12/20/23

Tom Brennan - The Kingman Interregnum

King David with George, the Duke of Foster

An interregnum can be defined as follows:

"An interval or pause between two periods of office or other things."

David Kingman, like Tom "The Franchise" Seaver, was given the "franchise heave-ho" in 1977. 

Kingman returned as a Met in 1981.

In the 1977-80 "Kingman Interregnum", the Mets tore things up - not.

They averaged 77 HRs, 600 runs, 65 wins, .249, & 1,000,000 in attendance.

In one of those seasons, they tied Maris' 61 HRs.  

Part of their Baseball Conservation Program, which was highly successful.

I guess that small ball thing that some fans and writers espouse didn't work out too well for the Interregnum Metsies.  

When ya average 77 HRs and 86 wins, yer lucky to draw 1 million fans.

By comparison?

The 2023 Braves?  

They hit 307 HRs in that single season, two fewer than the Mets compiled in those 4 punchless interregnum years. 

The Braves scored 347 more runs than the 600 runs the Mets averaged, won 39 more games with 104 wins, and drew 3.2 million fans, 2.2 million more fannies than the woeful Mets averaged.

Vivid examples of how to be successful...and unsuccessful  

I prefer my teams to be successful - and powerful.

Kingman was always the Mets' version of King David to me.


6 comments:

Mack Ade said...

Kingman was fun
Vientos will never hit like him or Pete

Tom Brennan said...

He was unique. And a .250 hitter as a non-Met.

Woodrow said...

HR hitters and pitchers who can strikeout hitters are what 2020 baseball is all about.

Tom Brennan said...

I was sad when Kong fell off the Empire State Building. That was a tough one for a kid to watch. A little like watching the Mets as an adult.

Anonymous said...

I loved his home runs. They were unique and very high

Tom Brennan said...

Anonymous, my first Kingman HR was when he was with the Giants. I was sitting a little above where Agee's fair ball had landed a fe years earlier. When Kingman hit it that day, I thoulght it would be a repeat, but it lacked the height. I lost sight of it as it went below the upper deck, but believe it reached the next level down. It was really something sitting that far away and see that blast getting closer and closer.