Kingman was in the middle of his best year as a Major Leaguer, leading all of baseball with 48 home runs while driving in 115 runs for the Cubs, also setting career-highs with a .288 batting average and 97 runs scored.
I was always enamored with the guy: his wiffle-ball like swings, his dour and somewhat aloof disposition, and of course his tape-measure homers.
I got to see a lot of him due to his time with the Mets, and me growing up in New York City (though I was a Yankee fan), and I always though Kingman was that cool “loner” dude who did things his own way.
Then I really became fascinated by him when he retired after the 1986 season, just after posting his THIRD straight 30+ home run year with the Oakland A’s.
As a kid I could not understand how no one wanted to have a 30+ homer guy back then on their team, even IF he struck out a lot.
I was mesmerized and still am somewhat that the guy’s final year in the Majors produced 35 home runs and 94 RBI’s, only to walk away after being signed as a Free Agent by the San Francisco Giants that never led to anything after some Minor League action.
The enigma that is “Kong”.
