1976 - The Dawn of a New Era

[immortal50]

(Im sorry for starting yet another dynasty, but I am hoping that this time my harddrive wont crash on me)

The year is 1976 and the North American Baseball League is in its 71st years of existnce. When baseball fans talk about the NABL, the Indianapolis Kings are in the conversation 95% of the time. That is due to the fact that Indianapolis have won 12 NABL league titles and been in 14 NABL Championship series. Both of those are records. The King won the first two NABL league titles in 1905 and 1906 and then won 5 consecutive league titles from 1918-1922 (with manager Wilson Garza winning the manager of the year all five of those years). No team since then has won more then 2 titles back-to-back. Five more titles would go on to be added in '32, '45, '63, '67, and '68. Another record that Indianapolis has set is three back-to-back title wins, and also winning at least one league title since 1905 in each decade of the league's existence, except for he 50's. But now the Kings are in need for a change, and that change is in the form of new manager Steven Anderson. Can he bring Indy back to the title winning ways between 1918 and 1922? Or will he, like so many others, be ejected from the hot seat?

[immortal50]

-side note- I will be going more in depth has seasons go on. Last night I did not have a lot of time to get pictures and what not so this is all I got for now
1976 - CHAMPIONS AGAIN

It was yet another incredible season in Indianapolis. A league record 13th championship for the club proving why the Kings are indeed the KINGS of the North American Baseball League. Steven Anderson walked in has a rookie head coach in Indianapolis and by the end of season put his mark in history has only the 3rd rookie coach to win the NABL Championship.

It was a season for the record books has the Kings opened up the season with a record 22 consecutive wins, making it already an uphill battle for the teams in the American Division. With the deadly batting and dynamite pitching, the team was a shoo-in for the title. However a small dip in form saw the team have a 15 game lead over the second placed team slip to a 3 game lead with only 8 weeks to go in the season.

But like all great Kings teams from the past, the club was able to pull through the rough patch and finish with an astonishing record of 110-52, a feat that has put them in the record books with the most wins in a season and fewest losses.

Anderson knew that it wasn't the regular season that mattered though once October rolled around, it was the teams form in the playoffs that mattered most. The Los Angeles Gunners were the first team to be humbled by the might of the Kings 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs. What faced the Kings next was probably the brightest 'young' team in the NABL, the Kansas City Hotspur, an expansion team that formed in the early 60's. Kansas City were having the best run of luck of any of the expansion teams since the lead began expanding in 1961. They had reached more playoffs than any other expansion team. Kansas City took game one, only for the Kings to take the next two games. But the Hotspur were wanting to make it to their first Championship series since the club began. They took a huge step by beating Indy in games 4 and 5 giving them a 3-2 lead in the series. But again the Kings proved that you need skill, determination, and little bit of luck to be champions and won the final two games in Kansas City to advance to a record 15th NABL Championship Series.

"I want to be like the great managers that managed this club before me, (Wilson) Garza and (Eduardo) Marin," Anderson told BNN reporters. "I believe this is the best Indianapolis team to have ever been assembled and I hope to make sure that we become Champions here soon."

High hopes were met with the best performance by any team in a Championship series. Never had any team swept through the final series like the Kings did this year. Their opponents were the National Division Champions, the Chicago Black Cats (8 times champions). With a few key players injured, Anderson knew he would have to call on some of his younger players to step up and help his side win another title. One of the players was 20 year old catcher Tyler Cox. During the four game rout of Chicago, Cox nailed 7 home runs, and had 15 runs other than his home runs. Game 4 took place in Indianapolis, a fitting place for Kings to be crowned. With the game tied at 0-0 Cox stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 6th with a runner on 1st and 3rd. He connected with the pitcher's curve ball and sent it deep into center field and out into the stands for his 7th home run. 3-0 would be the final score and the ball club were Champions yet again.

"We are simply ecstatic," said a teary eyed Steven Anderson. "For me to have come in here and never coached a Major League side and for us to have had the season we had is remarkable. The players deserve all of the plaudits here. They worked hard and played for their lives this season and I believe it has all worked our for us. Now we gotta go and get ready and work on defending OUR title and try to make another run of five titles like the great team of the early 20's."

Anderson would go on and collect the manager of the year award, marking yet another record in the record book. The Kings now had a manager win the Manager of the Year Award nine times, and all of them have come after the Kings had taken home the NABL title.

But what lies ahead in 1977 for the Champions? Well only time will tell. The NABL is going to be expanding once again, with four new teams joining. The Toronto Ravens going in the National Division's Eastern Conference, the Minnesota Miners going in the National Division's Western Conference, the Baltimore Lighting going in the American Division's Eastern Conference, and the San Francisco Knights going in the American Division's Western Conference. So with new competition means finding new ways to defend a Championship, but Steven Anderson and the Indianapolis Kings believe that they can win a 14th league title and make it back-to-back championships for a fourth time.

[immortal50]

1977 and 1978 Back-to-Back-to-Back Again!!!

A treble of NABL titles once again came the Indianapolis Kings. After having a record breaking season in 1976 the Kings kept on setting records and breaking the hearts of their opponets. The Caroline Renegades and Houston Steers both fell at the might of the Kings with a 4-0 series against the Renegades and thrilling 4-3 series against Houston.

The 1977 semi-final saw the re-birth of an old rivalry between the Kansas City Hotspur and the Kings. This time around the Kings swept the Hotspur 3-0 in the Semi-Finals, completly embarrassing the promising side. Anderson's men stepped out onto the field in Carolina for the first two games and dominated them winning both games, the first 5-1 and the second 7-0. But the next two games in Indy wouldn't be so easy. Game 3 went into inning 17 with Indy getting the game winning run through Right Fielder Alonso Campos. And game four came down to a come from behind win by a 4-2 score. The Kings were thrilled to have won a 14th league title in 16 tries.

They would continue the trend of winning titles by winning a third consecutive league title for the second time in the team's and league's history. This time the boys from Houston would be the team to try and knock the Kings off of their perch and claim the crown. Houston jumped out to a 2-0 lead winning both of the games in Houston. Indianapolis won game three but Houston won game four, trying to win the '78 league title. But like all great Indy teams, the Kings would bounce back in the face of adversity. They would win the remaining three games making it a thrilling 4-3 series and a 15th NABL title.

"Now we have to work on winning three more," Anderson. "We want to break our own record, but we know it is going to be a tough road to a fourth consecutive title with everyother team gunning to take us down"

[immortal50]

1979 Season Review

The three time defending Champions began this new year looking for a fourth consecutive title. The season ended with another record of 110-52 and a 27th Playoff appearance, but a dissappointing first round defeat to the Jacksonville Cyclones. The title would ultimatly end up in Chicago for the 9th time after the Black Cats defeated the brand new expansion team the Baltimore Rovers. More changes were made to the league. The Pittsburgh Warriors moved to Millwaukee, and the league saw the birth of the San Francisco Knights, Minnessota Miners and the Canadian team the Toronto Ravens.

In Indianapolis though things were has they were the year before with another routine win over rivals Kansas City. However, the first part of the year saw the Kings sit in third place, behind Jacksonille and the young and new Baltimore side. The Kings would fight through this rough patch and make it back to the top of the conference to win their 18th conference title. Catcher Tyler Cox finished the year with an amazing battng average of .539, a team best 246 RBIs, league record 69 homeruns, and 131 stolen bases.

"He is probably the best player I have seen in a long time," Anderson said about his catcher. "And the best part, he is 23. It ensures me that he is going to be in the game for quite some time, and the future looks bright for the young man."

The playoffs rolled around and the draw seemed kind to Indy. The Cyclones had finished third this year and only got into the playoffs by virtue of winning the wildcard race. But the Cyclones would make the most of their chances and swept...yes swept the Kings 3-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

It was a dissappointing end to such a successful season for the Kings. Their fans know that the team will be back next year with a vengeance, and they will look for a 16th NABL league title.