into the eighth inning 9 USC baseball coach Mike Gillespie opened the 2005 season with the intention of using Kennedy up to three times a week pitching on Fridays Sundays and Tuesdays to limit the damage of the school s dearth of starting pitchers Pitching coach Dave Lawn meanwhile focused on improving Kennedy s command and stamina which would allow him to pitch deeper into each game 10 His sophomore year turned into a breakout season for Kennedy who went 12 2 with a 2 54 ERA earned consensus All American honors and helped lead the Trojans through the first round of the 2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament 11 Ultimately however the Trojans fell to Oregon State at the Corvallis Super Regional and were eliminated from the tournament 12 Kennedy meanwhile was named the Pac 10 Conference Pitcher of the Year after striking out 95 batters in his first 67 1 3 innings 13 Going into the 2006 college baseball season USC lost many staples of its rotation to the MLB draft including catcher Jeff Clement and third baseman Billy Hart and Kennedy was called upon to be a leader for the younger members of the team 14 That February he came within one out of a no hitter against Kansas before senior Ritchie Price recorded a hit in the ninth inning 15 Ultimately Kennedy could not repeat the success of the previous season slumping to a 5 7 record with a 3 90 ERA in 2006 16 Kennedy finished his college baseball career with a 24 12 record and a 3 09 ERA He came in third at the time for all time USC strikeouts with 380 and was second in strikeouts per nine innings K 9 with 10 99 17 Professional career editMinor leagues edit The New York Yankees selected Kennedy in the first round 21st overall of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft He was the 39th player in USC history to become a first round MLB draft selection 18 He signed with the team in mid August for a 2 25 million signing bonus roughly 750 000 more than expected for a 21st overall draft selection and was assigned to the Class A Short Season Staten Island Yankees of the New York Penn League 19 Kennedy made his professional baseball debut on September 6 2006 pitching 2 2 3 innings against the Tri City ValleyCats 20 After playing one game for Staten Island Kennedy spent the winter with the West Oahu CaneFires of the Hawaii Winter Baseball league In nine games there including seven starts he posted a 0 2 record and a 4 45 ERA striking out 45 batters in 30 1 3 innings 21 Following his brief Staten Island outing Kennedy was assigned to the Class A Tampa Yankees of the Florida State League to begin the 2007 season 22 In 10 Class A starts Kennedy posted a 6 1 record with a 1 29 ERA striking out 72 batters in 63 innings and holding his opponents to a 183 batting average He received a promotion to the Double A Trenton Thunder at the start of June and won his Double A debut against the Binghamton Mets on June 6 2007 23 On July 24 Kennedy and his rotation mate Joba Chamberlain were both promoted from Trenton to the Triple A Scranton Wilkes Barre Yankees At the time of his promotion Kennedy led the Yankees farm system with 129 strikeouts and was tied for first with 11 wins 24 He made only six starts with Scranton going 1 1 with a 2 08 ERA and striking out 34 batters in 34 2 3 innings Altogether Kennedy posted a 12 3 minor league record in 2007 with a 1 91 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 25 starts and 146 1 3 innings 21 New York Yankees 2007 2009 edit After Mike Mussina lost three starts in a row for the Yankees recording a 17 69 ERA in the process Kennedy was called up to take his spot in the rotation at the end of August becoming the second Yankee that season to climb from Class A to major league ball 25 He made his major league debut on September 1 2007 allowing only one earned run in seven innings of an eventual 9 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 26 After going 1 0 with a 1 89 ERA in his first three major league starts Kennedy had to be scratched from a scheduled September 22 game against the Toronto Blue Jays because he strained a muscle in his upper back 27 The injury forced Kennedy to miss the remainder of the season 1 nbsp Kennedy with the Yankees in 2008 Rather than acquiring a veteran free agent starting pitcher during the 2007 08 offseason the Yankees chose to entrust their starting rotation to a trio of young pitchers Kennedy Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes 28 The plan did not work as expected Kennedy went 0 2 with an 8 37 ERA in his first six games and was optioned to Triple A on May 4 with Darrell Rasner taking his place at the back of the rotation 29 After finding success in the International League including a four game stretch with a 1 33 ERA Kennedy was called back up to the Yankees for an emergency start against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on August 8 He allowed nine hits and five runs and was pulled out of the game in the third inning Kennedy s major league record for the season fell to 0 4 while his ERA rose to 8 17 30 It would be his last major league start in the Yankees organization 31 Kennedy opened the 2009 season in Triple A but began feeling numbness in his pitching hand that April On May 8 he was diagnosed with an aneurysm around his biceps and underwent surgery the following week 32 He began facing live batters again at the start of September 33 and from there Kennedy pitched in six minor league games including two starts for a total of 27 2 3 innings He returned to the major leagues on September 20 with manager Joe Girardi intending to utilize Kennedy as a long reliever 34 Kennedy made his first Yankees appearance in over a year on September 23 walking two batters and hitting another with a pitch during the eighth inning of an eventual 3 2 win over the Angels 35 Kennedy was subsequently left off of the postseason roster on the Yankees run to a 2009 World Series championship title 20 After the season ended he joined the Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League to make up for the mostly lost season Experimenting with developing off speed pitches Kennedy had a 4 25 ERA during his fall league stint putting up a strikeout to walk ratio of 5 6 in his 29 2 3 innings 36 Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 2013 edit On December 8 2009 Kennedy was part of a three team seven player trade with the Yankees Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers Kennedy Phil Coke and prospect Austin Jackson went from New York to Detroit in exchange for All Star center fielder Curtis Granderson with Kennedy then flipped to Arizona alongside Edwin Jackson so that the Tigers could acquire Diamondbacks pitchers Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth 37 The Diamondbacks started showing interest in Kennedy when he pitched for the Arizona Fall League 38 and he earned a position in the Arizona starting rotation by the end of March 2010 39 The Diamondbacks player development staff agreed at the start of the season to limit Kennedy s workload to a total of 180 innings an amount that would help the pitcher extend his durability without pushing him into additional injuries 40 Kennedy picked up his first win in over two years on April 29 pitching eight innings in the Diamondbacks 13 5 rout of the Chicago Cubs Kennedy was able to take a one run game into the eighth inning before giving up a grand slam to Kosuke Fukudome and Daniel Stange was called in to pitch a perfect ninth inning for his own MLB debut 41 On August 26 Kennedy struck out a career high 12 batters in an 11 5 victory over the San Diego Padres He cited Arizona s early lead in which they picked up nine runs in the first 3 1 3 innings with helping him relax enough to maintain his command 42 Kennedy finished his first full major league season with a 9 10 record and a 3 80 ERA in 32 starts as well as 168 strikeouts in 194 innings He also walked 70 batters and led MLB with 16 wild pitches 43 nbsp Kennedy with the Diamondbacks in 2011 Arizona manager Kirk Gibson tapped Kennedy to serve as the Diamondbacks opening day starter for the 2011 season after he went 0 0 with a 7 88 ERA during spring training 44 Kennedy took two innings to settle into his rhythm allowing three earned runs in six innings of the eventual 7 6 loss to the Colorado Rockies 45 After a brief trip to New York to be with his wife and their newborn child Kennedy pitched his first major league complete game on April 25 outdueling ace Cliff Lee in a 4 0 shutout of the Philadelphia Phillies 46 He continued to perform well through the summer building a seven game winning streak as well as 22 straight starts in which he threw at least 100 pitches Both of those streaks were broken on August 19 when Kennedy allowed three runs and five hits to the Phillies in three innings 47 With an eight inning outing in the 1 0 defeat of the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 19 Kennedy became the first National League pitcher that season to reach 20 wins 48 Kennedy finished the season with 21 wins tying Cy Young honoree Clayton Kershaw as the NL win leader 49 He also ranked among the leaders in the NL with 198 strikeouts a 2 88 ERA and 222 innings pitched Additionally at no point during the 2011 season did Kennedy lose two or more consecutive starts 50 Kennedy finished fourth in voting for the 2011 NL Cy Young Award behind Kershaw Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee 51 The Diamondbacks banner season echoed Kennedy s after finishing last in the NL West during the 2010 season Arizona clinched the NL West title with a 3 1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on September 23 52 Kennedy was called upon to start Game 1 of the 2011 National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers pitching opposite Yovani Gallardo He was unable to carry his regular season success into the playoffs giving up four earned runs in 6 2 3 innings and taking the loss in the 4 1 defeat 53 Kennedy faced Gallardo again in game 5 with neither pitcher taking the decision While John Axford s first blown save for the Brewers took the game into extra innings the Diamondbacks were eliminated on a walk off RBI from Nyjer Morgan 54 Kennedy picked up his first opening day win in 2012 outpitching Giants ace Tim Lincecum in a 5 4 victory 55 He struggled early in the season with a 3 5 record and 4 65 ERA by the start of June but felt like he got in a nice little groove against the Giants on June 1 allowing only one run in 7 1 3 innings 56 In his next start after making a secret mechanical change to his pitches Kennedy matched his career high 12 strikeouts in a 10 0 shutout of the Colorado Rockies 57 That July he lasted eight innings in two consecutive starts giving up three runs across the 16 total innings In the second start Kennedy also hit his first career triple clearing the bases in a 6 3 defeat of the Rockies 58 While his record and ERA dropped to 14 11 and 4 14 during the 2012 season respectively Kennedy boasted an 8 0 K 9 ratio for the second year in a row and maintained a 2 0 Wins Above Replacement for the year 59 nbsp Kennedy with the Diamondbacks in 2013 Kennedy once again served as Arizona s opening pitcher for the 2013 season striking out eight batters and allowing two runs in seven innings of a 6 2 defeat of the St Louis Cardinals 60 On June 11 while facing the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers Kennedy accidentally glanced a fastball off of Yasiel Puig s face in the sixth inning In the next inning Dodgers starter Zack Greinke retaliated by striking catcher Miguel Montero in the back In the bottom half of that inning Kennedy struck Greinke in the helmet with a pitch leading to a benches clearing brawl between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks with six players and coaches ejected from the game 61 Kennedy was suspended for 10 games for what MLB referred to as intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Zack Greinke after a warning had already been issued to both clubs 62 At the time of his suspension Kennedy was 3 4 with a 5 21 ERA 63 He returned on June 29 where control problems led to four runs in 4 1 3 innings and Arizona extended its losing streak to 21 games 64 San Diego Padres 2013 2015 edit On July 31 2013 the Diamondbacks traded Kennedy to the San Diego Padres in exchange for relief pitcher Joe Thatcher relief prospect Matt Stites and a compensatory pick in the upcoming draft Padres general manager Josh Byrnes was also the Diamondbacks general manager when they had acquired Kennedy prior and he referred to the pitcher as the first guy I have ever traded for twice 65 The Padres immediately added Kennedy to their starting rotation where he joined Andrew Cashner Tyson Ross Eric Stults and Edinson Volquez 66 After being traded Kennedy struggled on the road going 0 2 in his first four away starts with a 6 95 ERA In his worst outing of the season Kennedy allowed six runs on eight hits in 3 2 3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates 67 He posted a 4 2 record and a 4 24 ERA in 10 games with San Diego that season striking out 55 batters in 57 1 3 innings 43 Going into the 2014 season Padres manager Bud Black placed Kennedy in the second spot of the starting rotation between opening day starter Andrew Cashner and No 3 Tyson Ross 68 On May 9 while facing the Miami Marlins Kennedy not only tied his career high 12 strikeouts as a pitcher but he hit the first home run of his career a solo shot against Miami starting pitcher Jacob Turner in the sixth inning 69 Over the course of the season Kennedy saw noticeable improvement in his ERA walks plus hits per innings pitched WHIP and strikeout to walk ratio over the previous season which he credited to Black and pitching coach Darren Balsley the latter of whom taught Kennedy to strengthen his leg kick when pitching to improve his command 70 Balsley s advice helped Kennedy add an extra mile per hour of velocity to Kennedy s fastball which now reached speeds of 95 mph 153 km h and helped him strike out an average of 9 27 batters per nine innings 71 On September 27 while facing the San Francisco Giants for his 33rd and final start of the season Kennedy passed his 200th inning pitched of the season for the third time in his career and struck out his 200th batter of the season for the first time He finished the year with a 13 13 record and a 3 63 ERA 72 nbsp Kennedy with the Padres in 2015 While starting the Padres 2015 home opener against the Giants Kennedy had to be taken out of the game in the third inning with a left hamstring strain He explained later that he had begun to feel pain in the area on the final pitch of the second inning and that he had asked to be taken out to avoid injuring his arm by altering his pitching mechanics 73 He returned on April 25 to face the Los Angeles Dodgers giving up eight hits and eight runs in 4 1 3 innings while striking out only two batters 74 The injury set Kennedy off course at the start of the season and by the end of May he had a 7 15 ERA in eight starts He recovered through the middle part of the season striking out 93 batters in 16 starts between June and August while holding his opponents to a 229 batting average but struggled again at the end of the year In his final six starts of 2015 batters hit 297 against Kennedy who had a 5 61 ERA in that span 75 He finished the year with a 9 15 record and a 4 28 ERA but showed considerable improvement in his fastball velocity and in his K 9 ratio the latter of which was 9 3 for the year 76 At the end of the season the Padres tendered Kennedy a one year 15 8 million qualifying offer under the anticipation that he would reject it in search of a multi year contract elsewhere Kennedy rejected the offer becoming a free agent that winter 76 Kansas City Royals 2016 2020 edit nbsp Kennedy with the Royals in 2016 On January 16 2016 the Kansas City Royals signed Kennedy to a five year 70 million contract with an opt out clause built in prior to the 2018 season 77 Kennedy was happy to join the team which he described as an easy environment and particularly enjoyed the reunion with his Yankees pitching coach Dave Eiland 78 On the final day of spring training Kennedy exited the mound shortly before the fourth inning with left hamstring tightness Manager Ned Yost said that the removal was precautionary for a slight injury 79 Kennedy later took the win in his Royals debut striking out seven batters in 7 2 3 innings in a 7 0 shutout of the Minnesota Twins 80 The Royals could not keep apace of their previous World Series winning season however and on July 25 Kennedy managed to load the bases within six minutes of the first pitch of the game putting the Royals in a 4 0 deficit out of the gate 81 He followed this effort by allowing only three runs in four starts but was not credited with a win between June 26 and August 15 The drought was ultimately broken when Kansas City defeated Detroit 3 1 82 While Kennedy was mostly happy with his performance during the 2016 season in which he went 11 11 with a 3 68 ERA and struck out 184 batters in 195 2 3 innings he was disappointed that the Royals did not reach the postseason and his 33 home runs allowed were a lot more than he had been expecting or hoping for 83 At the start of the 2017 MLB season Kennedy served as the Royals No 2 starter behind former reliever Danny Duffy 84 After going 0 3 with a 3 03 ERA in his first six starts Kennedy suffered another hamstring injury on May 4 leaving the mound against the Chicago White Sox after 4 1 3 innings 85 He returned on May 21 lasting only two innings while walking three batters and giving up a pair of home runs Kennedy and manager Ned Yost both clarified that the pitcher felt physically fine and that his command issues were mental 86 Ultimately however the hamstring injury continued to bother Kennedy through the remainder of the season particularly when he tried to utilize his changeup historically Kennedy s most effective approach His 5 38 ERA for the year was Kennedy s worst since 2008 and after returning at the end of May his opponents boasted a 528 slugging percentage against him 87 Despite struggling his way to a 5 13 record for the year Kennedy chose not to opt out of the remainder of his Royals contract saying that it would be pretty stupid to forego the final three years of the agreement 88 A number of injuries befell Kennedy during the 2018 season On April 24 he was hit in the foot with a line drive off the bat of Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers Kennedy was able to finish pitching the inning but had to be removed from the game afterwards with a contusion It was the first time in Kennedy s 274 major league starts that he had not recorded at least one strikeout 89 Most of Kennedy s summer was taken up with a left oblique strain he was originally put on the 10 day disabled list for the injury at the end of June with a return date of July 10 During that attempted start Kennedy lasted only three innings before a recurrence of the oblique strain forced him off the mound and back onto the disabled list 90 Kennedy returned to the mound in full on September 9 to pitch six innings against the Minnesota Twins 91 Injuries limited Kennedy to only 22 starts for the year in which he went 3 9 with a 4 66 ERA and struck out 105 batters in 119 2 3 innings 43 The injuries that Kennedy had suffered in 2018 worried the Royals who moved him into the bullpen to start the 2019 MLB season believing that the decreased innings workload would help Kennedy stay healthy through the season 92 Kennedy himself was hesitant to make the change believing that he was capable of another year in the starting rotation but he ultimately had a successful stint as the Royals closer 93 On July 28 Kennedy recorded his 20th save of the year becoming the sixth pitcher since saves were recorded in 1969 to compile 20 wins and 20 saves in a single season 94 For the period between May 30 and September 23 Kennedy led MLB with 28 saves including 19 after the All Star break and he noticed a physical improvement to becoming a reliever in contrast to feeling like you get hit by a truck every fifth day as a starting pitcher 93 Kennedy posted a 3 2 record and a 3 41 ERA for the season striking out 73 batters in 63 1 3 innings and successfully converting 30 saves in 34 opportunities 43 Upon learning that the 2020 MLB season would be shortened to 60 regular season games as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic Royals manager Mike Matheny decided not to assign any permanent roles like closer or setup man for his bullpen Instead he left the option open for dominant relievers like Kennedy to enter games in earlier innings if he believed that they were in a position to change the course of the game 95 On August 15 Kennedy made his first starting appearance since 2018 pitching the first two innings of a bullpen game against the Minnesota Twins 96 At the end of the month he was placed on the injured list when he suffered a left calf strain in the ninth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox Kennedy attempted to field a ground ball but began limping afterwards and had to be removed from the game 97 The injury limited Kennedy to only 15 appearances during the truncated season 98 during which he posted a 9 00 ERA and a 1 786 WHIP 43 Texas Rangers 2021 edit On February 23 2021 Kennedy signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers a deal which included an invitation to spring training The Rangers were under new general management from Kennedy s former Royals teammate Chris Young 99 When Texas released their opening day roster on April 1 Kennedy and fellow spring training invitee Matt Bush were both named to the 25 man roster 100 The oldest member of the Rangers bullpen by three years Kennedy entered the season expecting to serve as the team s setup man but a series of season ending injuries to Bush Jose Leclerc and Jonathan Hernandez forced the team to turn to Kennedy as their closer By May Kennedy had secured nine saves in nine attempts giving the Rangers the most saves in the American League 101 As the season progressed the Rangers rarely held leads late into games and they had less use for Kennedy as a closer At the start of June he had a brief stint on the injured list for a strained hamstring 102 In his half season with the Rangers Kennedy posted a 2 51 ERA and a 1 05 WHIP in 32 appearances while successfully converting 16 saves in 17 opportunities 103 Philadelphia Phillies 2021 edit Kennedy was part of a trade deadline package deal on July 30 2021 that sent him starting pitcher Kyle Gibson prospect Hans Crouse and cash considerations to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for pitcher Spencer Howard and prospects Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner 104 The Phillies who had been struggling with both an unreliable bullpen and an injury riddled starting rotation acquired Kennedy hoping he would serve as a dependable closer This allowed acting closer Ranger Suarez to join the rotation 105 Arizona Diamondbacks second stint edit On March 16 2022 Kennedy signed a one year contract with a mutual option for 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks 106 Kennedy made 57 appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2022 struggling to a 4 7 record and 5 36 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 50 1 innings pitched On November 8 the Diamondbacks declined their half of a 4 million mutual option and Kennedy entered free agency 107 Texas Rangers second stint edit On January 27 2023 Kennedy signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers organization 108 On March 29 it was announced that Kennedy had made the Opening Day roster and his contract was selected to the 40 man roster 109 He made 11 appearances for the Rangers registering a 7 20 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 0 innings pitched On May 11 Kennedy was designated for assignment 110 He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple A Round Rock Express on May 14 111 However Kennedy rejected the assignment and instead elected free agency 112 On June 20 2023 Kennedy re signed with the Rangers on a minor league contract 113 After posting a 3 51 ERA in 22 games for Triple A Round Rock he was selected back to the major league roster on September 5 114 On September 16 Kennedy was placed on the 60 day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain ending his season 115 Retirement edit Kennedy announced his retirement from professional baseball on November 2 2023 shortly after winning the World Series with Texas In 497 games across 17 MLB seasons Kennedy finished his career with a 104 114 record and a 4 16 ERA 116 117 Pitching style editKennedy s primary pitch as a starter has always been his four seam fastball but he started to gain traction as the Diamondbacks ace when he learned to selectively incorporate off speed pitches like a two seam fastball and a cutter into his repertoire 36 In 2018 his final year as a starting pitcher Kennedy utilized five different pitches a fastball with an average speed of 92 mph 148 km h a 78 mph 126 km h curveball an 85 mph 137 km h changeup an 88 mph 142 km h cutter and an 87 mph 140 km h slider 118 The mental care that Kennedy takes when deciding when and which off speed pitch to throw has drawn comparisons to that of Mike Mussina and Greg Maddux both of whom Kennedy observed when he was developing as a pitcher 119 Kennedy is also one of several pitchers to utilize a unique changeup grip known as the Vulcan in which the ball is gripped with a two finger split reminiscent of the Vulcan salute in Star Trek 120 In the bullpen Kennedy maintains a three pitch repertoire centered around his fastball with a changeup and a curveball acting as his off speed pitches 121 His average fastball velocity has steadily increased throughout his major league career and has been at its highest during the 2021 season where it carried an average velocity of 94 9 mph 152 7 km h 122 His off speed pitches also became faster after Kennedy transitioned to the shorter innings workload required of a reliever his curveball jumped an average of 3 mph 4 8 km h after moving to the bullpen in 2019 while his changeup simultaneously rose by 2 5 mph 4 0 km h 123 Personal life editKennedy married Allison Jaskowiak then a member of the USC Trojans women s basketball team on October 6 2007 in Kirkwood Missouri 124 Many of his Yankees teammates had hoped to attend the wedding but they wound up being in the midst of an 11 inning playoff game against the Cleveland Indians 125 Kennedy and Jaskowiak have six children four daughters and two sons 1 One daughter was born July 31 2015 two hours before Kennedy was scheduled to start a game against the Miami Marlins He had planned to return to California when his wife went into labor but ran into delays and watched the birth over FaceTime in Miami 126 While playing for the Padres Kennedy and his family began inviting the children of United States Navy members to baseball games After signing with the Royals he expanded upon this trend at every home Saturday game Kennedy would invite members of various military branches to watch the game from a Dugout Suite where they would receive free food and Royals merchandise 127 Kennedy was a recipient of the 2019 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award presented to baseball players for their continued support of members of the United States military 128 References edit a b c d Ian Kennedy Stats Fantasy amp News MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on July 30 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Kepner Tyler March 6 2008 Taking Control of His Future The New York Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Sondheimer Eric April 2 2002 Two Ians Get the Job Done at La Quinta Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Bresnahan Mike March 3 2003 Two Ians Bring In the Crowds Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Sondheimer Eric June 8 2003 College Experience Nearly Priceless Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Baseball Announces 2004 Recruiting Class USC Athletics November 14 2002 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Callis Jim Lingo Will Manuel John eds 2007 Baseball America Prospect Handbook 2007 Durham NC Baseball America p 308 ISBN 978 1 932391 14 5 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy Earns Freshman All America Honors USC Athletics June 25 2004 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy Invited To 2005 USA Baseball National Team Trials USC Athletics May 23 2005 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Stephens Eric January 28 2005 Trojans Are Prepared for a Return to Glory Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Moura Pedro May 24 2011 Where are they now Ian Kennedy ESPN com Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Oregon State Advances To College World Series USC Athletics June 13 2005 Archived from the original on February 26 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy Named Pac 10 Pitcher Of The Year USC Athletics May 31 2005 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Harmonson Todd January 31 2006 USC back in the positive The Orange County Register Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 USC s Kennedy flirts with no hitter The Orange County Register February 18 2006 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kepner Tyler September 7 2007 Pitching Prospect Slipped Onto Yankees Radar The New York Times Archived from the original on January 17 2018 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy Goes In First Round Of 2006 Major League Baseball Draft USC Athletics June 6 2006 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kennedy Taken in First Round of Baseball Draft USC News University of Southern California June 6 2006 Archived from the original on March 3 2016 Retrieved August 1 2021 Moura Pedro May 24 2011 Where are they now Ian Kennedy ESPN com Retrieved August 1 2021 a b Waggoner Jim August 12 2015 San Diego pitcher Ian Kennedy made pro debut in St George Staten Island Advance Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 a b Ian Kennedy Winter Minor amp Fall Leagues Statistics amp History Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on November 9 2020 Retrieved August 2 2021 Czerwinski Kevin T October 11 2007 Kennedy cruised through Minor Leagues MiLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Former Trojan Ian Kennedy Wins In Double A Debut USC Athletics June 6 2007 Retrieved August 2 2021 Chamberlain and Kennedy join club MiLB com Advanced Media Group July 24 2007 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kepner Tyler August 30 2007 In Kennedy Yankees See Familiar Approach The New York Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Battista Judy September 2 2007 Kennedy s Debut a Success for Yankees The New York Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Price Ed September 21 2007 Kennedy scratched from Saturday start The Star Ledger Retrieved August 1 2021 The future is now Sports Illustrated February 26 2008 Archived from the original on January 28 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Yankees Demote Pitcher Kennedy The Mercury News May 4 2008 Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Kepner Tyler August 9 2008 Kennedy Comes Back but He s Not Improved The New York Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Kepner Tyler March 7 2010 Ian Kennedy Looks Back The New York Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Kennedy to have surgery for aneurysm ESPN com Associated Press May 8 2009 Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Augustine Bernie September 2 2009 Ian Kennedy begins rehab from aneurysm surgery Staten Island Advance Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Carig Marc September 20 2009 Ian Kennedy s long road back from aneurysm surgery leads to NY Yankees The Star Ledger Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Yanks hold off Angels for rare series win in Anaheim ESPN com Associated Press September 23 2009 Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 a b Lemire Joe March 16 2012 Kennedy toiled to reach the top now the trick is staying there Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on January 15 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kepner Tyler December 8 2009 Yankees Get Granderson in 3 Team Trade The New York Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kepner Tyler March 7 2010 Diamondbacks Count on Rotation Revamped in Trade The New York Times Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ex Yankee Ian Kennedy earns spot in Diamondbacks rotation The New York Post March 28 2010 Archived from the original on February 27 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Summers Jeff August 11 2010 Monitoring and Managing the Arizona Diamondbacks Pitchers Bleacher Report Retrieved August 2 2021 LaRoche Diamondbacks pound Cubs Peoria Journal Star April 29 2010 Archived from the original on June 29 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Last place Diamondbacks rough up Padres ESPN com Associated Press August 26 2010 Archived from the original on June 29 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 a b c d e Ian Kennedy Stats Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on December 11 2019 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy named Arizona s ace ESPN com Associated Press March 16 2011 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Wild pitch dooms Rockies in 11 inning loss vs Diamondbacks ESPN com Associated Press April 1 2011 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy silences Phillies with three hit shutout ESPN com Associated Press April 25 2011 Archived from the original on June 29 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Phillies ride John Mayberry Jr David Herndon past Diamondbacks ESPN com Associated Press August 19 2011 Archived from the original on June 29 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kennedy wins 20th Diamondbacks beat Pirates 1 0 The Deseret News Associated Press September 19 2011 Archived from the original on June 29 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kershaw wins 2011 NL Cy Young Award The Orange County Register November 17 2011 Retrieved August 2 2021 Bolch Ben September 30 2011 Diamondbacks Ian Kennedy is ready no doubt about it Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Knapel Robert November 15 2011 MLB Cy Young Award Winners 2011 AL and NL Results Reaction and Analysis Bleacher Report Archived from the original on July 23 2019 Retrieved September 1 2021 Baggarly Andrew September 23 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks beat San Francisco Giants to clinch National League West title East Bay Times Archived from the original on June 29 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Botte Peter October 1 2011 Milwaukee Brewers too much for Ian Kennedy Arizona Diamondbacks in 4 1 win to open NLDS New York Daily News Archived from the original on August 10 2020 Retrieved August 2 2021 Borzi Pat October 7 2011 Brewers Advance by Beating Diamondbacks in 10th Inning The New York Times Archived from the original on June 22 2020 Retrieved August 2 2021 Pavlovic Alex April 6 2012 Tim Lincecum roughed up as San Francisco Giants lose opener to Arizona Diamondbacks The Mercury News Archived from the original on April 28 2017 Retrieved August 2 2021 Green Adam June 1 2012 D Backs Ian Kennedy hopes he s past early season struggles Arizona Sports 98 7 FM Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy strikes out 12 in Diamondbacks rout of Rockies ESPN com Associated Press June 6 2012 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kennedy has big hit pitches D backs to win The San Diego Union Tribune Associated Press July 23 2012 Archived from the original on March 7 2017 Retrieved August 2 2021 Imber Gil September 27 2012 Why the Diamondbacks Should Sign Ian Kennedy to a Long Term Deal Bleacher Report Archived from the original on November 7 2012 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy s strong outing helps Diamondbacks beat Cardinals ESPN com Associated Press April 2 2013 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Witz Billy June 12 2013 Arizona Pitcher Criticized after Brawl The New York Times Archived from the original on November 4 2017 Retrieved August 2 2021 Shaikin Bill June 14 2013 Ian Kennedy suspended 10 games for throwing at Dodgers Zack Greinke Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 13 2020 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy begins suspension ESPN com Associated Press June 17 2013 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Braves use 7 run 8th inning to knock off Diamondbacks ESPN com Associated Press June 29 2013 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy traded to Padres ESPN com Associated Press July 31 2013 Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Center Bill July 31 2013 Padres add RHP Ian Kennedy to rotation The San Diego Union Tribune Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Center Bill September 19 2013 Padres finishing strong against N L s best The San Diego Union Tribune Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Lin Dennis March 22 2014 Quick hits Kennedy Ross set Chicago Tribune Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Sanders Jeff May 9 2014 Offense can t finish what Kennedy starts Chicago Tribune Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Buchanan Zach August 24 2014 Ian Kennedy credits Padres coaches for his reversal The Arizona Republic Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Sanders Jeff November 8 2014 Analysis Kennedy s reestablished value Baltimore Sun Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Lin Dennis September 27 2014 Kennedy beats Giants reaches 200 200 Chicago Tribune Archived from the original on August 2 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Padres Ian Kennedy exits home opener with hamstring injury ESPN com April 9 2015 Archived from the original on July 5 2020 Retrieved August 1 2021 Gonzalez s 3 run homer leads Dodgers to 11 8 win over Padres ESPN com Associated Press April 26 2015 Archived from the original on July 5 2020 Retrieved August 2 2021 Grathoff Pete January 16 2016 Nine things to know about pitcher Ian Kennedy The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on May 1 2017 Retrieved August 2 2021 a b Lin Dennis November 15 2015 Kennedy Upton decline qualifying offers The San Diego Union Tribune Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Reports Royals sign Ian Kennedy to five year 70 million deal Sports Illustrated January 16 2016 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kennedy fitting in with World Series champion Royals Daily Herald Associated Press February 20 2016 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Royals Kennedy leaves early in loss to Rangers The Topeka Capital Journal Associated Press March 30 2016 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Kennedy impressive in Royals debut beats Twins Fulton Sun April 9 2016 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Scoby Ashley July 25 2016 Shaky start sinks KC Salina Journal Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Flanagan Jeffrey August 15 2016 Kennedy amazed by string of strong outings MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Grathoff Pete November 17 2016 Royals Ian Kennedy on watching playoffs on TV It fuels that fire The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on November 23 2020 Retrieved August 2 2021 Danny Duffy to start Opening Day as Royals set rotation ESPN com Associated Press March 25 2017 Archived from the original on May 21 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Ian Kennedy put on DL by Royals with injured hamstring The Topeka Capital Journal Associated Press May 5 2017 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Twins power past Royals to salvage doubleheader split ESPN com Associated Press May 21 2017 Archived from the original on September 4 2019 Retrieved August 2 2021 Flanagan Jeffrey November 28 2017 Kennedy Injury took away my changeup in 17 MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on February 26 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Dodd Rustin November 6 2017 Ian Kennedy did not opt out Can he be worth 49 million for the next three years The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on June 19 2018 Retrieved August 2 2021 Newell Jesse April 24 2018 Ian Kennedy s career long strikeout streak is snapped in Royals 5 2 loss to Brewers The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on May 31 2018 Retrieved August 1 2021 Royals starter Ian Kennedy to DL with oblique strain ESPN com July 11 2018 Archived from the original on June 29 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Denney Jerrid September 9 2018 Kennedy hot in return but Royals fall to walk off MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Worthy Lynn March 19 2019 Ian Kennedy ready for next part of his career as a relief pitcher as Royals make moves The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 a b Worthy Lynn September 23 2019 How moving Ian Kennedy to closer turned into a big success for the Royals The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on October 13 2020 Retrieved August 1 2021 Worthy Lynn August 12 2019 Royals Ian Kennedy joins a select group of pitchers in baseball history The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on November 21 2020 Retrieved August 2 2021 Worthy Lynn July 6 2020 Royals ready to get creative with bullpen usage and roles during short MLB season The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on January 26 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Cruz homers Twins beat Royals 4 2 to open doubleheader ESPN com Associated Press August 15 2020 Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Flanagan Jeffrey August 31 2020 Royals place Kennedy calf strain on IL MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Rangers will have veterans Ian Kennedy Matt Bush in back end of bullpen ESPN com Associated Press March 28 2021 Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Landry Kennedi February 23 2021 Rangers sign RHP Kennedy to Minors deal MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on July 30 2021 Retrieved July 30 2021 Landry Kennedi April 1 2021 Rangers finalize Opening Day roster MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on July 31 2021 Retrieved July 31 2021 Wilson Jeff May 7 2021 Texas Rangers gave Ian Kennedy a chance for a job Now he s the AL leader in saves Fort Worth Star Telegram Archived from the original on July 31 2021 Retrieved July 31 2021 Blum Sam June 9 2021 Rangers place closer Ian Kennedy on IL recall RHP Spencer Patton for first MLB action in 5 years The Dallas Morning News Archived from the original on July 31 2021 Retrieved July 31 2021 Halicke Chris July 30 2021 Rangers Trade Gibson Kennedy amp Crouse To Phillies For Howard Two Prospects Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on July 30 2021 Retrieved July 31 2021 Zolecki Todd July 30 2021 Phils trade for Gibson Kennedy Galvis back MLB com Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on July 31 2021 Retrieved August 1 2021 Seidman Corey July 31 2021 A major post trade deadline shakeup in Phillies starting rotation NBC Sports Philadelphia Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved August 21 2021 Randhawa Manny March 16 2022 Righty Ian Kennedy headed to D backs MLB com Retrieved March 16 2022 Diamondbacks Decline Option on Ian Kennedy si com Retrieved June 30 2023 Kennedy Frazier among 5 to sign minors deals with Rangers ESPN com Associated Press January 27 2023 Retrieved February 19 2023 Rangers Ian Kennedy Makes Rangers roster cbssports com Retrieved March 29 2023 Rangers Ian Kennedy Designated for assignment cbssports com May 11 2023 Retrieved May 11 2023 Transactions MLB com Transactions Rangers Ian Kennedy Re ups with Texas cbssports com June 20 2023 Retrieved June 20 2023 Rangers Select Ian Kennedy Designate Glenn Otto For Assignment mlbtraderumors com Retrieved September 5 2023 Rangers Ian Kennedy Season over with shoulder issue cbssports com Retrieved September 17 2023 Farkas Brady November 3 2023 Former Kansas City Royals Closer Announces He s Retiring After Winning World Series Ring with Texas Rangers Sports Illustrated Retrieved November 4 2023 Hyland Bridget November 3 2023 Ex Yankees first round pick once traded in Curtis Granderson blockbuster retires The Journal Star Retrieved November 4 2023 Ian Kennedy Baseball Savant Advanced Media Group Archived from the original on July 7 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Crasnick Jerry August 18 2011 D backs have a keeper in Ian Kennedy ESPN com Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Perry Dayn February 27 2015 In honor of the late Leonard Nimoy the Vulcan changeup CBS Sports Retrieved August 2 2021 Evans Bill July 30 2021 Phillies send Spencer Howard to Rangers for All Star starter closer at MLB trade deadline reports say NJ com Archived from the original on July 30 2021 Retrieved July 31 2021 Weaver Levi April 9 2021 Kyle Gibson s velocity a look at Leody and a worthwhile goal It s a Weaver Wire The Athletic Archived from the original on July 31 2021 Retrieved July 31 2021 Judge Lee April 27 2019 Royals pitcher Ian Kennedy talks about the differences between starting and relieving The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on April 28 2019 Retrieved July 31 2021 Epting Chris October 4 2007 In the Pipeline Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Yanks rook USC hoops player wed Philadelphia Daily News October 8 2007 Archived from the original on August 3 2021 Retrieved August 2 2021 Wilhalme Matt August 1 2015 Ian Kennedy watches daughter s birth on FaceTime then pitches in Padres win Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on January 10 2018 Retrieved August 2 2021 Grathoff Pete August 21 2017 Since joining Royals Ian Kennedy has done something special for service members The Kansas City Star Archived from the original on June 19 2018 Retrieved August 2 2021 Navy Baseball Takes Part in 2019 Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Ceremony Naval Academy Athletics November 15 2019 Archived from the original on June 12 2021 Retrieved January 6 2021 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ian Kennedy nbsp Biography portal nbsp Baseball portal Career statistics and player information from MLB or ESPN or Baseball Reference or Fangraphs or Baseball Reference Minors or Retrosheet Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ian Kennedy amp oldid 1219596325, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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