Table of Content
Kennedy added a single later in the seventh to finish 4-for-4. After fouling off a bunt attempt, Kennedy took a full swing and hit another foul before uppercutting a hanging curveball out of the park. Sign up for the free Baseball Reference newsletter and get scores, news and notes in your inbox every day. "I think there is a small portion of relief with some of the guys that have been through the wars here," Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia said. "We won the championship. What a source of pride for these guys that have played for such a long time." That's because the player nicknamed "King Fish" had finally reached the World Series after 10 years with the Angels.
The Twins scored three runs in the seventh to take a 5-3 lead against Brian Donnelly and Francisco Rodriguez, but Kennedy’s three-run homer off a 0-2 Johan Santana curveball put them up. Ironically if Kennedy had gotten a bunt down he never would have had a chance for October immortality. Kennedy’s first homer came on Joe Mays’ initial pitch of the third inning and reduced the Twins’ lead to 2-1. Homer No. 2 was delivered one batter after Scott Spiezio led off the fifth with a homer that tied the score 2-2. Kennedy fell behind 1-2 and then crushed Mays’ next offering into the seats in right-center for a lead.
Player Value--Batting
His first MLB home run came on August 31 against Brian Meadows of the Florida Marlins. He appeared in 33 games for the Cards with a .255 batting average that season. On August 11, 2007, Kennedy was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, an injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. He was in 87 games prior to the injury, and hit only .219. The national spotlight shone briefly on Kennedy on August 16, 2006, when he took part in a bench-clearing brawl in the ninth inning of a game between the Texas Rangers and the Angels.
However, his declining offensive performance put his status with the club in flux. Before the 2006 season trade deadline, it was rumored that Kennedy would be traded, most notably for Shea Hillenbrand. While the rumors never came to fruition, Kennedy was forced to share the starting second base position, playing in a platoon with rookie Howie Kendrick for the remainder of the season. Others who have homered three times in a postseason game are New York Yankees sluggers Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson, Pittsburgh's Bob Robertson and Kansas City's George Brett. Kennedy, named MVP of the ALCS despite going 1-for-10 without an RBI in the first four games, said he couldn't remember ever hitting three homers in a game.
Anaheim Angels/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Chicago White Sox last made it in 1959 and the Chicago Cubs last made it in 1945. That's 100 seasons of Chicago baseball with no World Series games. A year ago, Salmon couldn't have been more discouraged, both for his team and himself. The Angels finished 41 games behind AL West champion Seattle. Salmon bottomed out with a .227 batting average, 17 homers and 49 RBIs -- all career lows. Ruth remains the only player to homer three times in a postseason game twice, and he did it when the postseason consisted of only one round per year.
In Game 4 of the 1926 World Series, Babe Ruth became the first player to hit three home runs in a postseason game. On December 1, 2011, Kennedy signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 86 games with the Dodgers, mostly as a pinch hitter , Kennedy hit .262. A strained right groin put him on the disabled list and ended his season early, on September 11. The 2002 campaign established Kennedy as a fixture in the Angels infield.
MLB Home Runs Hit by Adam Kennedy | Baseball Almanac
Tensions between the two division rivals were already high, as two Rangers starting pitchers — Adam Eaton and Vicente Padilla — had been ejected in previous games that month for throwing at Angels batters. Also, two Angels hurlers had already been thrown out of the game for hitting batters, and manager Mike Scioscia and bench coach Ron Roenicke had been ejected as well. Rangers pitcher Scott Feldman hit Kennedy in the buttocks with a fastball with only one out remaining in the game, and his team up 9–3. Kennedy charged the mound, triggering a fight between the 6' 5" Feldman and the 6' 1" Kennedy. As Kennedy charged him, Feldman stood on the mound and threw down his glove, and when Kennedy reached him Feldman then hit Kennedy in the armpit with a punch.
Kennedy was suspended for four games for his actions. He also homered in the division series against the Yankees, and has four in 32 postseason at-bats while playing in eight of Anaheim's nine playoff games. In 1966, Bobby Knoop became the first Angels second baseman to lead the American League in fielding percentage (.981). In 1985, Bobby Grich joined Knoop, leading all second baseman with his stellar .997 fielding average, and in 2003, Adam Kennedy joined that duo, with his AL leading .990 average.
Appearances on Leaderboards, Awards, and Honors
Fittingly, the first player the Angels’ manager saw in the celebration was Tim Salmon, the right fielder who endured the dark years. February 19, 2009 Durham Bulls signed free agent Adam Kennedy. February 12, 2010 Washington Nationals signed free agent 2B Adam Kennedy. January 13, 2011 Tacoma Rainiers signed free agent Adam Kennedy.
He attended Cal State Northridge, where he played shortstop for the Matador baseball squad. He set school records in career hits, RBI and batting average and was a three-time All-American. In 1996, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Today, he is in the record books with Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, George Brett and Bob Robertson as the only players to hit three homers in one post-season game. He made his MLB debut on August 21, 1999, for the Cardinals against the New York Mets at second base. His first MLB hit was a three RBI double to left field on August 22 off of Orel Hershiser of the Mets.
His 12 total bases and four runs scored were also records at the time. Chris Taylor was greeted by Albert Pujols at home plate after one of his three home runs on Thursday. Pujols hit three homers in a World Series game in 2011. Armed with the lead, the Angels buried the Twins just like they did the Yankees in the fifth inning of the ALDS Game 4 when they scored eight runs.
Usually a light-hitting second baseman, Kennedy became the fifth player to hit three homers in a postseason game as the Anaheim Angels beat the Minnesota Twins 13-5 to win the AL Championship Series 4-1. On January 10, 2011, he signed a minor-league deal with the Seattle Mariners. Kennedy, however, made the team out of spring training, and served as a utility infielder, seeing action at first base, second base and third base during the year while hitting .234 in 114 games. Midway through the season he replaced former Angels teammate Chone Figgins as the starting third baseman. Adam Kennedy was born on Saturday, January 10, 1976, in Riverside, California. Kennedy was 23 years old when he broke into the big leagues on August 21, 1999, with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Benji Gil, who shares second base with Kennedy, instructed Kennedy to open his mouth. When Kennedy did, Gil poured a river of tequila into it. The victory propelled the Angels to their first World Series appearance ever. Game 1 is Saturday at Edison against the Giants or Cardinals.
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