Buddy Kennedy can get fitted for a World Series ring.
He’s guaranteed to get one.
That’s because the Millville native played for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays during the course of the regular season.
The two teams will play in the 121st edition of the World Series, a best-of-seven games series which will begin in Toronto on Friday.
Davis Schneider (Voorhees, Eastern High School grad) and Joey Loperfido (Haddonfield, Haddonfield Memorial) could also earn some jewelry. Both are members of the Toronto organization.
Some of South Jersey’s other notable players with World Series rings include Andrew Bailey (Paul VI, Boston Red Sox, 2013), Sean Doolittle (Shawnee, Washington Nationals, 2019) Rawly Eastwick (Haddonfield, Cincinnati Reds, 1975-76), Chris Widger (Pennsville, Chicago White Sox, 2005), Matt Szczur (Lower Cape May, Chicago Cubs, 2016) and Darren Ford (Vineland, San Francisco Giants, 2010).
Kennedy, 27, played seven games with the Dodgers and two with Toronto in the regular season. He also played four games with the Philadelphia Phillies, who signed him as a free agent on April 1.
Schneider and Loperfido were both on the Toronto’s postseason roster.
Schneider, 26, played in two games, one in the American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees and one in the American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners. He batted .200 with three walks and three runs scored.
Schneider hit .234 with 11 homers and 31 RBIs in 82 regular-season games this season, his third with the club.
Loperfido, 26, was 0-for-1 in his only appearance in the ALCS. He played in 41 games with Toronto in the regular season, batting .333 with four homers and 14 RBIs in his second season with the team.
Kennedy was designated for assignment by Toronto on Aug. 12 and was claimed off waivers by the Dodgers three days later. After being designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Aug. 25, he signed a minor league deal with Toronto on Sept. 1.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 35 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him by email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
