WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE KINGS AS BASEBALL WORLD MOURNS LOSS OF PRESLEY
By Jiggs McGee
It certainly was not unexpected to hear of the death of Brooklyn Kings owner Malcolm Presley. Word had leaked out during spring training that he had been battling a serious illness but the death this past week of Presley still came as a shock to those in Brooklyn and the entire baseball community. Presley was 88 years old and along with his brother Reginald, who passed away in 1920, had owned the Kings franchise since 1898.
"I don't think there was a person in baseball who had anything bad to say about Mr. Presley" said former Brooklyn manager Powell Slocum. "Heck, he fired me and I still loved the man."
That sentiment was shared by many across the league as much of the baseball world was represented Saturday at his funeral, despite a bone-chillingly cold rain. The funeral may yet cost baseball another great emissary as Washington's 86 year old Thomas Brennan took ill during the event and his condition is said to be 'grave'.
The absence of the steady hand of Presley now puts the future direction of the Kings under a microscope. Presley's grandson Eugene Weston has been overseeing operations since Presley took ill, but many have privately and several publicly questioned the 32 year old's maturity and suitability to run the organization. There are rumours swirling that perhaps Presley's grand-nephew Thomas Potentas, of the Omni Scouting Association, may assume control of the club.
If that happens, many expect Potentas would provide a steady approach similar to what Malcolm Presley has given the organization but the expectation is that perhaps Potentas would become much more involved in the day to day operations than the hands-off Presley. Potentas refused to comment on the rumours saying he needed "time to mourn the great man that was (his) uncle."
I can't help but feel that this could be a key turning point for the franchise. All indications are Brooklyn is off to a good start in it's rebuild but it will be a slow process. The question is will a new man at the top keep that direction or send the team scurrying in a new one. I can see Potentas, with the wealth of experience and connections he has established through his time at the head of OSA, continuing in the same direction and perhaps even expanding his investment into the organization.
On the other hand, all indications are things could go completely off the rails if Eugene Watson takes over and acts as impulsively with his new toy as he has lived the rest of his life. Watson, a former golfing buddy of the Barrell boys, has a reputation for being very impulsive and easily distracted. Perhaps, if he does ultimately take control of the club, he will leave it to the baseball men to run and be more concerned with his other dalliances. However, owning a baseball team is like getting a shiny new plaything for young men like Watson and that could be cause for concern. It is far too early to speculate on the future of the Brooklyn Kings, but it is clearly much less certain than it was just a couple of months ago.
Malcolm Presley will be missed for so many reasons, not the least of which will be the stability and professionalism he brought to the Brooklyn Kings organization. He may not have won a World Championship, but he was certainly a world class person.