SPRING TRAINING 1928
UNFINISHED BUSINESS FOR KINGS
The Brooklyn Kings are defending Continental Association champions after winning a tightly contested pennant race last season. However, after flaming out in the World Championship Series it is clear the Kings will not be satisfied with anything less then a Series win this season. It will be much easier said then done for Brooklyn. Not only has the franchise never won a World Championship Series, they are 0-for-3, but even getting there will be a chore against a very competitve group of teams in the Continental Association.
The biggest positive for Brooklyn heading in to the 1928 campaign is they are finally fully healthy - at least to open camp. After a number of serious injuries to pitchers last season the Kings replaced their trainer and are hopeful the off-season regimen we lead to a much healthier staff then the one that played most of last season with Del Plummer and Topsy Moran.
Both Plummer and Moran are ready to go as camp begins but it appears that one of them will be moved to the bullpen along with 23 year old Bill Dengler, who made his Kings debut midway through last season, and closer Al Colby. More consistency will be the goal from the pen in general and the 34 year old Colby in particular, who had 10 saves in his first season in Brooklyn after a decade in the Federal Association with St Louis. Colby looked at exceptional at some points of the season but very ordinary at others.
He will be 35 before opening day but reigning Allen Award winner Mose Smith appears revitalized in Brooklyn. In a year and a half in a Kings uniform Smith is 29-20 and coming off a year when he led the Continental Association in innings pitched. 31 year old Cal Williams hopes to duplicate is 21 win season of a year ago and joins a pair of 26 year olds in Harvey Rodgers (13-6) and lefty Leon Campbell (17-13) in the rotation. Either the 32 year old Plummer, who was limited to just 1 appearance last year after an arm injury, or Moran, 27, who made just 6 appearances because of injury problems of his own, will be the fifth starter.
If injuries do strike the staff there are some arms in the minors including highly touted 23 year old righthander Lyman Weigel, who went 15-10 at two levels last season. Weigel doesn't seem to get a lot of respect in the league-wide prospect rankings but he is highly thought of by the Kings brass.
If the pitching staff can stay healthy it should be a big season for the Kings. Their offensive production has never been an issue and the young core of talent is for the most part just reaching it's prime. Any talk of Brooklyn's offense begins with Doug Lightbody. Just 24 years old, the sky appears to be the limit for the young outfielder who led the majors in batting with a .384 average and won his first of what could be many Whitney Awards. Add in 23 year old centerfielder Ab Thomas, who hitt .333 and stole 34 bases last season, along with the old man of the outfield in 29 year old Bud Rogers, who hit .335 and is just two years removed from a Continental Association batting title, and you have arguably the best outfield in the league. That is not even mentioning 28 year old Clarence Hall, who hit .395 in 245 plate appearances as the fourth outfielder or 30 year old Lou Cox, who lost his starting job to Thomas after leading the CA in stolen bases 3 of his 6 years in the league and posting a career .323 batting average.
Catching is solid with Mickey Dowell, a 27 year old Texan who hit .306 with 8 homers and 87 rbi's - and those numbers were down from what he accomplished the previous season. The Kings also have a very deep collection of catching prospects in the minors with none better than recent draft pick Mike Taylor out of Whitney College. Taylor is considered the best catching prospect in the game.
The infield will have some competition this year. 25 year old John Wilder, who hit .336 with 6 homers in 55 games after being acquired from Pittsburgh, will be the third baseman as veteran Glenn Mowles has been farmed out to Houston. 28 year old Lou Garman, who hit .320 with 7 homers, is expected to start at first base but he may be pressed for playing time from rookie Lynn Randall, should the 23 year old head north with the big club. The Kings are leaning towards giving Randall a full-season of AAA as they used the rule V draft to add 31 year old Ed Farella. Farella has never played a major league game but caught the Kings attention because of the 35 homers and .320 batting average he posted at AAA Indianapolis a year ago.
The middle infield will be some combination of Willie Jackson, Rip Agee, Lloyd Carter and Arnold Bower. Carter is now 31 years old and coming off the worst offensive season of his career when he hit .270. However, his defense at shortstop is outstanding so he is favoured to hold off the rookie Bower for at least one more year. Jackson hit .271 as a 25 year old rookie a year ago but the 26 year old Agee, while batting just .252, did provide a little better defense at second base and can also fill in nicely at shortstop.
The Kings feel they should be playing well into October again this season but the competition to get out of the Continental Association will be tough. Cleveland looks improved, Toronto is a strong club and both the Philadelphia Sailors and New York Stars are always tough. Chicago has made a number of changes as well and perhaps Montreal or Baltimore could do what the Foresters did a year ago in defying the odds to make a strong run at the pennant.