Millville's Buddy Kennedy thrilled about promotion to Arizona Diamondbacks; family, friends there to see his MLB debut tonight

It turned out tickets to Friday night’s major league baseball game in Arizona between the Diamondbacks and the Minnesota Twins were the perfect gift for Bud Kennedy.

Buddy Kennedy was in the startling lineup Friday, hitting sixth as the designated hitter, for his major league debut. The 2017 Millville High School graduate was promoted that afternoon, the team announced, as the Diamondbacks were set to begin a three-game series against the Twins.

“This is your gift” is what the third baseman said he told his father earlier this week when he first found out about the promotion. “The waves of emotions I have right now, I’ll get you my first hit.”

Kennedy, 23, was still in disbelief Friday morning. His parents, siblings and other family and friends flew to Phoenix on Thursday night. On Friday morning, they joined Buddy at Chase Field, the Diamondbacks’ stadium, to get custom jerseys made with his name on the back and the No. 45 he’ll wear in the majors.

Kennedy joins former South Jersey standout pitcher Zac Gallen (Bishop Eustace High School in Camden County) on Arizona. The Twins’ scheduled starting pitcher Friday was Devin Smeltzer, who also went to Bishop Eustace.

“I’m speechless,” Kennedy said by phone from the team store. “I’ve been waiting so long, ever since I started tee ball at 5 years old. I sacrificed a lot, I gave up a lot of my time. And now seeing it pay off, and I can look myself in the mirror and say, ‘You did it.’

Kennedy was selected in the fifth round (142nd overall) in the 2017 MLB draft.

The 6-foot-1, right-handed hitter batted .296 (58 for 196) with the Triple-A Reno Aces in Nevada. In 54 games, he had eight doubles, three triples, four homers, 37 runs and 24 RBIs. He walked 30 times and struck out 41 times.

He entered this year coming off a career season he spent with high Single-A Hillsboro Hops in Oregon and Double A-Amarillo Sod Poodles in Texas. He hit a combined .290 with 22 homers, 11 doubles, two triples, 60 RBIs and 61 runs in 96 games in 2021.

Everything happens for a reason

Kennedy found out about the move Wednesday. (His last game with Reno was Tuesday.) Aces manager Gil Velazquez singled out Kennedy during a team meeting following Wednesday’s game and told him he doesn’t have to worry about travel plans next week when the team heads to Salt Lake City.

“Don’t worry (about travel for Salt Lake City) because you’re going to the bigs,” Velazquez told Kennedy.

“The hair on my body stood up,” Kennedy said. “When he said it, I had to process it for a second. Oh, damn, I’m going to the big leagues! It’s just insane. Everything has just fallen into place and happens for a reason.”

Kennedy was not on the 40-man roster, so the Diamondbacks had to option outfielder Jake McCarthy to Reno to open a roster spot.

None of this almost happened.

Because Kennedy was not on the 40-man roster this past offseason, he was eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft. The Rule 5 Draft happens during the winter meetings, and it allows teams to select unprotected players from any of the other 29 major league teams.

The draft was canceled this offseason due to the lockout.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he reiterated.

A proud family

Kennedy is the first Millville graduate to make it to the majors since three-time American League MVP and Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (class of 2009), with whom Kennedy trains with during the offseason.

But he’s not the first member of his family to make the majors. Kennedy’s grandfather, Don Money, played 16 seasons, including the first five for the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I’m very proud,” said Money, 75, who was in Arizona for Friday’s game. “He’s been after this for years, and not many people get to make it to the big leagues. He put in a lot of hard work this winter. He works out with Mike Trout. They’re friends, and Mike always encourages him. We all have.”

Kennedy said he woke his father up around 1 a.m. Thursday because of the 3-hour time difference from Reno, Nevada. Bud couldn’t go back to sleep and decided to go to the gym and do an hour of cardio to wear off the adrenaline.

Buddy’s sister, Alexis, screamed out loud at work when she found out, and his younger brother, Cooper, is treating it like another game he gets to watch Buddy play.

Shannon Kennedy, Buddy’s mother and Money’s daughter, said she couldn’t stop smiling.

“I was never Shannon. I was Don Money’s daughter, and now I’m Buddy Kennedy’s mom,” she joked.

“It’s very surreal. It’s an exciting journey. It’s a family journey, a friend journey.”

Shannon said 14 people, including Kennedy’s girlfriend, Claire Swift, and her parents, made the trip to Arizona with a five-hour flight Thursday night. They spent a few thousand dollars total in the team store, a haul that included 10 custom white Kennedy No. 45 jerseys being made to order.

Kennedy planned an early arrival to Chase Field on Friday. His family and friends also planned to get there early to watch batting practice before the 6:40 p.m. start in Arizona.

“It just feels like time is going slow right now,” Bud Kennedy said of his son’s big day. “The emotions are running high. I’m excited for him, and I’m scared for him, too, imagining him being out there. He’s used to playing in front of 5,000 people and will now be playing in front of 17,000 or 18,000 fans. He’ll be fine.”

Buddy Kennedy was starting to fantasize about all the good things that could happen in his first game, from his first major league hit to belting a home run. But he quickly dialed back those emotions ahead of Friday’s game.

“You’re going from a normal routine wherever you are and you finally get called up and you’re a major leaguer,” Kennedy said. “I was doing all I could do to the best of my abilities to finally getting the call. All right, let it sink in, give it a day.

“When I take my first at-bat, it will be all business. I just have to have fun, enjoy it and live in the moment for sure.”