Art Kenney

Arthur Joseph Kenney

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
• Schools University of New Hampshire, College of the Holy Cross
• Debut July 1, 1938
• Final Game July 4, 1938
• Born April 29, 1916 in Milford, MA USA
• Died March 12, 2014 in Littleton, NH USA

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Biographical Information

Left-hander Art Kenney signed as an amateur free agent with the Boston Bees on June 14, 1938, shortly after his graduation from the College of the Holy Cross. He had been a standout pitcher for the Crusader squad in the mid-1930s. He posted a career record of 16-4 on the mound, while helping the team to an overall mark of 51-9-1 during his collegiate career.

Both the Bees and the Boston Red Sox had high interest in Kenney. In an exhibition game in 1937, the Bees were hard-pressed to beat Holy Cross, 6-5, with Kenney on the mound. The following spring, the Red Sox got a taste of the 22-year-old when Holy Cross beat them, 3-2, and Kenney fanned Jimmie Foxx twice.

Kenney immediately joined the Bees after his graduation, making his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 1st. Kenney came on in relief in the 9th inning and allowed one run in a 5-0 loss. His second and final big league appearance also took place against the Phillies, on July 4th, when he pitched the last inning and a third in a 10-2 defeat.

The slender pitcher was then assigned to the Hartford Laurels of the class A Eastern League by manager Casey Stengel, where he went 1-2 before being recalled to Boston in September. Art began the 1939 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League but was soon assigned to the Evansville Bees of the class B Three-I League where illness hampered his performance and he ended his professional career.

Kenney returned to his native Massachusetts and took a job at Newmarket (NH) High School, in New Hampshire, teaching English and French. He continued to pitch for semi-pro teams in 1940 and 1941. Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7th and Art joined the Army Air Force on December 27th. After training, he reached the rank of captain and served in England in 1944-1945, being discharged at the end of 1945.

After leaving the service, Art returned to school and earned an advanced degree at the University of New Hampshire and served as principal of North Reading High School in Massachusetts for 32 years until retiring in 1981. The school's athletic complex is named in his honor. Kenney was also inducted into the Holy Cross Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.

Kenney died in 2014 at age 97. At the time of his death, he was the ninth-oldest living major leaguer.

Related Sites

• Art Kenney obituary