Ted Kennedy’s first game was June 12, 1885 and his final game was September 23, 1886. He pitched for the Chicago White Stockings, Philadelphia Athletics, and Louisville Colonels. He later remembered striking out 277 batters in 18 starts, while Sporting Life in the November 12, 1884 issue credited him with accomplishing the feat in 17 games. After retiring as a player, Kennedy became a sporting goods manufacturer. He specialized in gloves and catcher's mitts and initially based his factory in Chicago. In 1893, he even found time to serve for one game as a major league umpire, September 3, Chicago was hosting Baltimore. Kennedy sold his patents to the A.G. Spalding Company and returned to his hometown of Peoria, IL. He also operated a baseball school, specializing in teaching young players how to throw the curve ball. Shortly after 1900, the Kennedy’s moved to St. Louis and Ted became a furrier in addition to operating his baseball school. He continued to be an innovator. The Peoria Star remembered that "he invented the use of a ball light in weight and so marked as to give the handling for the various curves and breaks in order to make the learning of the latter easier." He also invented an early pitching machine. By the summer of 1907, rumors were circulating that Kennedy was part of a group attempting to purchase the St. Louis Cardinals.