St. Louis Browns left-handed pitcher, Bill Kennedy, was born on March 14, 1921 in Carnesville, Georgia. Known by the common nickname of "Lefty", Kennedy had one of the most memorable, an forgotten, seasons in the history of organized baseball. His career spanned 19 years and included time with four major league clubs and eight minor leagu
St. Louis Browns left-handed pitcher, Bill Kennedy, was born on March 14, 1921 in Carnesville, Georgia. Known by the common nickname of "Lefty", Kennedy had one of the most memorable, an forgotten, seasons in the history of organized baseball. His career spanned 19 years and included time with four major league clubs and eight minor league teams.
Bill Kennedy played just one season of baseball in high school and a half season of semipro ball before signing on with the Amsterdam Rugmakers of the Canadian-American League in 1939. He bounced around the minor leagues for a few years, playing for Rugmakers (1939, 41), Ashland Colonels (1940), and the Rocky Mount Leafs (1941-42).
Like many ball players of the time, Kennedy joined the military in service of the country during World War II, He would miss the 1943-45 seasons while serving as a control tower operator for the US Army Air Force.
Kennedy would return to baseball in 1946, and had one of the most amazing seasons in history. While pitching for the Rocky Mount Leafs, he would reach a 28-3 record with an astonishing 1.03 ERA. In 280 innings, Kennedy would record 456 strikeouts, second most in the history of the game (Future St. Louis Browns, Grover Lowdermilk, hold the record at 456 Ks in a season). This caught the attention of everyone in baseball, and was quickly signed by the Boston Red Sox.
After a year in the Boston organization, the Chicago White Sox picked him up in the 1947 Rule 5 draft. He would appear in just eight games with the ChiSox in 1948 before being traded to the St. Louis Browns.
On June 15, 1948, the Browns sent LHP Sam Zoldak to Chicago for Kennedy and $10,000. The Browns planned on using Kennedy in a starting role, but was also used in the bull pen. He would make his Browns debut on June 21, 1948 against the Philadelphia Athletics. He would allow six runs, on five hits and an amazing 12 walks in just 6.1 innings. He would appear in 26 games with the Browns in 1948, starting 20 of them and closing out another five games. As the season progressed, his lack of control began to show while on the mound. In fact in his four years with the Browns (1948-51), He would give up at least one walk in every game where he pitched more than two innings (216 walks in 94 games as a Brown).
Kennedy would continue to show his versatility in 1949, when he started 16 games and closed out 11 games for St. Louis. After splitting the next two seasons between St. Louis and the minors leagues (Baltimore Orioles - 1950, Louisville Colonels - 1951), Kennedy's contract was purchased by the Chicago White Sox before the 1952 season.
Bill Kennedy's final statistics with the Browns included pitching in 343 innings over 94 games. He recorded six complete games of the 41 games he started, and one save in the 21 games he closed. Of the 217 runs he allowed, only 185 of them were earned runs, along with his modest 4.84 ERA.
Kennedy would go on to pitch for the White Sox (1952), the Boston Red Sox (1953), and the Cincinnati Reds (1956-57). He would also see action with the Louisville Colonels (1953-54), Seattle Rainiers (1955-60), and Portland Beavers (1960).
Bill Kennedy would retire from baseball and settle down in Seattle, where he worked as a popular mixologist at the Ballard Edge Lodge. It would be safe to assume that he spend many nights telling tales of his baseball years with the St. Louis Browns.
Today's Browns Quote
"Things worthwhile generally don’t just happen. Luck is a fact, but should not be a factor. Good luck is what is left over after intelligence and effort have combined at their best. Negligence or indifference are usually reviewed from an unlucky seat. The law of cause and effect and causality both work the same with in
Today's Browns Quote
"Things worthwhile generally don’t just happen. Luck is a fact, but should not be a factor. Good luck is what is left over after intelligence and effort have combined at their best. Negligence or indifference are usually reviewed from an unlucky seat. The law of cause and effect and causality both work the same with inexorable exactitudes. Luck is the residue of design."
~ Branch Rickey, Browns Manager and Baseball Legend
BROWNS' BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY
1902 - OF Fred Bennett (1928)
TRANSACTIONS
1944 (?) - Browns sign free agent outfielder Frank Demaree (Exact date is uncertain) At the time the Browns signed Demaree, he was closing out a 12 year MLB career. He started his career with the Chicago Cubs (1932-33, 35-38), and was a National League All Star in 1936 and 1937. He would later spend time with the New York Giants (1939-41), Boston Braves (1941-42) and the St. Louis Cardinals (1943). He would only play in 39 games with the Redbirds, but he bat .291 in his first year in St. Louis. He did get one at bat in the 1943 World Series, which the Cardinals lost to the Yankees. It was the fourth time Demaree would appear in the Fall Classic, losing all four. The Browns signed Frank Demaree even though was classified 1-A for wartime service. He reported to the Browns Spring Training and began battling for playing time. His Browns debut came on April 20 in which he would go 1-4 in an 8-5 win over the Tigers. He would share time with a handful of younger outfielders, and by mid-June he was fading on the depth chart. His last game with the Browns would be his last MLB game. It was on June 13 vs. the Chicago White Sox. He would go 0-3 in the Browns victory. He was released on June 14, 1944. Demaree would later play for the Portland Beaver of the Pacific Coast League, and sign on with the Philadelphia Athletics for 1945. he would be cut from the A's prior to the season. Afte he retired from baseball, he would be inducted into the Pacific Coast League Hall of fame, and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (although there is no proff he was Italian)
The 1913 St. Louis Browns was made up of seasoned veteran players that would leave their marks on the history of the franchise. Eight of the players on this team would make the "Top 100 Browns" list on this website. They had three of the best hitters of the era, and some of the most successful pitchers in Browns history. This team had a f
The 1913 St. Louis Browns was made up of seasoned veteran players that would leave their marks on the history of the franchise. Eight of the players on this team would make the "Top 100 Browns" list on this website. They had three of the best hitters of the era, and some of the most successful pitchers in Browns history. This team had a future manager of Jackie Robinson's rookie MLB season. This team had the pitcher who threw the no-hitter in Browns history - the first no-hitter in history without a strikeout. This team would juggle three managers, with the legendary Branch Rickey standing alone at the end of the season.
TEAM ROSTER