Bob Kennedy

Born: 8/18/1920 in Chicago, IL, USA

Died: 4/7/2005 in Mesa, AZ, USA

MLB Debut: 1939-09-14 | Final Game: 1957-09-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 193 lbs

Full name: Robert Daniel Kennedy

📋 View Manager Career

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Bob Kennedy, born in 1920, was a versatile position player whose career spanned from 1939 to 1957. Over the course of 1,483 games in Major League Baseball, Kennedy established himself as a reliable contributor to his teams, amassing 1,176 hits and driving in 514 runs. His power was evident with 63 home runs, and he showcased his speed on the bases with 45 stolen bases. Kennedy finished his career with a batting average of .254, highlighting his ability to consistently reach base during a time when offense was evolving and becoming increasingly important in the game. Kennedy played in a transitional era for baseball, which included the onset of World War II and the post-war changes that impacted player compositions and team strategies. He was known for his hard-nosed playing style and versatility, often filling in at various positions as needed. His contributions to the teams he played for, including the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers, remain a testament to his skill and adaptability on the field. As a part of the fabric of baseball during the mid-20th century, Kennedy's legacy is remembered among fans and historians alike.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1483	4624	514	1176	196	41	63	514	45	364	443	0.254	0.309	0.355	0.665	-6910.9

Career AVG .254 vs. league average .261 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .309 vs. league average .334 across their career seasons — 7.5% below league average.

Career SLG .355 vs. league average .382 across their career seasons — 7.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.665 vs. league average 0.717 across their career seasons — 7.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1939	CHW	AL	3	8	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1940	CHW	AL	154	606	74	153	23	3	3	52	3	42	58	0.252	.267 (-6%)	.335 (-10%)	.387 (-19%)	.722 (-15%)	-1868.6
1941	CHW	AL	76	257	16	53	9	3	1	29	5	17	23	0.206	.262 (-21%)	.332 (-23%)	.373 (-26%)	.705 (-25%)	-1184.5
1942	CHW	AL	113	412	37	95	18	5	0	38	11	22	41	0.231	.253 (-9%)	.323 (-17%)	.349 (-15%)	.672 (-16%)	-1293.0
1946	CHW	AL	113	411	43	106	13	5	5	34	6	24	42	0.258	.256 (avg)	.328 (-9%)	.358 (-2%)	.687 (-5%)	-517.3
1947	CHW	AL	115	428	47	112	19	3	6	48	3	18	38	0.262	.262 (avg)	.336 (-13%)	.376 (-4%)	.712 (-8%)	-838.1
1948	CHW	AL	30	113	4	28	8	1	0	14	0	4	17	0.248	.263 (-6%)	.340 (-20%)	.379 (-11%)	.719 (-15%)	-333.2
1948	CLE	AL	66	73	10	22	3	2	0	5	0	4	6	0.301	.263 (+14%)	.340 (-1%)	.379 (+5%)	.719 (+2%)	-333.2
1949	CLE	AL	121	424	49	117	23	5	9	57	5	37	40	0.276	.262 (+5%)	.343 (-3%)	.384 (+9%)	.727 (+3%)	145.5
1950	CLE	AL	146	540	79	157	27	5	9	54	3	53	31	0.291	.265 (+9%)	.346 (+3%)	.401 (+2%)	.747 (+2%)	223.9
1951	CLE	AL	108	321	30	79	15	4	7	29	4	34	33	0.246	.260 (-6%)	.336 (-5%)	.385 (-1%)	.721 (-3%)	-205.5
1952	CLE	AL	22	40	6	12	3	1	0	12	1	9	5	0.300	—	—	—	—	0.0
1953	CLE	AL	100	161	22	38	5	0	3	22	0	19	11	0.236	.264 (-11%)	.335 (-5%)	.397 (-19%)	.733 (-12%)	-343.9
1954	CLE	AL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1954	BAL	AL	106	323	37	81	13	2	6	45	2	28	43	0.251	.261 (-4%)	.333 (-8%)	.390 (-8%)	.723 (-8%)	0.0
1955	BAL	AL	26	70	10	10	1	0	0	5	0	10	10	0.143	.258 (-45%)	.332 (-25%)	.393 (-60%)	.726 (-44%)	-497.1
1955	CHW	AL	83	214	28	65	10	2	9	43	0	16	16	0.304	.258 (+17%)	.332 (+6%)	.393 (+26%)	.726 (+17%)	-497.1
1956	CHW	AL	8	13	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	0.077	—	—	—	—	0.0
1956	DET	AL	69	177	17	41	5	0	4	22	2	24	19	0.232	.258 (-10%)	.331 (-1%)	.397 (-18%)	.728 (-10%)	0.0
1957	CHW	AL	4	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1957	BRO	NL	19	31	5	4	1	0	1	4	0	1	5	0.129	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
3	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0.500

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1948	WS	CLE	3	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0.500

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	10	6	57	4	0	8
2B	2	0	4	5	0	1
3B	540	118	555	1067	105	90
OF	821	68	1400	63	33	14

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1939	CHA	3B	2	0	0	3	1	0
1940	CHA	3B	154	0	178	322	33	25
1941	CHA	3B	71	0	88	153	17	12
1942	CHA	3B	96	0	99	207	14	17
1942	CHA	OF	16	0	31	2	1	0
1946	CHA	3B	29	0	19	77	10	6
1946	CHA	OF	75	0	157	10	6	1
1947	CHA	3B	1	0	1	2	0	0
1947	CHA	OF	106	0	204	8	7	3
1948	CHA	OF	30	0	61	3	2	0
1948	CLE	1B	1	0	3	0	0	1
1948	CLE	2B	2	0	4	5	0	1
1948	CLE	OF	50	0	35	2	0	1
1949	CLE	3B	21	0	13	44	1	4
1949	CLE	OF	98	0	190	12	2	4
1950	CLE	OF	144	0	294	13	4	3
1951	CLE	OF	106	0	174	9	6	2
1952	CLE	3B	3	0	1	12	0	1
1952	CLE	OF	13	0	24	0	0	0
1953	CLE	OF	89	0	91	2	0	0
1954	CLE	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1954	BAL	3B	71	59	81	131	14	10
1954	BAL	OF	21	17	40	0	1	0
1955	BAL	1B	6	5	47	4	0	6
1955	BAL	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1955	BAL	OF	14	12	27	0	0	0
1955	CHA	1B	3	1	7	0	0	1
1955	CHA	3B	55	32	32	73	7	10
1955	CHA	OF	20	15	16	0	0	0
1956	CHA	3B	6	4	4	3	0	2
1956	DET	3B	27	21	35	38	8	3
1956	DET	OF	29	20	52	2	4	0
1957	BRO	3B	3	2	4	2	0	0
1957	BRO	OF	9	4	4	0	0	0