1976 Topps #40 - Dave Kingman

Kong!

Dave Kingman hit a lot of home runs and had a lot of whiffs for seven teams from 1971-1988. He hit 442 homers but had a lifetime average of only .236. He also finished his career fourth all-time (at the time) in strikeouts with 1816. He was an all-star three times (1976, 1979, 1980).

Dave hit 37 home runs in 1976 for the Mets. He hit a lot more for me in a Strat-O-Matic league I was in (but he killed me on defense).

In 1977 he had the dubious distinction of playing for a team in all four divisions as he played for the Mets, Padres, Angels, and Yankees. Dave signed as a free-agent with the Cubs after the 1977 season and played four seasons for them. His best year was in 1979 when he hit 48 homers and batted .288.

Dave finished his career as a DH for Oakland in 1986. He hit 35 homers that year. Kingman signed with the Giants on July 15, 1987 but he didn't play for them that year. He played 20 games for the AAA Phoenix Firebirds but hit only .203 with 2 homers.

Dave is enjoying a quiet retirement near Lake Tahoe.