Kennedy Named Yankees Pitcher of the Year

Ex-SI Yankee wins the 2007 Kevin Lawn Award

By: Robert Pimpsner

March 8, 2008 – It has been over a year since Ian Kennedy began his career as a professional baseball player and today the ex-Staten Island Yankee was honored by the Yankees prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Each year the Yankees award the best position player and pitcher with the Kevin Lawn award. 

                Last season Kennedy rocketed through the Yankees system, starting the year with the Tampa Yankees and then making his Major League debut on September 1^st.  He started 25 starts in the minors he was 12-3 with a 1.91 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 146 2/3 innings with Class-A Tampa, Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.  In three starts for the New York Yankees Ian was 1-0 with a 1.89 ERA.

                The young right hander was drafted in the first round with the 21^st overall pick of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.  After signing with the Yankees he was assigned to the Staten Island Yankees towards the end of the 2006 season.  Kennedy made a total of two starts for the Baby Bombers, one in the regular season and another in the NY-Penn League Championship series.  In his professional debut against the Tri-City Valley Cats he went 2.2 innings allowing 2 hits and walking 2 while also striking out 2.  In his post-season start the young control artist went 4 innings and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits and striking out 6.

                Kennedy was also named the MiLB.com Pitcher of the Year for 2007 and was also named to the 2007 Baseball America All-Minor League All-Star team.