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Joe Kehoskie

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Joe Kehoskie
Headshot of Joe Kehoskie in February 2015
Kehoskie in February 2015
Born (1973-01-18) January 18, 1973 (age 51)
Auburn, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)Baseball consultant
Baseball executive
Years active1984–present
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
WebsiteJoe Kehoskie Baseball

Joe Kehoskie /ˌkiːˈoʊskiː/ (born January 18, 1973[1]) is an American baseball consultant, executive, and entrepreneur.[2][3] He has worked in professional baseball in a variety of capacities since 1984, formerly working in minor league baseball (1984–1994)[4] and as a player agent (1996–2011).[5][6]

Kehoskie is often quoted in the media as an expert on baseball-related topics, particularly baseball in Latin America.[7][8][9] He has made national TV appearances on outlets including ESPN,[10][11][12] CBC,[13] Al Jazeera English,[13] and PBS,[14] and been interviewed on radio networks including ESPN Radio,[13] CBC Radio,[13] NPR,[15][16] and WFAN.[13]

Early life

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Kehoskie was born and raised in Auburn, New York,[1] a small city 25 miles southwest of Syracuse in the Finger Lakes region of central New York.

He is a 1990 graduate of Auburn High School,[17] from which he graduated in three years.[4]

Professional baseball career

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Minor leagues (1984–1994)

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1988 Auburn Astros team photo

Kehoskie was hired as a batboy by his hometown Auburn Astros, then the short-season Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros, in 1984 at age 11.[4] He worked for the team through 1991 in a variety of roles including office assistant, official scorer, and clubhouse manager.[18] From 1989 to 1991, he also covered the team as a correspondent for The Citizen, Auburn's daily newspaper.

In early 1992, Kehoskie was hired by the Rochester Red Wings, then the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, where he was a member of a staff that included Joe Altobelli, Russ Brandon, Josh Lewin, Bob Socci, and Glenn Geffner.[19][20] He worked for the Red Wings until late 1994.[21]

Player agent (1996–2011)

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Kehoskie worked in the Minor Leagues for 11 years to become a Major League Baseball general manager.[1] However, he found entry-level opportunities in MLB to be limited in the years during and after the 1994–95 baseball strike, which had caused cutbacks throughout the sport.[22][23] After failing to land a job with an MLB team and wanting to remain in baseball in a job involving baseball operations and scouting, he started working as a player agent in 1996.[1]

Kehoskie has been the president and CEO of Joe Kehoskie Baseball since 1996.[24] One of his earliest clients was left-handed pitcher Brad Pennington, who had pitched for the Rochester Red Wings when Kehoskie worked for the team.[25]

In 1998, Kehoskie was asked to represent a group of five Cuban defectors in Costa Rica,[26] who became the first of approximately two dozen Cuban players he represented.

Aside from Cuban defectors, Kehoskie has worked extensively in Latin America, including the representation of players from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Among the notable players Kehoskie has advised or represented are José Bautista and Félix Hernández.

Media appearances

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Since the late 1990s, Kehoskie has been quoted frequently in the media on baseball-related topics, including Cuban defectors,[11][14][27] baseball in Cuba,[28][29][30] and the use of PEDs in Latin America.[31][32]

In 2000, Kehoskie accurately predicted a record $30 million contract for Cuban pitcher José Contreras more than two and a half years before Contreras left Cuba.[26]

In 2008, Kehoskie told author Michael Lewis, "There’s at least half a billion dollars of baseball players in Cuba right now and probably a lot more."[5] By the end of 2014, approximately 30 subsequent Cuban defectors had signed MLB contracts totaling just under $500 million.[33][34][35]

In 2009, Kehoskie said Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman "might have more upside than any pitcher on the planet"[36] but would struggle to become an MLB starting pitcher.[36][37] After signing with the Cincinnati Reds for over $30 million, Chapman was moved to the bullpen before he had started a single game in the major leagues.[38]

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Kehoskie has been quoted several hundred times in print and online media outlets including the New York Times,[36] Los Angeles Times,[27][30] Washington Post,[39][40] Miami Herald,[6][28] ESPN.com,[37] and Vanity Fair.[5] He has also been quoted in more than a half-dozen books.[41]

Radio and podcasts

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Kehoskie has been interviewed on the radio by, among others, Cindy Brunson on ESPN Radio,[13] Adam Schein on WFAN,[13] George Stroumboulopoulos on CBC Radio,[13] Greg Allen on NPR's All Things Considered,[16] and John Hockenberry on WNYC's The Takeaway.[42]

Television

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Kehoskie was featured in a 2001 episode of ESPN's Outside the Lines series and has made many other national and international TV appearances:[13]

Year Show Episode Topic
2001 Stealing Home Cuban baseball defectors
2001 ESPN Outside the Lines Primetime "Witness to a Defection" Cuban baseball, MLB
2002 ESPN Outside the Lines Sunday "Holding an Ace" José Contreras, MLB
2006 ESPN Outside the Lines Nightly "Risky Road Trip" 2006 WBC, Cuban baseball
2006 CBC News: The Hour March 9, 2006 2006 WBC, Cuban baseball
2007 Al Jazeera English June 19, 2007 Baseball in the D.R.
2014 Issues Reports "Smuggling: Baseball's Open Secret" Cuban baseball, MLB
2015 Outside the Lines "Cuba on Deck?" Cuban baseball, MLB
2015 SportsCenter April 19, 2015 Cuban baseball, MLB
2015 CBC News: Toronto July 15, 2015
2015 CTV News Channel July 26, 2015 Cuban baseball defectors, MLB
2016 CTV News Channel August 8, 2016 Alex Rodriguez retires from MLB

Personal life

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Kehoskie has lived in central New York;[1] Miami, Florida;[43] and Mérida, Yucatán, México.[44][45]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Michael, Matt (December 22, 1998). "From Cuba with Trust". Syracuse Post-Standard.
  2. ^ Baxter, Kevin (September 24, 2013). "To reach major leagues, Cubans face short distance but long process". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  3. ^ Jeff Passan; Charles Robinson; Rand Getlin (December 6, 2013). "Leonys Martin lawsuit details allegations of Cuban baseball player smuggling". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Weiman Jr., Dale (February 15, 2006). "So, you want to be the next Jerry Maguire?". Westlaw. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Lewis, Michael (July 2008). "Commie Ball: A Journey to the End of a Revolution". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Spencer, Clark (February 12, 2012). "Yoenis Cespedes may be the great unknown for Miami Marlins". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
  7. ^ Olney, Buster (December 18, 2014). "The future of MLB in Cuba". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  8. ^ Spencer, Clark (March 18, 2016). "MLB hopes to create pathway for Cubans to play in the U.S." Miami Herald. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
  9. ^ Hobson, Will; Red, Christian; Thompson, Teri (September 10, 2019). "As feds probe MLB's Latin American operations, a flashy scout and contested deal draw interest". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  10. ^ Farrey, Tom (July 11, 2001). "Paying the price in pursuit of fame, fortune". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Outside the Lines: 'Holding an ace'". Outside the Lines. ESPN. November 10, 2002. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  12. ^ Gonzalez, Jessica (April 2, 2015). "Cuba on Deck?". ESPN Press Room. ESPN. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i "IMDb – Joe Kehoskie". IMDb. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  14. ^ a b "Stealing Home". PBS. June 18, 2001. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  15. ^ "Baseball's International Neighbors". Latino USA. NPR. January 17, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  16. ^ a b "Thaw In U.S.-Cuba Relations Comes To Baseball". NPR.org. NPR. February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  17. ^ "Classmates.com – Joe Kehoskie". Classmates.com. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  18. ^ 1991 Auburn Astros Official Program. Auburn, New York: Auburn Astros. 1991.
  19. ^ 1992 Rochester Red Wings Yearbook. Rochester, New York: Auburn Astros. 1992.
  20. ^ 1994 Rochester Red Wings Yearbook. Rochester, New York: Auburn Astros. 1994.
  21. ^ Pitoniak, Scott (April 14, 1999). "Cubans bank on agent Kehoskie". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
  22. ^ "Baseball Daily Report". Associated Press. August 18, 1994. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  23. ^ Jamail, Milton H. (2008). Venezuelan Bust, Baseball Boom. United States: Bison Books. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-8032-1571-9.
  24. ^ "Newswire". Los Angeles Times. August 14, 2000. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  25. ^ Michael, Matt (May 20, 1999). "Pennington plans to hit the mark". Syracuse Post-Standard.
  26. ^ a b Fainaru, Steve; Springer, Shira (May 28, 2000). "Hardball". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 27, 2012. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  27. ^ a b Baxter, Kevin (July 1, 2007). "Ballplayers from Cuba are now flee agents". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  28. ^ a b Baxter, Kevin (January 21, 2006). "Cuba can play, but will it show up?". Miami Herald.
  29. ^ King, David (April 21, 2007). "Castro's long shadow still dominates Cuban baseball". San Antonio Express-News.
  30. ^ a b Baxter, Kevin (March 19, 2009). "Cubans take big slide in international baseball standing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  31. ^ Brown, Maury (July 20, 2009). "Maury Brown, Will Carroll, Victor Conte, and Joe Kehoskie Discuss PED Use in the Dominican and Venezuelan Summer Leagues". The Biz of Baseball. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  32. ^ Chass, Murray (October 10, 2010). "New Guys Deliver". MurrayChass.com. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  33. ^ Baxter, Kevin; Bennett, Brian (April 26, 2014). "In booming marketplace for Cuban players, Puig's tale far from unique". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 21, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
  34. ^ "Rusney Castillo Agrees To Seven-Year, $72.5 Million Deal With Red Sox". CBS Boston. August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  35. ^ "Diamondbacks land Yasmany Tomas". ESPN.com. November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  36. ^ a b c Curry, Jack (December 3, 2009). "Risks Seen in Signing Cuban Defector". New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  37. ^ a b Olney, Buster (July 5, 2009). "More on Aroldis Chapman, and a father-son Fourth". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  38. ^ "Aroldis Chapman moved to bullpen". ESPN.com. April 2, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
  39. ^ Fainaru, Steve (February 18, 2001). "Yankees Are Building an Empire State". Washington Post. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  40. ^ Fainaru, Steve; Sheinin, Dave (March 3, 2006). "Searching for a Home Base". Washington Post. Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  41. ^ "Google Books – Joe Kehoskie". Retrieved September 18, 2011.
  42. ^ "New U.S.-Cuba Relations a Home Run for Pro Baseball". wnycstudios.org. WNYC. March 22, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  43. ^ Bjarkman, Peter C. (May 12, 2016). Cuba's Baseball Defectors: The Inside Story. London, U.K.: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 23. ISBN 9781442247994.
  44. ^ Sanchez, Jesse (August 16, 2013). "Cuban players face great risks chasing dream". MLB.com. Retrieved August 16, 2013.
  45. ^ Simpson, David Mark (December 1, 2015). "Mexican Baseball Is Finally Eliminating One of the Worst Unwritten Rules in Sports". Vice.com. Vice. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
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