He permanently “left the building” thirty-seven years ago this coming Saturday at the age of 42. The man was simply known as “The King” and if it weren’t for popping pills and all of those fried peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwiches Elvis Presley consumed the hits would have kept on coming. Today, I pay homage to the Tupelo native with some kings, and I use that term very loosely, of the sports world.
There’s only one home run king and it is Hank Aaron. Argue all you may choose by saying the record books list Barry Bonds as number one when it comes to career dingers but we all know how the feat was accomplished. Hammerin’ Hank is probably the best baseball player ever (.305 BA, 3,771 H, 755 HR, 2,297 RBI) and Aaron was Presley’s middle name so how’s that for coincidences?
Clyde King A man of many titles within the Yankees organization spanning thirty years, I best remember him managing the 1982 Pinstripes as the team limped to a fifth-place finish after representing the AL in the World Series one year prior. Names like Mumphrey, Wynegar, Smalley, Mayberry, and Cerone adorned a lineup card headlined on a nightly basis by Dave (Mr. May) Winfield. This king was the third of three managers that season as he preceded Gene Michael who replaced Bob Lemon.
976-1313 Any gambler knows this number which predates the CNN Headline News sports ticker and hails a great alumni including Howie Rose, Bob Papa, and Chuck Cooperstein. Nothing beat the voice of Sports Phone’s late night scores reporter, King Wally who wasn’t sent home until the final of the college football or basketball slate usually ending with a Hawaii home contest. And yes, I stayed up until those wee hours on occasion when an “if reverse” depended on the Rainbow Warriors.
Bernard King was truly the King of New York having been born in Brooklyn and playing for the hometown Knicks and even the cross river Nets. Two full seasons lost to serious knee injuries is the only thing that slowed #30 down after leading the NBA in scoring in 1985. He was smooth as butter with a killer stroke and deft move to the hole as a Knicks fan can only fantasize about what could have been had he been paired with Patrick Ewing instead of Pat Cummings and Ken “The Animal” Bannister.
Ranking 40th on the all-time MLB home run list is no small accomplishment. As Bob Murphy would introduce an at-bat 
David Arthur “Sky” Kingman was as good a home run hitter there was in the 70’s and early 80’s. Too lanky in my estimation to have the nickname “Kong”, Kingman was the original King of Queens long before Kevin James donned his UPS uniform. What baffles me somewhat is how does a player having back-to-back 30 HR seasons in his last two active years not get a contract? The A’s failed to re-up with Kingman or he may have been the first player with 500 homers not to make the Hall of Fame.
