Dave Kingman
From The Met Wiki
Dave Kingman was an outfielder and first baseman for the Mets in the 1970s and 1980s. He was the team's top slugger during his time in New York with 154 home runs and 389 runs batted in. Kingman had two stints with the Mets from 1975 to 1977 and from 1981 to 1983.
In the '75 season, Kingman led the Mets with a .494 slugging percentage and a then-team record 36 home runs. Surprisingly, he was also the team leader with 7 stolen bases. On July 20, Dave hit two homers (the second of which was a game-winner in the 8th inning) in the Mets' 10-9 victory over the Astros at Shea Stadium. He also homered twice in a 6-2 Mets win at Pittsburgh on July 31. In the first game of a doubleheader at San Francisco on August 24, Kingman hit a grand slam in the Mets' 9-5 win over the Giants. Dave's homer in the ninth inning at Shea on September 18 gave him 35 for the season, breaking Frank Thomas's team record from 1962. It also made the Mets a 7-5 winner over the Cubs.
Despite missing five weeks with an injury, Kingman again set a new Mets record for home runs with 37 in 1976. He also led the team with 86 RBIs, 70 runs scored and a .506 slugging percentage. Dave was the starting right fielder for the National League in the '76 All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
On June 4, 1976, Kingman hit three home runs and drove in eight runs in the Mets' 11-0 win at Los Angeles. He homered in the 14th inning for a 1-0 Mets victory over the Dodgers on June 17 at Shea. Dave had a three-run homer and an RBI single in a 7-4 Mets victory at Chicago on June 25. At Atlanta on July 10, he hit two homers to reach 30 for the season in the Mets' 4-2 win over the Braves. Kingman also homered twice (giving him 37 to break his own team record for a season) and drove in five runs in a 7-6 Mets win over the Pirates at Shea on September 19.
Kingman played in 58 games for the Mets in 1977. He had nine home runs among his 44 hits with the team during the year. Dave had two singles, a homer and three RBIs in the Mets' 8-6 victory on April 9 at Chicago. On April 29, he hit two three-run homers in a 9-2 Mets win at San Diego. Kingman also drove in all the Met runs with a three-run homer in a 3-2 triumph over the Phillies at Shea on June 5.
On June 15, 1977, Kingman was traded to the Padres for Paul Siebert and Bobby Valentine. He also spent time with the Angels and Yankees in '77, making him a member of teams in all four divisions in the major leagues in one season. Kingman played for the Cubs from 1978 to 1980 before returning to the Mets.
Back in New York, Dave became the Mets' prime slugger once again in 1981. He led the team with 22 home runs and 59 RBIs in a season abbreviated by a players strike. Kingman hit a grand slam in the Mets' 13-3 victory over the Phillies on May 25 at Shea. In the first game after the strike on August 10, he hit a three-run homer in the Mets' 7-5 win at Chicago. On August 18, Dave had a run-scoring double and two solo homers in a 4-0 Mets victory at Atlanta. He hit a grand slam in the Mets' 7-4 win on August 22 at Cincinnati. Kingman also hit a three-run homer in a 6-2 Mets victory over the Cardinals at Shea on September 19.
in 1982, Kingman became the first Mets player ever to lead the National League in home runs for a season. He hit 37 (tying his own team mark) and drove in a team-leading 99 runs. Dave hit a three-run homer in a 9-5 Mets win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 10. He drove in four runs with a double and homer in a 6-0 Mets win over the Padres on May 11 at Shea. At St. Louis on June 19, Kingman had a triple, a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly in an 8-5 Mets win. Also against the Cardinals, he hit an inside-the-park home run to provide the margin of victory in a 2-1 Mets triumph at Busch Memorial Stadium on September 10.
With the arrival of Keith Hernandez during the year, Kingman's playing time was reduced in 1983. He played in 100 games for the season, only half of which were at his regular first base position. Still, Dave had his moments in '83. Against the Reds, he hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of a game eventually won by the Mets, 7-4, in 13 innings on May 6. He hit a two-run homer in the 17th inning to give the Mets a 4-2 win over the Expos at Shea on June 10. In the first game of a doubleheader at Philadelphia on July 2, Kingman hit a two-run homer in the Mets' 6-5 loss to the Phillies. This was Dave's last home run as a Met.
On January 30, 1984, Kingman was given his release by the Mets. He joined the Oakland Athletics, with whom he played three seasons to finish his career in 1986.
