Heart disease cause of Joe Kennedy's death
Former A's pitcher Joe Kennedy died of natural causes, specifically hypertensive heart disease, according to the Hillsborough County (Fla.) medical examiner department.
Kennedy, 28, collapsed at his in-laws' home near Tampa in the early hours of Nov. 23 and was pronounced dead at Brandon Regional Hospital. The county medical examiner department told The Chronicle on Monday that though the toxicology report will not be ready for several more weeks, the case was finalized earlier this month because the cause of death had been determined to be myxoid valvular disease, which indicates a degeneration of the mitral valve.
Kennedy played for the A's from the middle of the 2005 season until Aug. 4, 2007, when the left-handed reliever was designated for assignment and picked up by Arizona.
Because Kennedy had a family history of heart disease, the A's provided him with thorough cardivascular tests, including an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram, according to team physician Dr. Allan Pont.
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Heart disease cause of Joe Kennedy's death
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