John Kennedy (shortstop)
John Irvin Kennedy was an American professional baseball shortstop. He signed as a free agent with the New York Giants in Major League Baseball before the season, but was released prior to the season. Kennedy caught on with the Birmingham Black Barons, and later the Kansas City Monarchs, both of the Negro American League. Near the end of the season, with Kennedy having led the NAL batting race for most of the year, the Monarchs sold his contract to the Philadelphia Phillies.
When Kennedy made his big league debut, he became the first black player in Phillies history. The game was exactly 10 years to the day after manager Ben Chapman's Phillies had so taunted rookie Jackie Robinson in Brooklyn. Playing against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Kennedy entered the game in the top of the 8th inning as a pinch runner for Solly Hemus, who had doubled, but he did not score. The Dodgers won, 5-1.
Kennedy's next game was two days later, playing against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Connie Mack Stadium. He entered the game in the bottom of the 6th as a pinch runner for Harry Anderson, who had singled, and later scored on a bases-loaded triple by Ed Bouchee. The Phillies won, 8-5.
Kennedy got into a total of just five games, the last one on May 3, 1957. At the plate, he was 0-for-2, including one strikeout. In his two appearances at shortstop he had one assist, one error, and participated in one double play.
