Bill Kennedy
Born: 3/14/1921 in Carnesville, GA, USA
Died: 4/9/1983 in Seattle, WA, USA
MLB Debut: 1948-04-26 | Final Game: 1957-09-29
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 195 lbs
Full name: William Aulton Kennedy
Biography
Bill Kennedy, born in 1921, was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1948 until his retirement in 1957. Throughout his career, he showcased his skills on the mound, finishing with a record of 15-28 and an earned run average (ERA) of 4.73. Kennedy struck out a total of 256 batters and recorded 11 saves, contributing to his teams during a competitive era of baseball marked by the transition from the post-war years into the modern game.
Kennedy's playing style reflected the evolving strategies of pitching during the late 1940s and 1950s, a period characterized by both the rise of power hitters and the introduction of new training methods for pitchers. While his win-loss record may not have captured the attention of fans, his ability to strike out batters and secure saves highlighted his role as a reliable option in the bullpen. Bill Kennedy remains a significant figure in baseball history, representing the hardworking pitchers of his time who laid the groundwork for future generations in the sport.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 28 | 172 | 45 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 464.7 | 497 | 244 | 34 | 289 | 256 | 4.73 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | CLE | AL | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11.12 | 39.3 |
| 1948 | SLA | AL | 7 | 8 | 26 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 132.0 | 132 | 69 | 104 | 77 | 4.70 | -2829.8 |
| 1949 | SLA | AL | 4 | 11 | 48 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 153.7 | 172 | 80 | 73 | 69 | 4.69 | 24.0 |
| 1950 | SLA | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | SLA | AL | 1 | 5 | 19 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 56.0 | 76 | 36 | 37 | 29 | 5.79 | -521.4 |
| 1952 | CHW | AL | 2 | 2 | 47 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 70.7 | 54 | 22 | 38 | 46 | 2.80 | - |
| 1953 | BOS | AL | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 24.3 | 24 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 3.70 | -361.3 |
| 1956 | CIN | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 18.00 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | CIN | NL | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12.7 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 6.39 | 61.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 172 | 120 | 9 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 31 | 0.208 | 0.258 | 0.217 | 0.474 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | CLE | AL | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.667 | 0.0 |
| 1948 | SLA | AL | 26 | 44 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1949 | SLA | AL | 48 | 40 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 0.150 | 0.0 |
| 1950 | SLA | AL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1951 | SLA | AL | 19 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
| 1952 | CHW | AL | 47 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.231 | 0.0 |
| 1953 | BOS | AL | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.500 | 0.0 |
| 1956 | CIN | NL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.0 |
| 1957 | CIN | NL | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 172 | 0 | 17 | 72 | 8 | 4 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | CLE | P | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1948 | SLA | P | 26 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 1949 | SLA | P | 48 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 3 | 0 |
| 1950 | SLA | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1951 | SLA | P | 19 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| 1952 | CHA | P | 47 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1953 | BOS | P | 16 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1956 | CIN | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | CIN | P | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 172 |