APRIL 16, 1928
SLOW START FOR KINGS
In his preseason predictions, legendary baseball man
Rufus Barrell pointed out the Kings lack of pitching may prevent them from challenging for a second straight Continental Association crown. Barrell's words look prophetic if the first series of the season is any indicition as the Kings dropped 3 of 4 at home to their hated rivals from New York. The fact that the Kings rebounded with an 8-5 win over hapless Baltimore on Sunday did little to quell the growing uneasiness that permeated Kings County Ballpark during the series with the Stars.
The series started off well enough when the Kings, perhaps motivated by
BNN's prediction of a 6th place finish for the squad, rapped out 17 hits including 3 each from Doug Lightbody and Ab Thomas as Opening Day turned in to a party with a 13-4 drubbing of the Stars. That was where the celebrations ended as the Kings would score just 9 times in the next 3 days and fell to the villains from New York each time. First it was Topsy Moran, who got tagged for 3 runs early and ended up allowing 5 earned runs on 10 hits in Thursday's 5-2 loss. Friday was a game Brooklyn should have won had the bullpen not let it get away. Many were left questioning manager Wally Grant's decision to take the ball from starter Harvey Rodgers after Rodgers walked the lead-off man with the Kings up 4-2 in the 7th inning. Leon Thompson blew the save and allowed the Stars to take the lead but Brooklyn rallied to tie only to see newly anointed closer Cal Williams give the game back to New York in the 9th inning. On Saturday the would be managers in the stands had another field day but this time they were speculating Grant left his starter in too long as Del Plummer, who missed nearly all of last season with arm troubles, started with 5 scoreless innings but tired late and New York got to him for 4 runs and a 4-2 victory. All that proved is Grant, who took over from the wildly popular Powell Slocum when the team was struggling last year, will be second guessed every step of the way.
The offense got going again with an 8-5 win over Baltimore yesterday but it meant much less to the Kings fans than the previous series for two reasons. One- the Cannons are 0-5 although 3 of those losses were by 1 run, but more importantly 2- it wasn't a win over New York. Games against the Stars just mean so much more to fans in Brooklyn especially considering the mighty Stars are favoured to resume their dynasty with another pennant. New York had won 3 straight Continental Association titles bookended by a pair of Brooklyn championships.
The Kings plan no roster shakeups yet despite the slow start. It is after all just 5 of 154 games but this opening week did nothing to dispel the fears that Brooklyn's pitching just can't cut the mustard. Critics say Mose Smith, fresh off an Allan Award, is suddenly too old at age 35. Smith had a rough spring and gave up 4 runs to New York in the opener but he did get the win. Leon Campbell also had a poor spring but, like Smith, he also got a victory. The starters are less of a concern than what to do with the bullpen. The Brooklyn pen has been a graveyard where careers go to die for years but the loss of Al Colby, who did a decent job a year ago, for the season has left the pen in turmoil once again. The hope is Cal Williams, who won 21 games as a starter last season but is the odd-man out with Moran and Plummer healthy this year, can step up and do the job but the reality is he is 0-for-1 so far and Brooklyn has had a notoriously bad time finding a closer (see Dick Dover, Bob Brown, Karl Mallek and Buck Blood).
It doesn't get any easier this week as after entertaining Baltimore for 3 more games the Kings play 5 of their next 6 against the New York Stars, with only a 1 day visit from suddenly relevant Montreal to interrupt that stretch.
CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS- Doug Lightbody is off to his usual quick start, going 7 for 17 to start the season. Catcher Mickey Dowell and 2B Willie Jackson are tied for the FABL RBI lead with 8 each while OF Bud Rogers is hitting .474 to start the season....AAA catcher Mike Taylor continues his unbelievable rise. The 21 year old was an 8th round draft pick but earned a spot in AAA to start the season and leads the Century League with 6 homers and 13 rbi's in 10 games while batting .400. If he keeps it up it's just a matter of time before he finds his way to Brooklyn.....Art Carlson may be a candidate for the Kings bullpen as he has thrown 15 1/3 shutout innings to start the season at Houston. Harry Schab, the former Toronto Wolve, is also off to a good start and may be a candidate for promotion should bullpen changes be warranted in Brooklyn....Further down the chain the Kings are very happy with the start of 3 recent draft picks at Class B Tampa. 1926 fourth rounder Frank Parsons and a pair of 1927 picks in high schooler Art Blake and collegian Dave Rankin had looked good. The biggest surprise is 20 year old 3B Dave Bristol may finally be showing the skills that had the Kings select him in the second round of the 1925 draft. Bristol is hitting .486 in the early going for Tampa.