Goldpanners All-Time Record Holder
Single Season Batting Average .432432 (.432)

Kennedy’s Season Slips Mantle Off Head of Kemp

Move over, Steve Kemp, Adam Kennedy is taking your place.  Kemp, generally considered the greatest hitter ever to play with the Alaska Goldpanners, owned the top individual season honors for 20 years.  But in 1995, Adam Kennedy of Cal State Northridge changed the picture.

The slight Kennedy, just a freshman, had a good season from start to finish and posted a .432 average to topple the long run of Kemp by seven percentage points.  Kennedy was no slouch either as he hit 15 doubles, 11 triples and 3 home runs and swiped 25 bases for an excellent speed and power combo.

Kemp, from the University of Southern California, was a clean-up hitter and feared by the opposition.  He ripped 13 home runs and drove in 46 runs in 41 games.  Kennedy on the other hand, was the leadoff hitter and time and again set the table for fast getaways by the Goldpanners.

Kennedy joins Kemp and just four other .400 hitters in the Goldpanners’ fabulous 38-year history.  Besides Kennedy and Kemp, the only other Panner to hit above the magic level was Bob Boone of Stanford with a .405 in 1968.  Boone, the current manager of the Kansas City Royals, is also one of the team’s greatest career hitters, ranking closely behind Kemp in that category.  Kennedy chose not to chase the career records as he decided to pass up the Fairbanks experience after his sophomore season.  All career marks were well within Kennedy’s sights after the great rookie season.

The other .400 hitters—all landing right on the mark—were big Bobby Jack of the University of Oklahoma in 1971, Alvin Davis of Arizona State in 1980 and current Panner assistant coach Bill Dunckel of San Diego State in 1991.

Of the six, Dunckel’s season is probably the most outstanding as he collected 60 RBI in 58 games while ripping 16 doubles, 12 triples and 15 home runs.  In addition, he stole 43 bases.  Both the 12 triples and the 43 steals rank him on the all-time Goldpanner charts just behind Bob Boone and Tom Goodwin of Fresno State with 14 and 48 respectively.

1990s All-Stars

Brother Bryan Played for Panners in 1998 | Baseball Card Checklist

AMATEUR HIGHLIGHTS

• 1997 - Became the school’s career record holder in batting average (.414), hits (337) and RBIs (234).

• 1997 - Led all NCAA Division I players in hits as sophomore (121) and junior (134), becoming first player to lead nation in hits in back-to-back years

• 1997 - Became a three-time All-American at Cal State Northridge

• 1996 - Named first team All-America, batting .482 with 32 doubles, 26 home runs and 99 RBI

• 1995 - Set Panners batting record with .432 avg.

• 6/20/95: Goldpanners win Midnight Sun Game

• 1994 - Graduated from J.W. North High School in Riverside, CA

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

• 1997 - Selected in the first round (20th overall pick) of the June draft

• 1998 - Split season between Prince William (A), Arkansas (AA) and Memphis (AAA)

• 1999 - Named Cardinals' Minor League Player of the Year

• 1999 - Named to the PCL postseason All-Star team.

• 1999 - Represented USA in Pan Am Games, taking home silver ; qualified USA for 2000 Games.

• 5/6/8: Kennedy still distancing himself from 2007 "Kennedy is still waiting for the day when La Russa makes him an everyday lineup fixture. Kennedy batted .329 heading into an eight-game trip for the surprise NL Central leaders after getting two hits, two walks and two RBIs in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Cubs, yet he started only four games in a 6-3 homestand.  The left-handed hitting Kennedy is 5-for-11 against left-handers, but Aaron Miles and Brendan Ryan have gotten the starts."

• 5/21/5: Kennedy starting to make a contribution

• 3/4/4: To hit ninth in Angels' batting order

• 11/14/3: Injured Angels improving

• 4/22/3: Back off DL for Yankees series

• 4/9/3: Goes on 15-day DL with Hamstring injury

• 4/3/3: Bruises right hammy in collision

• 3/29/3: Rough Spring

• 2/20/3: Aim: Second to None

• 1/27/3: To attend alumni game

• 1/18/3: Signed to one-year contract with Anaheim

• 10/23/2: Scioscia calls on him against lefties

• 10/19/2: 2-for-4 with RBI for Anaheim

• 10/19/2: Amidst the celebration, Kennedy stays humble

• 10/14/2: Gets Historic; ALCS MVP!

• 9/5/2: RealAudio Interview

• 9/3/2: Has risen to second basemen elite

• 3/15/2: Grand slam; 6 RBI

• 4/13/1: Sneaks back into the Anaheim lineup.

• 4/13/1: Activated from Disabled List. Opens season today.

• 4/13/1: Recalled from A Rancho Quakes

• 3/4/1: Signs 1-year contract with Angels

• 3/15/1: Out with a fractured finger

• 1/5/1: Road to Major Leagues takes turn in Alaska

• 10/17/0: Baseball America's Top 20 Rookies - Adam Kennedy

• 6/3/0: With 3 hit night, Kennedy back on track

• 4/19/0: Kennedy for President : drives in eight in 16-10 slugfest

• 4/19/0: Kennedy Footage: Real: ISDN | 56.6 | 28.8 ; Windows: ISDN |28.8

• 3/23/0: Anaheim Angels acquire Adam Kennedy (95)

Goldpanners Statistics 1995

Batting Stats

Decade: 1993-2002

 Minor League Statistics 1997-1999

Batting Stats

Team USA

Major League Career Statistics 1999-2001

Batting Stats

2002 ALDS MVP - 3HR in One Game!

David Marasco

David Marasco