EXPANSION: BIG LEAGUE BALL IS BACK IN KANSAS CITY
The announcement that Kansas City and Washington will get National Baseball League expansion franchises for the 1955 season brings back some memories of major league baseball's first visit to the Gateway to the Southwest. Kansas City will not be making it's first appearance as a big league city in this universe. The original incarnation of the All-American Baseball Association lasted for a decade beginning in 1882. A number of teams came and went during it's run including a brief two year stay for the Kansas City Cowboys.
The Cowboys did not enjoy much success, winning just 39 of 126 games in their debut season of 1886. They were slightly better the following year, going 53-73 and finishing in 6th place in the 8 team loop but that would be the last hurrah as the club folded and was replaced by a team in Milwaukee the following season. Interestingly enough Milwaukee will follow Kansas City into the NBL this time around as they will get an expansion team in 1956 and both clubs will be NBL Western Division rivals.
There are very few highlights from Kansas City's brief stay at the pinnacle of baseball. An interesting story is that of Bertie Albaugh. An 18 year old who was clearly not ready for the top level of baseball at the time, Albaugh would pitch in 49 games and post a record of 4-39 that first season. Only one pitcher in history has ever lost more games in a season than Albaugh did - Chris Jones who went 18-42 as a 32 year old for St Louis of the NBL in 1876. As for Albaugh he improved to 15-23 in his final season with Kansas City and he was obviously not too scarred by his experience as a Cowboy as Albaugh went on to pitch for 9 seasons and compile a 101-151 career record, even surpassing the 20 victory mark twice in his career.
WHAT'S IN A NAME
As of this writing a name has not been officially selected for my Kansas City club. The Bulls, Mules and Cowboys have been bandied about as popular options. With the Buffalo team rumoured to be using the moniker Wranglers when they move to Dallas that seems to rule Cowboys out because they are fairly similar. We are also not overly fond of Cowboys because the original version of the ABL had a Kansas City Cowboys franchise that was just awful. It appears the team is leaning towards being known as the Bulls but nothing has been announced officially.
Next up I am going to start to take a look at the teams that will become my opponents in the National Baseball League. First will be the St Louis Explorers, who are certain to become a strong geographical rival for my expansion team.