I wrote this up when I first decided to take the Kings GM job and was waiting for the commissioner to finish simming from 1909 through to 1925. I wanted to learn about the history of my organization so it here is an article on the early years of the Brooklyn Kings franchise. For full context you should read the league history articles by Legendsport on his
website
THE HISTORY OF THE BROOKLYN KINGS
PART ONE - THE BORDER ASSOCIATION ERA
The Brooklyn Kings were only around for the final eight of the Border Association's brief 10 year existence, but no club won more than the two league titles earned by the Kings. They are tied with St Louis and Cincinnati for the most Border Association pennants and the club that got it's start in 1884 is still going strong today in the Continental Association.
1884 - It began in 1884 when the now 3 year old Border Association adds two new clubs including the Brooklyn Kings. The new Brooklyn squad would have to compete for fans with the Brooklyn Unions of the more establish Century League but a strong debut season that saw them finish 3rd in their circuit helped the Kings outdraw their borough rivals.
Brooklyn finished the season with a 59-31 record, just 5.5 games behind league champion St Louis. The Kings were led by 22 year old righthander Jim Cox, who went 23-7 with a 2.14 era. Cox' only previous experience was coming out of the pen for New York two years prior. His career would be quite successful but very short-lived. Cox would go 23-13 for the Kings the following season and then disappear from the game - never to pitch again.
The offensive leader was Samuel Higgins, a 25 year old second baseman who started the season in Indianapolis but after one game jumped to the Kings. Higgins would hit .373 and lead the club in rbi's and runs scored. His stay in Brooklyn was also quick as Higgins jumped to St Paul of the Century League the following season.
One player who did get his start that season and remained a King for several years was pitcher Ferdinand Hawkins. Just 19 years old in 1884, Hawkins won 19 games that season while fanning 197 batters. He would spend 9 years in Brooklyn until being waived by the club following the 1892 season. His 191 career victories remain the most all-time in a Kings uniform.
Catcher Harvey Reese was a 20 year old rookie in '84. He had a strong debut season for the Kings but would leave for Providence of the Century League. He is best known as a Cleveland Forester, where he played for a decade, but Reese did finish his stellar career with 4 seasons in Brooklyn before retiring at the age of 40 after 1827 games and 1872 career big league hits.
1885 - The Border Association dropped from 10 teams to 8. The Kings survived but their expansion partners from last year, Indianapolis, did not with Washington also dropping out. For the Kings, it was another solid season as the club finished with a 63-47 record, good enough for fourth place as they sat 14 games behind the champion Cincinnati Monarchs.
Jim Cox (23-13) was solid in what would prove to be the final season of his all too brief Brooklyn career. The number two starter was Frank Maroney (22-14). Maroney had won 14 games in the expansion year but this would be his last season as a King. He jumped to New York the following season and would go on to have a pretty good career, finishing with a 173-127 record. Ferdinand Hawkins, who would elevate to a more prominent role in the seasons to come, was 16-16 as the number 3 starter at age 20.
The offense was pretty much non-existent but the Kings did welcome shortstop Albert Davis to the organization. The 22 year old hit .273 as a rookie to start a long career with the Kings that would see him leave in 1898 as the club's all-time leader in games played.
1886- The Kings finished above .500 for the third year in a row, but just barely as their 70-69 mark dropped them to 5th place in the league. At age 21, Hawkins (23-17) emerged as the ace of the staff with both Cox and Maroney gone. 26 year old Henry King was promoted from the pen to a starting role but he struggled to a 17-24 season. Newcomer Joe Caffey won 19 games as the third starter. Shortstop Davis (.272,7,99) continued to lead the offense and he got a little help from a pair of players who came over from Detroit in 1B Paul Moton (.264,4,39) and 3B Charles Scott (.241,1,39).
While the Kings enjoyed modest success on the field, the Border Association as a whole was feeling the effects of their battle with the Century League in the boardrooms. Border Association champion Pittsburgh bolted to the Century League at the end of the season. Both sides had been raiding players from each other throughout the history of the Border Association, but this was the first time a team had jumped leagues and signalled a new escalation in the war.
1887- Despite the loss of Pittsburgh, the Border Association remained at 8 teams with the addition of an expansion club in Chicago. No longer the new kids on the block, the Kings were entering their fourth season in the league and, although they have never seriously challenged for a pennant, they were once again a winning team. The club went 73-68, good for 4th place in the loop, 15.5 games back of the Border Association champion New York Stars.
Hawkins (21-17) and newcomer George Shelton (14-13), who pitched for Toronto last season, were the only hurlers to finish with a winning record. Henry King (18-19) and George Roberts (14-16) rounded out the rotation but both would not be back in Brooklyn next year.
Hawkins was not only good with his arm, he batted at a team leading .310 clip and finished fourth on the club in RBI's while playing in the outfield on days he didn't pitch. Shortstop Albert Davis (.292,9,92) had another strong season while 24 year old outfielder Mark Morris (.284, 124 runs, 88 sb) had what would prove to be the best year of his career. It would also be his final season in Brooklyn.
1888- Turmoil continued with players coming and going in both major leagues and the Border Association lost a team with the folding of the Kansas City Westerns. The loop remained at 8 clubs as an entry from Syracuse took the Westerns place. It was expected to be a good season for the Kings as team owner Sheldon Burton purchased the assets of the defunct Kansas City club to add to his own team. However, nothing went right for the Kings in this season and they endured their worst seasons to date as they sunk to the basement of the Border Association with a 49-88 record - their first sub.500 performance.
Hawkins, now 23 years old, remained the club's top pitcher going 17-19 despite giving up his outfield duties to focus solely on pitching. 31 year old Willis Bishop, who won 25 games for St Louis the previous season, endured arguably the worst season in Kings history when he lost 27 games while winning only 4 and having a 6.75 era in 32 appearances. However, Bishop would reinvent himself as a first baseman and play a big role a couple of years down the road for the Kings. After his playing days were done Bishop would stay in baseball as a minor league manager and also had a stint as a pitching coach for the New York Gothams.
1889- As much as everything went wrong last season, 1889 more than balanced the scales for the Kings as they established a franchise record for wins by going 93-46 to win their first Border Association title. Hawkins returned to double-duty, going 28-10 on the mound while batting .296 and playing in the outfield. His 26 victories were tops in the entire Border Association. 25 year old George Cole (25-15), who was a batter in the Dixie League, signed with the Kings as a pitcher and had an incredible season. Frank Ford (26-11), who was signed the previous year from St Louis but struggled, returned to the form where he won 30 games in 1887 for the Brewers, giving the Kings three outstanding pitchers.
For a club that had struggled at the plate most years it was refreshing to have four players top the .300 mark in batting. 24 year old outfielder Jacob Gray, signed away from Toronto, led the way hitting at a .352 clip and driving in what remains a club record 130 runs. Outfielder Joe Borden (.329,11,105) one of the players acquired in the Kansas City purchase a year ago began a string of three strong seasons for the Kings. Newcomers Matthew Brown (.316,1,84) and Frank Ford (.307,5,53) also played a key role.
While the Kings were celebrating their first title the Fall of 1889 proved to be very tumultuous for the sport. An entire new league - dubbing itself the Peerless League - emerged on the scene and caused chaos for all three leagues as bidding wars erupted for players. To compound matters for Sheldon Burton and the Kings, one of the Peerless League clubs, ran by former Century League owner Miles Bigsby, set up shop in a stadium right across Flatbush Avenue from Kings County ballpark.
1890 - The Kings fared better than most clubs, not losing any of their key stars to the new league, but they were unable to defend their title. Brooklyn had a respectable 80-60 record but were still 11 games back of the front-running Philadelphia Sailors.
1891- While the battle for players and fans raged on between the three leagues, the Brooklyn Kings won their second pennant in three years. Unfortunately, like all the teams in each of the three leagues they took a big hit in attendance while payrolls increased. The system seemed in danger of collapse as none of the owners were in the habit of running businesses that lose money.
On the field the duo of Hawkins (28-19) and Ford (28-16) carried the Kings to the title. Matthew Brown (.333,11,91), Jacob Gray (.260, 12,85) and Joe Borden (.285,8,82) had big seasons just as they did helping claim the first pennant two years ago. A big contributor was Willis Biship (.263,6,93). The former pitcher, who lost 27 games for the Kings three years ago, was converted to a first baseman and would play a large role in the title run. That title would prove to be the final one ever awarded by the Border Association as sweeping changes would revamp the sport over the winter.
1892 - The season marked the birth of what we now know as the FABL with the creation of the Federally Aligned Baseball Leagues. FABL, engineered by Century League pioneer William Whitney, consolidated the 3 leagues under a single umbrella of 16 clubs and put an end to the financial suicide that had teams raiding each other for players.
Eight of the teams would be eliminated including Miles Bigsby's Brooklyn entry in the Peerless League. That team would merge with the Kings leaving Kings owner Sheldon Burton in control. The Kings would find a new home with many of their Border Association brethren in the newly created Continental Association, an 8 team loop that also included the Baltimore Clippers, Chicago Cougars, Cleveland Foresters, Montreal Saints, New York Stars, Philadelphia Sailors and Toronto Provincials. The Stars would be owned by Bigsby and his nephew.
While the owners rejoiced over a newfound peace it would prove to be bittersweet for the defending Border Association champion Kings as it would be many years before they claimed a pennant in the new Continental Association and they have yet to win an FABL championship.