Joe Kennedy died of heart disease
by dboysick on Jan 15, 2008 9:35 AM PST
46 comments
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/s...
No matter what you thought of the guy while on the bump, I think we all felt a loss.
"Former major league pitcher Joe Kennedy, who passed away in November while at his in-laws' home near Tampa, was found to have died of natural causes, specifically hypertensive heart disease, according to the Hillsborough County (Fla.) medical examiner department."
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Lack of coverage?
I was always suprised at the lack of interest in his passing....and the amount of interest for Sean Taylor's passing. Both young athletes, tragic and occured around the same time. I realize Taylor was a bit bigger star and it was during the football season but JoKe's passing seemed to be forgotten about.
by WiscoFan on Jan 15, 2008 9:56 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
probably true
by flipgatey3 on Jan 15, 2008 9:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Consider the circumstances of Taylor's death.
by rfloh on Jan 15, 2008 10:22 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
It should be pretty obvious that a robber gone wrong that resulted in the murder of an athlete is going to get substantially more coverage than athlete dieing of natural causes.
by methodrampage on Jan 15, 2008 12:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Doesn't make it right
Kennedy's circumstances are just as tragic, if not moreso, IMO. Kennedy had no control over his heart failing. Taylor's house was broken into the week before yet he decided to go down there while recovering from an injury with his wife/gf and child. He obviously didn't deserve what happened but there was some known risk there and he probably shouldn't of gone down there on his own. Call me a jerk for saying it if you want.
by WiscoFan on Jan 15, 2008 12:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You're absolutely right.
Taylor shouldn't have gone back home and should have left his girlfriend and child alone in the house.
This is getting off topic but in general, people who were murdered get more coverage than people who died of heart disease.
by methodrampage on Jan 15, 2008 12:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I give up
My point was just that Kennedy didn't receive enough as I think was deserved. If you want to get snide about it, Taylor is a moron for even bringing his girlfriend of child into house that was broken into the weekend before and even reportedly had a machete next to the bed.
by WiscoFan on Jan 15, 2008 1:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Taylor was not a moron
for bringing his wife and child into his own home. The man had a right to live his life with his family in his own home. The only mistake Taylor made as far as I'm concerned is going downstairs without a shotgun. I will say this for him, he went downstairs and dealt with a threat to his family. It cost him his life, but he died living up to a bigger obligation than playing a game.
I don't know the specifics of what happened that night, but most burglaries aren't committed with people at home and with a gun. Who knows what the shooters true intentions were that night.
by alox on Jan 15, 2008 2:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
darryl kile
died of coronary disease and got 20x the media coverage.
by xbhaskarx on Jan 15, 2008 12:32 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
The Kennedy/Taylor Comparison
No where in Wisco's diary did it mention Kile. Therefore I was only discussing the differences between Kennedy's and Taylor's coverage.
by methodrampage on Jan 15, 2008 12:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
it's not wisco's diary
but yes, wisco didn't mention kile, i mentioned kile.
by xbhaskarx on Jan 15, 2008 12:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
My bad
No where in Wisco's comment did it mention Kile.
And what does Kile have to do with my comment? See, there a general progression to these comments. Wisco mentioned that Kennedy didn't recieve anywhere near the same coverage that Taylor did. I said it had to do with Taylor being murdered rather than dieing of natural causes like Kennedy. Then you brought up Kile in response to my comment which has basically nothing to do with it or Wisco's comment.
Going back to the whole coverage issue, the fact that Taylor was a Pro Bowl safety and that Kennedy was a mediocre MLB pitcher would have had a lot to do with media coverage as well. I'm willing to bet a hell of a lot more people know Sean Taylor's name than Joe Kennedy's.
by methodrampage on Jan 15, 2008 12:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
it didn't...
it's a new comment, and a true one as well. don't trip, you're right too.
by flipgatey3 on Jan 15, 2008 1:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Obviously
Just making a point of how things are reported by the media differently, considering how both occured at roughly the same time and both were about the same age and both tragic circumstances. One got mongo coverage, one almost none at all. Of course Taylor was better, but its not like hes a household name either.
The Kile point is a valid one. Sure he was better than Kennedy but its strange how one tragedy gets alot more air time than another. I wonder if Kennedy wasn't a free agent but with a team how it would of been viewed differently, if at all.
by WiscoFan on Jan 15, 2008 1:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Part of that
may have been due to the fact that Kile died during the season.
Even still, the coverage of Kennedy's death was embarassingly weak.
by BWH on Jan 15, 2008 2:34 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
in the annual losses column
for SI, I believe he wasn't even mentioned. talk about lack of coverage
by closetasfan on Jan 15, 2008 10:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
are you surprised?
joe kennedy played for the devil rays, rockies, a's, and blue jays.
those are not even major league teams as far as the national media is concerned.
by xbhaskarx on Jan 15, 2008 10:48 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
A's Medical Staff
by Colorado Fan on Jan 15, 2008 10:06 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Oddly...
...the A's medical team found Kennedy had three hearts, one tail, a conjoined twin and no right leg.
To be fair, they did ask for a second opinion on the tail.
by Ozzz on Jan 15, 2008 10:14 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I wonder what the second opinion was
by Nico on Jan 15, 2008 7:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Valid point.
We're talking about the team that set the MLB record for number of players used in a season, set the team record for number of times using the disabled list, and has a history of incorrectly diagnosing player injuries.
Not to be morbid, but the fact that they totally missed a condition that resulted in a player's death makes me worried about the competence of the staff moreso than before.
by mikev on Jan 15, 2008 11:34 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Cholesterol?
In the article it mentions that testing for cholesterol might be a good idea. A good idea? Every physical exam should test for cholesterol, tryglerides, and, of course, PSA. You have got to be kidding me! Are these not valuable properties? Are we not men?
by Buck18 on Jan 16, 2008 8:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Don't forget the colonoscopy.
by Poppy on Jan 16, 2008 10:28 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, thanks for the reminder.
Scheduled for the 28th.
by Ice Cream on Jan 16, 2008 12:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
The 28th?
You're not going to get tickets for the autograph-and-colonoscopy sessions at FanFest?
by Poppy on Jan 16, 2008 12:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
no, no, no
Look at your tickets more closely: it's an "autograph-your-colon" session.
by monkeyball on Jan 16, 2008 1:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
and it's at *FannyFest* not Fanfest
by Ice Cream on Jan 16, 2008 2:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I signed up for the Roy "Buns of" Steele seminar
by Ice Cream on Jan 17, 2008 2:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Err, women need to be tested
for HDL, LDL and tryglyceride levels too.
by rfloh on Jan 16, 2008 1:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
From the MLB.com story by Urban
on the A's site: :
Kennedy's death, as well as the heart-related deaths of an elite marathon runner and an NFL player in the past year, has prompted a call for more intense cardiology testing for athletes.
"You could easily make a case for that," said Pont, who also suggested that athletes should be tested for cholesterol levels. "And if there is anything to suggest a predisposition to heart disease, there should be a more thorough exam, which is what we have been doing."
They don't do cholesterol testing now?? Even my crappy HMO does them at least once a year!
by Englishmajor on Jan 15, 2008 11:45 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
you're kidding, right?
What is increased LDL cholesterol level a potential marker for?
by monkeyball on Jan 15, 2008 2:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Elephant in the room
I'm curious - if he was using a substance - HGH, etc. - would it show up in his toxicology report?
Because those things do lead to and exacerbate heart problems.
by notsellingjeans on Jan 15, 2008 12:35 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
depends how recently
if i'm not mistaken...if it was years ago, probably not.
by flipgatey3 on Jan 15, 2008 1:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Please show some evidence,
and be more specific before you throw baseless speculation around.
Which of "those" things are you referring to that lead to and exacerbate heart problems?
HGH? Nope. Does not. Anabolic and Androgenic steroids? Which ones? Some do, some don't.
And no, popular myth, or even opinions of professionals isn't evidence. Evidence is actual scientific studies.
by rfloh on Jan 15, 2008 1:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Geez, he was just curious.
Threw it out there as a possibility, however remote.
by salb918 on Jan 15, 2008 2:27 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
January is grumpy month on AN.
We're starving for baseball and resorting to internet cannibalism.
It's called APS(*)
(*) Alferd Parker Syndrome
by The Dogfather on Jan 15, 2008 6:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
OK, I apologise
Steroid speculation tends to act as a red rag for me.
Especially such foggy speculation.
by rfloh on Jan 15, 2008 11:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
A point some seem to be missing, and a PSA
Hypertensive heart disease is much different than congenital defects. It is quite possible that there were no observable structural or electrical defects during an EKG or echocardiogram. I would be very interested to know his last blood pressure measurements.
PSA:
High blood pressure is really bad for you, and it isn't unusual for someone to be completely asymptomatic. When your doctor talks to you about your cholesterol and blood pressure, remember Joe Kennedy and take it seriously.
by MrIncognito on Jan 15, 2008 3:16 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
but...
..it's pretty damned rare to die of heart disease related to hypertension in your 20s, even if you are packing a few extra pounds. Even the dolt-headed A's med staff should be able to pick up an elevated blood pressure.
I know back from the phen-fen days that stimulants have been linked to mitral valve prolapse. Evidently there were some issues with Joe's mitral valve.
This is NOT to say that this is what happened with him, but it's a legit question to ask. Clemens aside, he fits the prototypical PED user -- AAAA-ish guy who thinks they need an extra boost to get over the edge. (See the BP piece on steriod user profiles.) Tox screens might not show it if he stopped well before the incident. It's not disrespectful to to have natural curiousity about these things in order to make sense of them.
There are loads of factors that could be involved, including the fact that people indulge during the holidays and sometimes that can be their tipping point. Who fucking knows (except maybe the coroner).
What I do know that it's a sad situation and I feel for his young family. Can't say I was a big Joe fan when he was wearing our laundry, but it's still a sad situation.
I worry about some of the larger guys, esp like Blanton, that end up sweating like hogs out there trying to make plays. Believe me, I'm not harshing people for being tubby, but this is a sport and conditioning matters.
Just ramblings, we're all just trying to make sense of this.
by HardensGirl on Jan 15, 2008 8:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Phen-fen was actually
legal.
Also, just because phen-fen is linked to mitral valve collapses does not mean than any stimulant: ephedrine, caffeine / coffee are also linked to mitral valve collapses.
by rfloh on Jan 15, 2008 11:33 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
mitral valve prolapses
by rfloh on Jan 15, 2008 11:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
heart disease in your 20s
Depending on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, it's entirely in the realm of possibility.
For example, a 28 year old non-smoker with a TC of 300, HDL of 20, and a SBP of 200 has about a 4% chance of death within 10 years from a heart attack (check out Framingham risk assessment).
There is absolutely nothing about Kennedy's death that is suggestive of PED use that has been released. Given a family history of heart disease was evidently worrisome to the team doctors, it's entirely and unfortunately possible for a person in their 20s to drop dead.
by MrIncognito on Jan 16, 2008 10:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
SBP of 200?
If they didn't catch a systolic of 200, the med staff should be shot. I seriously doubt even this team's staff would clear the guy with uncontrolled hypertension of this magnitude.
A wide variety of stimulants and drugs can really contribute to hypertension and cardiac stress. So does weight and heredity. The fact that he was so young and that he had a previous cardiac work-up all leads to natural suspicion. It's legit to ask the question, not to take away from Joe's memory.
by HardensGirl on Jan 16, 2008 12:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Lowering it to 130 still gives a 3% risk
Once you're even slightly hypertensive, your risk is elevated.
And there are more people than you think walking around with really high SBPs.
by MrIncognito on Jan 16, 2008 1:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
sad...
Whatever people say about the other athletes, Joe Kennedy is a person too, and it's just not fair how little everybody seemed to care, compared to other people. Yes, he died of natural causes, but that doesn't make it any less important... or sad.
by Athletics1433 on Jan 16, 2008 3:19 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
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