Kennedy Stays Busy, Waits for Promotion to Cardinals

Adam Kennedy’s name has popped up on just about every roster except the one he wants.

In recent weeks, the former Cal State Northridge infielder has been selected to the joint triple-A All-Star game, the Futures game and is among 34 finalists vying for a spot on the Pan American team.

Just not the St. Louis Cardinals.

“It’s nice to get opportunities like this along the way,” said Kennedy, a second baseman for the triple-A Memphis Redbirds. “But they still take a back seat to my main goal of making it to the big leagues.”

The 23-year-old is tantalizingly close, but if he doesn’t get the call in the next week, the consolation prize isn’t too bad.

Barring a promotion, Kennedy will appear in the Futures game July 11 at Fenway Park, part of major league all-star week festivities in Boston.

The game will feature 50 of the best minor league prospects, with American players facing foreign-born counterparts.

Three days later, Kennedy is scheduled to represent the Pacific Coast League in the triple-A game in New Orleans.

Workouts for the Pan Am team begin July 15 in Tucson, with the tournament taking place July 25-Aug. 2 in Winnipeg, Canada.

The U.S. needs a good showing in the Pan Am Games to qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

In all, Kennedy could miss as many as three weeks from Memphis, where he is batting .307 with nine home runs, 44 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases.

Kennedy, the Cardinals’ first-round pick in 1997, has moved quickly through the organization and vaulted from Class-A to triple-A in 1998.

It may be difficult to bust through to the major leagues, however.

The Cardinals are pleased with their middle infield.

Shortstop Edgar Renteria entered the weekend batting .286, and second baseman Joe McEwing was batting .316 and is a leading candidate for National League rookie of the year.

“Joe is one of my best friends in the organization,” said Kennedy, who last season played with McEwing in Memphis. “Nobody is happier for him than I am.

“If I am good enough to be there, I will be.”

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No matter where Kennedy goes this summer, he will have company from the Valley and Ventura County region.

Former Chatsworth pitcher Derek Wallace, playing for the New York Mets’ triple-A affiliate in Norfolk, Va., is also among the finalists for the Pan Am team.

Outfielder Brent Cookson, formerly of Santa Paula, will represent Dodger affiliate Albuquerque in the joint triple-A All-Star game.

Pitcher Chris Mears of the Lancaster JetHawks has been added to the U.S. roster for the Futures game. Former Antelope Valley College Coach Dave Trembley, manager of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx in the Chicago Cubs organization, is an assistant on the U.S. team.

Trembley was the winning manager in the West’s 5-3 victory over the East last week in the double-A Southern League All-Star game.

At Memphis, Kennedy is a teammate of former Hoover standout Nate Dishington and, in St. Louis, left-hander Scott Radinsky of Simi Valley is a reliever.

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Former Northridge outfielder Kurt Airoso was selected Southern League player of the week for June 21-27.

Airoso, the Detroit Tigers’ 29th-round pick in 1996, was 12 for 24 with eight runs and five RBIs for the Jacksonville Suns.

He entered the weekend batting .293 with eight home runs and a team-leading 50 RBIs.

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Junior Brignac, who played at Cleveland High, was promoted by the Atlanta Braves to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans of the Class-A Carolina League.

Brignac batted .299 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs for Macon, the Braves’ secondary Class-A team, and was a South Atlantic League all-star.

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Former Notre Dame left-hander Chris Garza, who hurled 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Class-A Fort Myers of the Florida State League, was promoted last week to double-A New Britain, Conn.

In two outings with the Rock Cats, he had allowed three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.

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Former Westlake right-hander John Snyder was optioned by the Chicago White Sox to triple-A Charlotte of the International League on Thursday after another disappointing outing.

Snyder (7-6) allowed seven runs and eight hits in two innings against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday and had allowed 18 runs and 22 hits in his last seven innings. After an excellent start, his earned-run average had ballooned to 5.81.

“We can’t afford to run him out there much longer,” White Sox Manager Jerry Manuel told the Chicago media on Wednesday night.

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Former Pierce left-hander Barry Zito, selected last month by the Oakland Athletics with the ninth overall pick in the draft, made an inauspicious professional debut Friday night.

Zito gave up four earned runs, four hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings in Visalia’s 8-7 victory over San Jose in a California League game.

Zito struck out four and was not involved in the decision.

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Pitcher Bobby Cowan of the Tri-City Posse, formerly of Saugus, leads the independent Western League with five victories and is second with a 2.76 ERA. . . . Former Harvard-Westlake catcher Jon Schaeffer, most valuable player of the Midwest League all-star game, ranks second in the league in on-base percentage at .455. . . . Left-handed pitcher Damaso Marte became the latest former JetHawk to reach the majors when he was called up by the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday. Later that night, he allowed home runs to John Jaha and Ramon Hernandez of the Oakland Athletics in his one-inning debut.