Doc Kennedy
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1879-1883)
Doc Kennedy was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1879 to 1883 for the Cleveland Blues and the Buffalo Bisons, a span of 5 seasons. In 160 career games, he hit .260 with 160 hits, 1 home runs, and 53 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 185 lb
- Died
- 5/23/1920 in Grove, NY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1879-05-01
- Last Game
- 1883-07-06
Full name: Michael Joseph Kennedy
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160 | 615 | 67 | 160 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 0 | 15 | 37 | .260 | .278 | .319 | .596 | -73 |
Career AVG .260 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .278 vs. league average .279 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .319 vs. league average .335 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OPS .596 vs. league average .614 across their career seasons — near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879 | CL2 | NL | 49 | 193 | 19 | 56 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 10 | .290 | .255 (+14%) | .270 (+10%) | .328 (+12%) | .599 (+11%) | 298.9 |
| 1880 | CL2 | NL | 66 | 250 | 26 | 50 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 12 | .200 | .244 (-18%) | .267 (-19%) | .319 (-22%) | .586 (-21%) | -668.8 |
| 1881 | CL2 | NL | 39 | 150 | 19 | 47 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 13 | .313 | .260 (+20%) | .290 (+16%) | .338 (+10%) | .628 (+13%) | 296.5 |
| 1882 | CL2 | NL | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1883 | BFN | NL | 5 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .316 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 5 seasons | 160 | 615 | 67 | 160 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 0 | 15 | 37 | .260 | — | — | — | — | -73 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 5 | 0 | 55 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 147 | 0 | 890 | 163 | 116 | 15 |
| OF | 9 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879 | CL2 | 1B | 4 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1879 | CL2 | C | 46 | 0 | 277 | 50 | 40 | 2 |
| 1880 | CL2 | C | 65 | 0 | 397 | 68 | 52 | 9 |
| 1880 | CL2 | OF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1881 | CL2 | 3B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1881 | CL2 | C | 35 | 0 | 207 | 36 | 21 | 4 |
| 1881 | CL2 | OF | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1882 | CL2 | C | 1 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| 1883 | BFN | 1B | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1883 | BFN | OF | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 147 |
| First Base | 5 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 4 |
| Center Field | 5 |
Doc Kennedy: the record in brief
Between the debut on May 1, 1879 and the final game on July 6, 1883, Doc Kennedy built the record summarized on this page. The season rows list, in order, the Cleveland Blues (1879 to 1882) and the Buffalo Bisons (1883). At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Kennedy is listed as a catcher. Kennedy both batted and threw right-handed, per the bio block. Kennedy was born on August 11, 1853, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Kennedy's death is recorded on May 23, 1920, in Grove, NY, USA. Doc Kennedy was the playing name; the full given name is Michael Joseph.
Across 160 games at the plate, Kennedy's career line reads 160 hits in 615 at bats for a .260 average, along with 1 home run and 53 runs batted in. Kennedy's career OPS of .596 combines a .278 on-base mark with .319 slugging. Against a .253 league average for those years, Kennedy's .260 average was near the norm. The highest hit total in a season was 56, in 1879. 1881 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .313 against a league .260, a 20% edge.
Frequently Asked Questions about Doc Kennedy
- What years did Doc Kennedy play?
- Doc Kennedy played in Major League Baseball from 1879 to 1883.
- Was Doc Kennedy a pitcher?
- No. Doc Kennedy was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Doc Kennedy hit?
- Doc Kennedy hit 1 career home run with 160 hits.
- What teams did Doc Kennedy play for?
- Doc Kennedy played for 2 teams: the Cleveland Blues (1879–1882) and the Buffalo Bisons (1883).
- What were Doc Kennedy's career stats?
- In 160 games, Doc Kennedy had 160 hits, 1 home runs, 53 RBI, and 67 runs, with a .260 batting average.
- What position did Doc Kennedy play?
- Doc Kennedy played primarily as a catcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Doc Kennedy and how much did he weigh?
- Doc Kennedy was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 185 pounds.
- How many home runs did Doc Kennedy hit each season?
- Doc Kennedy's home runs by season: 1 in 1879, 0 in 1880, 0 in 1881, 0 in 1882, and 0 in 1883. His most in one season was 1, in 1879.
- What was Doc Kennedy's career batting average?
- Doc Kennedy batted .260 over his career, with 160 hits in 615 at bats.
- How many RBI did Doc Kennedy have?
- Doc Kennedy drove in 53 runs in his career.
- Is Doc Kennedy in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Doc Kennedy has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.