Jon Kenner died at 35 after a rollover crash in Texas on Sunday, April 12, while driving home from coaching a youth baseball tournament in Santa Fe. His vehicle left Farm to Market Road 2004, struck a utility pole and overturned around 6:09 p.m. local time.
Kenner was returning from coaching the 14U HTX Battle Bucks at a Houston-area tournament. The former minor league player had spent seven seasons in the minors and two in Mexico before retiring in 2021.
The Houston Astros said Wednesday, April 15, that Kenner was drafted by the club in 2013 and developed into one of its most productive players, advancing to the Triple A level and appearing in several Spring Training games. He also practiced with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers during a career that began after the Astros took him in the 21st round of the 2013 MLB Draft.
Kenner graduated from Clarion Area High School in 2009 and went on to attend Allegany College of Maryland, Clarion University in Clarion, Pa., and Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Ga. He was survived by his wife of four years, Kourtney Krampota, and their two children.
Kenner once said he “lived and and breathed baseball,” and that coaching young players was “no pressure, just opportunity.” He was doing exactly that when he died, which makes the loss sharper than a former player’s obituary alone: he was still in the game, still giving it back to children who were just beginning to learn it.
