Dave Kingman

Dave Kingman

David Arthur Kingman (born December 21, 1948), nicknamed "Kong" and "Sky King", is a former Major League Baseball left fielder, first baseman, third baseman, and designated hitter. The towering 6' 6" Kingman was one of the most feared sluggers of the 1970s and 1980s. His height and long-armed, sweeping swing were sufficient to propel a baseball a very long distance when he connected solidly. It was said of him that he was one of those players that when he came to bat, everyone in the park stopped whatever they were doing to watch him. He hit plenty of home runs, and he could hit them farther than many had ever seen, once over 530 feet.

His free-swinging, however, cut both ways, as he was also apt to strike out frequently, and usually posted a low batting average and on-base percentage, often leading the league in outs made. His 1,816 strikeouts was the fourth-highest total in MLB history at the time of his retirement. He currently ranks twelfth as of the start of the 2012 season — three strikeouts ahead of Manny Ramirez and seven ahead of Adam Dunn who are both active players.