Junior Kennedy
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1974-1983)
Junior Kennedy was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1983 for the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs, a span of 10 seasons. In 447 career games, he hit .248 with 258 hits, 4 home runs, and 95 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
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'11" / 175 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1974-08-09
- Last Game
- 1983-07-17
Full name: Junior Raymond Kennedy
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 447 | 1,041 | 114 | 258 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 95 | 12 | 124 | 142 | .248 | .325 | .299 | .623 | -1,383 |
Career AVG .248 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career OBP .325 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — near league average.
Career SLG .299 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — 22.1% below league average.
Career OPS .623 vs. league average .709 across their career seasons — 12.0% below 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | CIN | NL | 22 | 19 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | .158 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1978 | CIN | NL | 89 | 157 | 22 | 40 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 31 | 28 | .255 | .257 (-1%) | .323 (+18%) | .378 (-23%) | .702 (-4%) | 61.6 |
| 1979 | CIN | NL | 83 | 220 | 29 | 60 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 28 | 31 | .273 | .265 (+3%) | .329 (+8%) | .397 (-20%) | .727 (-7%) | -155.3 |
| 1980 | CIN | NL | 104 | 337 | 31 | 88 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 3 | 36 | 34 | .261 | .264 (-1%) | .326 (avg) | .387 (-14%) | .714 (-7%) | -398.6 |
| 1981 | CIN | NL | 27 | 44 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .250 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | CHN | NL | 105 | 242 | 22 | 53 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 1 | 21 | 34 | .219 | .261 (-16%) | .324 (-14%) | .388 (-32%) | .712 (-24%) | -890.6 |
| 1983 | CHN | NL | 17 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | .136 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 7 seasons | 447 | 1,041 | 114 | 258 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 95 | 12 | 124 | 142 | .248 | — | — | — | — | -1,383 | ||
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.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (447 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 229 | 524 | 66 | 123 | 2 | 46 | .235 |
| Away | 218 | 517 | 48 | 135 | 2 | 49 | .261 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-07-17 | CHC | LAD | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-07-13 | CHC | SDP | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-07-10 | CHC | SFG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-06-25 | CHC | WSN | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-06-21 | CHC | PIT | L | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-06-20 | CHC | PIT | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-06-18 | CHC | STL | W | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-06-09 | CHC | NYN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983-05-27 | CHC | ATL | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1983-05-25 | CHC | HOU | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 344 | 225 | 540 | 799 | 25 | 145 |
| 3B | 29 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 0 | 1 |
| SS | 34 | 23 | 39 | 76 | 6 | 12 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | CIN | 2B | 17 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
| 1974 | CIN | 3B | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | CIN | 2B | 71 | 41 | 94 | 138 | 5 | 27 |
| 1978 | CIN | 3B | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1979 | CIN | 2B | 59 | 41 | 95 | 144 | 5 | 28 |
| 1979 | CIN | 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | CIN | SS | 5 | 5 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| 1980 | CIN | 2B | 103 | 92 | 200 | 303 | 6 | 53 |
| 1981 | CIN | 2B | 16 | 8 | 21 | 27 | 1 | 8 |
| 1981 | CIN | 3B | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | CHN | 2B | 71 | 38 | 109 | 160 | 6 | 25 |
| 1982 | CHN | 3B | 7 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1982 | CHN | SS | 28 | 18 | 28 | 60 | 6 | 10 |
| 1983 | CHN | 2B | 7 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 0 | 3 |
| 1983 | CHN | 3B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | CHN | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 343 |
| Third Base | 30 |
| Shortstop | 34 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Junior Kennedy (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Junior Kennedy: the record in brief
The profile opens with Junior Kennedy's first major league game on August 9, 1974; the last one listed came on July 17, 1983. By club, Kennedy's seasons break down as the Cincinnati Reds (1974 to 1981) and the Chicago Cubs (1982 to 1983). Kennedy, a second baseman by primary position, threw and hit right-handed. The recorded size is 175 pounds on a 5-foot-11 frame. The birth record reads August 9, 1950, in Fort Gibson, OK, USA. Kennedy's full given name, per the bio, is Junior Raymond Kennedy.
In 447 games and 1,041 at bats, Kennedy batted .248 with 258 hits, adding 4 home runs and 95 RBI. Kennedy got on base at a .325 rate and slugged .299 (.623 OPS). Against a .261 league average for those years, Kennedy's .248 average was near the norm. By OPS the gap is 12.0% below league average (.623 against .709). The highest hit total in a season was 88, in 1980. 1980 brought the most runs batted in, 34. 1979 was the strongest of the full seasons by average: .273 against a league .265, a 3% edge.
Frequently Asked Questions about Junior Kennedy
- What years did Junior Kennedy play?
- Junior Kennedy played in Major League Baseball from 1974 to 1983.
- Was Junior Kennedy a pitcher?
- No. Junior Kennedy was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Junior Kennedy hit?
- Junior Kennedy hit 4 career home runs with 258 hits.
- What was Junior Kennedy's career batting average?
- Junior Kennedy batted .248 over his career, with 258 hits in 1,041 at bats.
- How many RBI did Junior Kennedy have?
- Junior Kennedy drove in 95 runs in his career.
- Is Junior Kennedy in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Junior Kennedy has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.