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Opening Day 1948 Roster Preview
With spring training behind them, its time to get the boys ready for the trip to the north. Leaving the beautiful warm weather of Florida is never easy. The Kings are headed to the state of New York for Opening Day but it will not be in Brooklyn. No the Kings will battle crosstown rival New York Stars at Dyckman Stadium for the opening 3 game series. Then they will come home for series against the Montreal Saints.
There will be a lot of return faces on the squad this year for the Kings. Of the 24 men on the team, 15 were on the roster at the end of last season. 4 More players were in the organization but not on the big league squad. Let's meet the team quickly
Pitching Staff
Bob Arman 6'1 195 lbs age 27 RHSP
17-11 3.49 ERA with Cannons Career 30-22 3.44
Acquired in trade with Cincinnati October 1947
Leo Hayden 6'6 205 lbs Age 25 LHSP
Last season with Kings 12-13 4.47 Career 31-25 3.67
Acquired in trade with Chicago Cougars July 1943
Johnny Slaney 6'0 175 lbs Age 32 RHSP
Last Season with Kings 16-12 3.13 Career 35-54 2 saves 4.30 ERA
Acquired in trade with Cleveland February 1947
Harry Carter 5'10 170 lbs Age 37 RHSP
Last Season split Kings/Gothams 14-13 3.98 ERA Career 114-120 4 saves 3.94 ERA
Acquired in trade at last seasons deadline with the NY Gothams
Rusty Petrick 6'0 190 lbs Age 32 RHSP
Last Season with Kings 13-10 1 save 3.90 ERA Career 114-142 8 saves 4.08 ERA
Acquired in a trade with Chicago Cougars July 1946
Summary of Starting Rotation - Many people were thrilled with the acquisition of Bob Arman to be teamed with Hayden and Buddy Long at the top of the Kings rotation. But the Kings shipping Long out to the Gothams in the off-season atfer acquiring Arman scuttled those plans. The belief is the young Kings are not quite ready for prime time despite last seasons 3rd place finish just 4 games out. The Kings management feels that the pitching staff needs to get younger to match up with the rest of the future core of the team.
One of the players expected to be on the Opening Day roster was SP Jake Roberts who was acquired in the deal for Long. But with the way the staff came together this spring it was decided that Roberts would be better served to be pitching every 5th day instead of coming out of the pen in Brooklyn, so for now he will be working to earn his spot.
The Kings rotation does have some age especially with Harry Carter who was brought in last season at the deadline to shore up the staff. Whether the veteran can continue to contribute this season will be watched closely. The Kings do have some youngsters that they are very high on in SP Paul Blyer and Joe Potts who will likely forge the future with Arman and Hayden and possibly Roberts. Blyer and Potts likely will not be answers this season as most feel they need to continue to refine their game at the AAA level this year.
If the Kings contend this year it means this group has likely performed really well and many will wonder if the Kings had hung onto Buddy Long if he could have pushed them over the top.
Bullpen
Clarence Barton 6'4 190lbs Age 26 RHRP
Last Season with Kings 3-5 6 saves 3.96 ERA Career 29-28 13 saves 3.84 ERA
Acquired - Draft 4th round 1940 #52 overall
Bob Crowley 6'0 185 lbs Age 26 LHRP
Last season AAA Jersey City 10-5 3.54 ERA FABL Career 2-6 6.72 ERA
Acquired in a trade June 38/1943 with the Chicago Chiefs
Jackie James 6'0 170 lbs Age 27 RHRP
Last Season with Montreal 0-2 1 save 7.52 ERA AAA 4-0 10 saves 0.64 ERA
Career 18-28 4.47 ERA
Acquired in a trade with Montreal April 18, 1948
George Fitzsimmons 6'2 185lbs age 24 LHRP
1947 AA Knoxville 8-4 7 saves 5.09 ERA Career - Rookie debut
Acquired - 1945 5th round draft pick #69 overall
Bullpen Summary
Young and inexperience is this bullpen. Barton and Crowley are both prospect who the Kings had hoped would be in the rotation but feel they are better in the bullpen. Barton has had more success the last 2 years in the pen with the Kings and has struggled in his few starts.
This is an area where a lot of moves could be made. There was always a lot of potential in James but he never lived up to the hype in Montreal. Fitzsimmons pitched well in the Cuba Winter League and then spring training to grab the last spot in the pen.
Some move will need to be made if the Kings waiver claim of veteran P Bob Wall (36) goes through. Wall has been a starter most of his career but would likely be brought up to be a swingman so that the Kings can leave Barton and Crowley in their assigned bullpen spots to see if they can handle the duties.
Position Players - The Starting 8
C Frank Reichardt B-L Age 24 5'10 185 lbs
Last Season 295/423/825 5-37 Career 284/409/806 7-42
Acquired in the rule draft in 1946 and then later in a trade with Montreal
1B Chuck Collins B-L Age 22 5'9 190 lbs
Last Season 283/350/798 12-50 Career 283/350782 14-58
Acquired - 1946 Draft 7th rd #100 overall
2B Charlie Woodbury B-R Age -29 5'8 180 lbs
Acquired in a trade with Montreal November 1947
Last Season with Montreal 281/343/736 10-86 Career 282/33/733 35-300
3B Hank Barnett B-R Age 38 5'10 200lbs
Last Season with Kings 246/317/691 11-58 Career 286/365/808 294-1403
Acquired Via trade with Chicago Cougars February 1947
SS Billy Bryant B-R Age-24 6'1 185lbs
Last Season and Career stats with Kings 267/302/647 5-62
Acquired via trade with Boston July 5, 1943
LF Pat Perry B-R Age-23 5'10 165lbs
Last Season AAA 290/375/858 17-74
Last Season Brooklyn and career 273/347/725 1-8
Acquired 1943 1st round pick #3 overall
CF John Moss B-R Age-26 5'10 185 lbs
Last Season Brooklyn 270/364/752 8-79 Career 263/355/735 13-110
Acquired - 1940 1st round draft pick #4 Overall
Ralph Johnson B-L Age-23 5'11 180lbs
Last Season 318/414/957 25-108 Career 314/411/950 28-124
Acquired - 1945 1st round draft pick #5 overall
Starting Lineup - The Kings outfield last season was arguably the best in baseball. 1/3 of that starting lineup (Juan Pomales) is on the shelf injury, but the Kings have rookie LF Pat Petty ready to take over. Pomales will be on the shelf into late-May and one would expect he will need a little bit of time at AAA for a mini spring training. You can expect to see Pomales back with the Kings by Mid-June, but will he have a spot in the starting 8?
The outfield is loaded with young talent and all of them are former #1 draft picks (Johnson, Moss and Petty) who make up the core of the young King's.
The infield is less settled but is led by another young hitter in 1B Chuck Collins (22). Collins split time last year and the Kings feel he is ready to be the full time everyday 1B. Opposite Collins is veteran 3B Hank Barnett that is not the hitter he once was. Still though he is a solid defender and a capable player that is likely holding the 3B spot for this year when the Kings hope to turn it over to their top prospect Ken Newman (#2 overall). SS Billy Bryant (24) returns for his 2nd full season. Many feel he is a very good SS but last season he did have some struggles with the glove. The thought going into the season is that he and SS/2B Chuck Lewis would split time with both playing SS/2B equally. But when the Kings acquired 2B Charlie Woodbury (29) those plans changed. Woodbury is not the defender that Gil London is at 2B, but he is a much more capable hitter.
C Frank Reichardt surprised many with last seasons heroics, enough so that the Kings traded C Solly Skidmore to association rival Philadelphia Sailors last deadline. The Kings are very high on young C Dan Smith who will start the season at AAA Jersey City and could be ready for the big league roster in the 2nd half of the year.
The Bench
C Sam Clarke B-R Age -23 5'10 185lbs
Last Season & Career 269/367/655 0-2
Last Season at AAA Jersey City 278/344/822 10-40
Acquired - Trade with Chicago Chiefs June 1943
1B/OF Ron Rattigan B-R Age -39 6'2 195lbs
Last Season with Chiefs 266/311/609 0-12 Career 296/378/827 168-916
Acquired - Trade with Chiefs October 1947
2B/SS Gil London B-R Age-33 5'8 185lbs
Last Season 255/313/637 1-43 Career 257/318/642 12-295
Acquired off waivers from NY Gothams August 18, 1946
2B/IF Jim Jenkins B-R Age-33 6'1 200lbs
Last Season (Chicago/Brooklyn) 243/243/514 0-16 Career 266/289/653 9-219
Acquired - Off waivers from Cougars August 10, 1947
3B/SS Jim Beard B-R Age-35 5'11 195lbs
Last Season with Pittsburgh 282/340/685 2-38 Career 287/352/728 45-592
Acquired - Trade with Pittsburgh 11/24/1947
OF/1B John Beaver B-L Age-24 6'2 200lbs
Last Season AAA Jersey City 268/415/751 4-51 Career 255/415/718 2-31
Acquired via Rule 5 Draft December 12, 1945 from NY Gothams
OF Peanuts Louden B-L Age-26 5'9 175lbs
Last Season AAA 248/350/694 2-17 Career - Rookie Debut
Acquired Draft 1940 4th round #61 overall
Bench Summary - While the starters are all younger than 30 with Charlie Woodbury being the oldest at 29 and the average age closer to 25. The bench is laden with veterans players on the infield with the average age 35.
Somehow Gil London each spring manages to keep his job with a DD Martin GM club. London who is a great fielder at 2B was figured to be the odd man out this year, but he has hung on once again. If there is any roster additions on the infield expect either London or Jenkins to be the player released.
While we don't know how much fuel is left in the tank of 1B Ron Rattigan, the Kings brought him in to be a veteran presence on a team that is so young. Same could be said for 3B James Beard, but Beard is also more insurance incase veteran starting 3B Hank Barnett falters.
OF Peanuts Louden is a nice story of a career minor league guy who finally made it to the show. How long he stays probably depends on health of other players. How well Pat Perry does while Juan Pomales is out, and if the Kings bring in any other players.
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