was named the series' Most Valuable Player. The Angels went on to beat the San Francisco Giants in seven games in the World Series, earning Kennedy a World Series ring. The 2002 campaign established Kennedy as a fixture in the Angels infield. However, his declining offensive performance put his status with the club in flux. Before the 2006 season trade deadline, it was rumored that Kennedy would be traded, most notably for Shea Hillenbrand. While the rumors never came to fruition, Kennedy was forced to share the starting second base position, playing in a platoon with rookie Howie Kendrick for the remainder of the season. The national spotlight shone briefly on Kennedy on August 16, 2006, when he took part in a bench-clearing brawl in the ninth inning of a game between the Texas Rangers and the Angels. Tensions between the two division rivals were already high, as two Rangers starting pitchers — Adam Eaton and Vicente Padilla — had been ejected in previous games that month for throwing at Angels batters. Also, two Angels hurlers (Kevin Gregg and Brendan Donnelly) had already been thrown out of the game for hitting batters, and manager Mike Scioscia and bench coach Ron Roenicke had been ejected as well. Rangers pitcher Scott Feldman hit Kennedy in the buttocks with a fastball with only one out remaining in the game, and his team up 9–3. Kennedy charged the mound, triggering a fight between the 6' 5" Feldman and the 6' 1" Kennedy. As Kennedy charged him, Feldman stood on the mound and threw down his glove, and when Kennedy reached him Feldman then hit Kennedy in the armpit with a punch. Kennedy was suspended for four games for his actions. In seven seasons with the Angels, Kennedy hit .280 in 992 games, with 51 home runs and 353 RBI. Return to St. Louis On November 28, 2006, he signed a 3-year, $10 million contract with his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals. On August 11, 2007, Kennedy was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, an injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the season. He was in 87 games prior to the injury, and hit only .219. In 2008, he played in 115 games and hit .280. On February 9, 2009, after a year of demanding a trade due to his unfulfilled desire