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By MIKE READLING
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 9, 2001
ORLANDO -- There is no secret to Joe Kennedy's success. There isn't a magic potion he drinks before each start, no rigorous off-season workout routine, no alternative medicine to explain the numbers he has put up this season.
It's just something that happened. Not that he's complaining.
"I can't really explain it," the Orlando Rays left-hander said. "It's been fun. I've just been going out there and doing what I do."
What he does is shut down opponents.
Kennedy, 21, is second in minor-league baseball with a 0.19 ERA. In 47 innings he has allowed one earned run. Only Josh Beckett of the Class A Brevard County Manatees has a lower ERA, 0.00 through 352/3 innings.
Kennedy's earned run came in the third inning of his second start, against Greenville. That puts the hottest pitcher in the Rays organization on a streak of 38 innings without allowing an earned run.
"You can't ever imagine doing something like that," Kennedy said.
Kennedy, who is 4-0, was the Rays' eighth-round draft choice in 1998. He was 23-15 with a 3.19 ERA in three seasons in the minors. His lowest ERA was 2.65 with the short-season Class A Hudson Valley Renegades in 1999.
Kennedy has never seen himself as a power pitcher, even though his main pitch is the fastball and his most impressive statistic every season is his strikeout total. Last season with Class A Charleston he struck out 142, including 17 in one game July 20.
Kennedy said his fastball clocks in at 94 mph, up 2 mph from last season. He has 52 strikeouts this season and three walks.
Perhaps the most dangerous thing Kennedy has is the confidence that builds each time he pitches.
"Right now I feel like I can get anybody out any time with whatever pitch I want," Kennedy said.
WINNING PITCHER: Triple A Durham's Mickey Callaway has won 12 of his past 13 decisions, dating to July 6. Callaway, who pitched five innings Monday night to get his fourth win of the season, is 50-27 lifetime, the most wins of any Rays pitcher.
ON THE OTHER HAND ... : Matt White isn't having similar success. In 26 innings for Durham, White has given up 21 runs on 28 hits, walked 19 and struck out 15. He has hit three batters and thrown nine wild pitches.
LEADING HITTERS: Bakersfield's Nathan Kaup and Dan Grummitt are first and fifth in hitting in the Class A California League. Kaup, who is batting .394, led the Rays organization with 41 hits through Monday night. Grummitt has hit safely in 26 of 30 games to compile a .359 average.
HOMER HAPPY: Charleston's Justin Schuda homered Sunday and Monday to bring his total to 11, tied for second in the minor leagues. Durham's Toby Hall also homered Sunday and Monday and has a team-high seven home runs and 22 RBI.
SAVING THEMSELVES: Bakersfield's Han Smith has not allowed an earned run in 142/3 innings of relief, posting an organization-leading seven saves. Smith was tied with Durham's Victor Zambrano, who had seven in 15 games.
PITCHER HONORED: Charleston's Seth McClung was named South Atlantic League's pitcher of the week for April 27-May 3. McClung, 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA, struck out a career-high 12 against Columbia on Thursday.