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{{short description|American baseball player (born 1948)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Dave Kingman
|image=Dave Kingman Mets.jpg
|caption=Kingman with the New York Mets, {{c.|1981}}
|position=[[Left fielder]] / [[First baseman]] / [[Designated hitter]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1948|12|21}}
|birth_place=[[Pendleton, Oregon]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=July 30
|debutyear=1971
|debutteam=San Francisco Giants
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=October 5
|finalyear=1986
|finalteam=Oakland Athletics
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.236
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=442
|stat3label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=1,210
|teams=
*[[San Francisco Giants]] ({{baseball year|1971}}–{{baseball year|1974}})
*[[New York Mets]] ({{baseball year|1975}}–{{baseball year|1977}})
*[[San Diego Padres]] ({{baseball year|1977}})
*[[California Angels]] ({{baseball year|1977}})
*[[New York Yankees]] ({{baseball year|1977}})
*[[Chicago Cubs]] ({{baseball year|1978}}–{{baseball year|1980}})
*[[New York Mets]] ({{baseball year|1981}}–{{baseball year|1983}})
*[[Oakland Athletics]] ({{baseball year|1984}}–{{baseball year|1986}})
|highlights=
*3× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976]], [[1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1979]], [[1980 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1980]])
*2× [[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders|NL home run leader]] (1979, 1982)
}}
'''David Arthur Kingman''' (born December 21, 1948), nicknamed "'''Kong'''", "'''King Kong'''", and "'''Sky King'''", is an American former [[Major League Baseball]] [[left fielder]], [[first baseman]], [[third baseman]], and [[designated hitter]] who was a three-time MLB All-Star with 442 career [[home run]]s and 1,210 runs batted in (RBI) in 16 seasons. In his career, Kingman averaged a home run every 15.11 at bats, tied for 14th best all-time.

The 6' 6" Kingman was a power hitter, who twice led the National League in home runs.  Known for his long home runs, Kingman hit one measured at over 530 feet. Kingman [[strike out|struck out]] frequently, and posted a low [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] and [[on-base percentage]]. His 1,816 strikeouts was the fourth-highest total in MLB history at the time of his retirement. Kingman finished in the top 25 voting for National League Most Valuable Player four times (1972, 1975, 1976, and 1979) and American League Most Valuable Player once (1984).<ref name="baseball-reference.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kingmda01.shtml|title=Dave Kingman Stats - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>
Upon retiring, Dave Kingman was 16th on the all-time home run list and tied for 4th on the all-time grand slam list with 16 (tied with [[Hank Aaron]] and [[Babe Ruth]]).

==Early life==
Kingman was born in [[Pendleton, Oregon]], in 1948, and moved with his family to [[Denver, Colorado]], in 1951, then to [[Los Angeles, California]], in 1954, and finally to [[Mount Prospect, Illinois]]. Kingman's father worked for [[United Airlines]] and moved the family as needed for his career. Kingman attended [[Prospect High School (Illinois)|Prospect High School]], where he was a center and a forward on the basketball team, being named All-Area; a wide receiver and safety on the football team; and a star pitcher on the baseball team. Kingman threw a no-hitter against [[Niles North High School]] on April 6, 1967. In his final high school game, he hit four home runs and pitched a two-hit shutout.<ref name="auto">Chicago Cubs: Where Have You Gone? Ernie Banks, Andy Pafko, Ferguson Jenkins, and Other Cub Greats. By Fred Mitchell; Sports Publishing LLC; (2004), {{ISBN|1582618062}}; {{ISBN|978-1582618067}}</ref>

==Amateur career==
Kingman was drafted by the [[California Angels]] out of high school in the second round of the [[1967 Major League Baseball draft]]. Instead he chose to attend [[Harper College|Harper Junior College]] in [[Palatine, Illinois]]. After a year he moved on to the [[University of Southern California]] (USC) to play [[college baseball]] for the [[USC Trojans|Trojans]] under coach [[Rod Dedeaux]], and was selected by the [[Baltimore Orioles]] in the first round of the [[1968 Major League Baseball draft|1968 draft]]. 

He began as a [[pitcher]] at USC before being converted to an [[outfielder]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.jfkrush.com/kingmanfan/1969-70.htm | title=The Dave Kingman Web Site - 1969-70 USC Trojans}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qfqfvva8QYoC&q=dave+Kingman+began+as+a+pitcher+at+USC+before+being+converted+to+an+outfielder&pg=PA1777 |title = The New York Mets Encyclopedia|isbn = 9781582615097|last1 = Bjarkman|first1 = Peter C.|date = March 2002| publisher=Sports Publishing LLC }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2014/07/10/babe-ruth-7-best-converted-pitchers-not-named-babe-ruth-stan-musial-mark-mcgwire-george-sisler-dave-kingman-lefty-odoul-used-to-be-pitchers-position-players/ |title = 7 Best Converted Pitchers Not Named Babe Ruth|date = 10 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/737985-mlb-power-rankings-the-top-12-pitchers-who-became-position-players |title = MLB Power Rankings: The Top 12 Pitchers Who Became Position Players|website = [[Bleacher Report]]}}</ref>

In 1969, Kingman had a 11–4 [[win–loss record (pitching)|win–loss record]] with a 1.38 [[earned run average]] (ERA) and [[batting average (baseball)|batted]] .250 with four home runs and 16 [[runs batted in]] (RBIs) as a part-time hitter for USC. In [[1970 USC Trojans baseball team|the 1970 USC NCAA Championship Season]], Kingman hit .355 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs, exclusively as a hitter, despite missing time mid-season due to injury.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jfkrush.com/kingmanfan/1969-70.htm|title=The Dave Kingman Web Site – 1969–70 USC Trojans|website=jfkrush.com}}</ref>

In {{Baseball year|1970}}, Kingman was named an [[All-America]] and led the [[1970 USC Trojans baseball team|Trojans]] to the [[College World Series]] championship, along with teammates, pitchers [[Steve Busby]], [[Jim Barr]] and [[Brent Strom]]. Kingman was then selected by the [[San Francisco Giants]] with the first pick of the {{baseball year|1970}} [[sports draft|secondary phase draft]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/|title=1st Round of the 1970 MLB June Draft-Secondary Phase|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/|title=MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

==Professional career==
===Minor leagues (1970–1971) ===
After signing with the Giants, Kingman played for the Class AA [[Amarillo Giants]] in 1970 after the College 
World Series victory. He hit .295 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs in 60 games. Moving to the Class AAA [[Phoenix Giants]] in 1971, he hit .278 with 26 home runs and 99 RBIs in 105 games before being called up by the San Francisco Giants.<ref name="baseball-reference.com1">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=kingma001dav|title=Dave Kingman Minor Leagues Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

===San Francisco Giants (1971–1974)===
Kingman came up as an outfielder and [[first baseman]] with the San Francisco Giants. He made his major league debut on July 30, {{Baseball year|1971}}, [[pinch runner|pinch running]] for [[Willie McCovey]], and finishing the game at first base. He hit a home run in his next game, a grand slam,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197107310SFN |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 11, San Francisco Giants 15|access-date=2008-07-31 |work=Baseball Almanac|date=1971-07-31}}</ref> and hit two more a day later.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=197108012SFN |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 3, San Francisco Giants 8|access-date=2008-07-31|work=Baseball Almanac|date=1971-08-01}}</ref> He finished his rookie season with a .278 average with 6 home runs and 24 RBI in 41 games.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kingmda01.shtml|title=Dave Kingman Stats|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> Kingman appeared in the postseason when the Giants won the [[National League West]] and advanced to the [[1971 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]]. Kingman went 1-for-10 with three strikeouts as the Giants lost in four games. It would be his only career postseason appearance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=kingmda01&t=b&post=1|title = Dave Kingman Postseason Batting Game Logs}}</ref>

On April 16, {{Baseball year|1972}}, the second day of the season, Kingman [[hit for the cycle]] in the Giants' 10–6 victory over the [[Houston Astros]]. A day earlier, he made his debut at third base, a position he would play off and on for the remainder of his Giants career. Kingman also made his major league debut on the mound with the Giants, pitching two innings of "mop up duty" in an 11–0 loss to the [[Cincinnati Reds]] on April 15, {{Baseball year|1973}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197304151.shtml|title=Cincinnati Reds 11, San Francisco Giants 0|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=1973-04-15}}</ref> He pitched again in the mop up role on May 13 in a 15–3 loss to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197305130.shtml|title=Los Angeles Dodgers 15, San Francisco Giants 3|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|date=1973-05-13}}</ref> In both games, he pitched the final two innings and gave up two [[earned runs]].

In {{Baseball year|1974}}, he committed twelve [[error (baseball)|errors]] in 59 chances at third, and lost his starting job to [[Steve Ontiveros (infielder)|Steve Ontiveros]]. Following the season, the Giants sold their rights to him to the [[New York Mets]].

In four seasons and 409 games with the Giants, Kingman hit .224 with 77 home runs and 217 RBI.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3"/>

===New York Mets (1975–1977)===
Kingman's contract was purchased by the [[1975 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] from the Giants for $150,000 on February 28, 1975.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1975/03/01/archives/mets-acquire-kingman-in-cash-deal-with-giants-mets-add-power-in.html Durso, Joseph. "Mets Acquire Kingman in Cash Deal With Giants," ''The New York Times'', Saturday, March 1, 1975.] Retrieved October 16, 2022.</ref>

Kingman played twelve games at third with the Mets; however, the Mets eventually abandoned the idea of Kingman as a third baseman and kept him primarily in the outfield. He emerged as a slugger upon his arrival in [[New York City]], setting a club record with 36 home runs in {{Baseball year|1975}}. Kingman also scored 65 [[Run (baseball)|runs]], the highest percentage of runs scored on homers for any player who hit more than 30 in a season. A year later,  he broke his own record with 37 homers, and was elected to start in right field for the [[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976 National League All-Star team]]. Kingman's single season home run record for the Mets stood until 1987, when it was broken by [[Darryl Strawberry]].

===San Diego Padres, California Angels and New York Yankees (1977)===
Kingman was batting .209 with nine home runs when he became one of the three players traded in the "Midnight Massacre" by the New York Mets. On June 15, {{Baseball year|1977}}, the Mets traded Kingman to the [[San Diego Padres]] for minor league pitcher [[Paul Siebert]] and [[Bobby Valentine]]; [[Tom Seaver]] was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for [[Pat Zachry]], [[Doug Flynn]], [[Steve Henderson (baseball)|Steve Henderson]] and [[Dan Norman]]; and [[Mike Phillips (baseball)|Mike Phillips]] was traded to the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] for [[Joel Youngblood]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/midnight-massacre-article-1.224970|title=The true story of The Midnight Massacre|access-date=2015-01-07|work=New York Daily News|date=2007-06-17}}</ref>

Kingman was waived by the Padres and claimed by the [[1977 California Angels season|California Angels]] on September 6, 1977.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/09/07/archives/angels-claim-kingman.html "Angels Claim Kingman," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Tuesday, September 6, 1977.] Retrieved October 16, 2022.</ref> On September 15, Kingman became one of only a handful of players to play for four major league teams in the same season (and the only one to play in each division in baseball in a single year [[1969 in baseball#Expansion|since the establishment of divisional play in 1969]]) when he was traded by the Angels to the New York Yankees, for [[Randy Stein]] and cash. Although Kingman's four home runs and seven RBI in eight games helped propel the Yankees into the post-season over the second place [[Boston Red Sox]] and [[Baltimore Orioles]], he could not participate in the team's push to a [[1977 World Series|World Series crown]] as he was added to the roster after the August 31 [[trade deadline|cutoff date]] for postseason eligibility.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.yesnetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20150102&content_id=103833474&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb|title=Yankees All-Forgotten Team: DH and Closer|website=yesnetwork.com}}</ref>

Overall, Kingman hit .221 with 26 home runs and 78 RBI in 132 games for the four teams in 1977.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3"/>

===Chicago Cubs (1978–1980)===
Kingman signed as a free agent with the [[1978 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]] on November 30, 1977.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/01/archives/cubs-sign-kingman-mets-hire-maddox-in-fiveyear-contracts-kingman.html|last=Chass|first=Murray|title=Cubs Sign Kingman, Mets Hire Maddox in Five-Year Contracts|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 1, 1977|accessdate=January 20, 2023|authorlink=Murray Chass}}</ref> He wanted to stay with the Yankees, who denied his request for a [[Trade (sports)|no-trade clause]] and offered him $1,250,000 with the expectation that no other team would pay him more money. Kingman's five-year $1,375,000 contract included a $225,000 annual salary, a $250,000 bonus and an additional $50,000 in any year that the Cubs reached the 1.6 million mark in home attendance.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/04/archives/paul-leaves-a-trail-of-skillful-trades-with-yankees.html|last=Chass|first=Murray|title=Paul Leaves a Trail of Skillful Trades With Yankees|newspaper=The New York Times|date=December 4, 1977|accessdate=January 20, 2023}}</ref>

[[File:Dave Kong Kingman.JPG|thumb|Kingman in 1979 with the Chicago Cubs]]
In 1978, Kingman hit .266 with 28 home runs and 78 RBI in 119 games with the Cubs.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3"/>

Kingman had an excellent performance in Los Angeles on May 14, {{Baseball year|1978}}, when he hit three home runs against the Dodgers, including a three-run shot in the top of the 15th inning that gave the Cubs a 10–7 victory. Eight of the Cubs' ten runs were driven in by Kingman.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B05140LAN1978.htm|title=Chicago Cubs 10, Los Angeles Dodgers 7|access-date=2009-10-25 |work=Retrosheet|date=1978-05-14}}</ref> Following the game, radio reporter [[Paul Olden]] asked Dodgers' manager [[Tommy Lasorda]] his opinion of Kingman's performance that day, inspiring an oft-replayed (and censored) obscenity-laced tirade.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jul-20-sp-crowe20-story.html|title=Olden Can Still Hear the Answer to One Question|first=Jerry|last=Crowe|date=July 20, 2009|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.jfkrush.com/davekingman/lasorda.wav |title=Sound File:Lasorda interview on Kingman |access-date=2016-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226055815/http://www.jfkrush.com/davekingman/lasorda.wav |archive-date=2016-12-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In {{Baseball year|1979}}, Kingman batted .288 with a National League-leading 48 homers, as well as 115 [[runs batted in]] (second to San Diego's [[Dave Winfield]]'s 118) and 97 runs scored. He hit three home runs in a game twice that season, both coming in Cubs losses. The first was a slugging duel with [[Mike Schmidt]] on May 17 at [[Wrigley Field]]; Kingman hit three home runs and drove in six while Schmidt hit two in the game, with Schmidt delivering his second in the top of the tenth inning to give the Phillies a 23–22 victory. Kingman's third home run during this game is likely the longest home run of his career, and believed to be the longest in the history of Wrigley Field. There is a street called Kenmore Avenue that T's into Waveland Avenue behind left-center field. Kenmore is lined with houses, and the ball Kingman launched landed on the third porch roof on the east side of Kenmore, a shot estimated at 550 feet.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B05170CHN1979.htm|title=Philadelphia Phillies 23, Chicago Cubs 22|access-date=2009-10-25 |work=Retrosheet|date=1979-05-17}}</ref>

The second three-homer game for Kingman that year came against his former team on July 28 at [[Shea Stadium]] in a 6–4 loss to the Mets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B07280NYN1979.htm|title=New York Mets 6, Chicago Cubs 4|access-date=2009-10-25 |work=Retrosheet|date=1979-07-28}}</ref>

His .613 [[slugging percentage]] in 1979 was almost 50 points higher than that of his next closest National League competitor,  Schmidt. Kingman finished eleventh in NL MVP balloting that year and led the league in strikeouts for the first time in his career (131).

In {{Baseball year|1980}}, Kingman (whose personality former Mets teammate [[John Stearns]] had once compared to a tree trunk)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=stearjo01|title=John Stearns Stats|access-date=2009-10-25 |work=Baseball Almanac}}</ref> dumped a bucket of ice water on ''[[Daily Herald (Arlington Heights)|Daily Herald]]'' reporter Don Friske's head late in [[spring training]].<ref>Leavy, Jane [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1980/06/15/dave-kingman/53a33723-207f-44af-b587-013ed9f1d2cd/ "Dave Kingman"] ''The Washington Post'', Sunday, June 15, 1980</ref> Kingman regularly insisted he was misquoted, and he began appearing regularly in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', as the nominal author of a column [[ghostwriter|ghostwritten]] by [[Chicago Park District]] employee Gerald Pfeiffer.<ref>Royko, Mike [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19800422&id=WOBUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u5IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2341,3127203&hl=en "Words packaged with deceit"] ''Chicago Sun-Times'', Tuesday, April 22, 1980</ref> [[Mike Royko]], then writing for the rival ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', parodied Kingman's column with a series using the byline "Dave Dingdong."<ref>Wulf, Steve [http://olympics.si.com/vault/1980/04/21/106775026/scorecard "Scorecard: Cub Reporter"] ''Sports Illustrated'', April 21, 1980</ref>

The Cubs held a Dave Kingman T-shirt Day promotion in conjunction with its game with the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] on August 7, but Kingman instead spent the afternoon at [[Navy Pier]] promoting [[Kawasaki Heavy Industries Motorcycle & Engine|Kawasaki]] [[Jet Ski]]s at [[ChicagoFest]].<ref>Smith, Sam & Duffy, Tom [http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1980/08/08/page/57/article/kingman-shows-at-chicagofest "Kingman shows – at ChicagoFest"] ''Chicago Tribune'', Friday, August 8, 1980</ref>

Kingman was injured in 1980, playing in 81 games, hitting .278 with 18 home runs and 57 RBI.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3"/>

Overall, in his three seasons with the Cubs, Kingman hit .278 with 94 home runs and 251 RBI and a .907 OPS in 345 games.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3"/>

===Return to New York Mets (1981–1983)===
In January 1980, the [[Joan Payson|Payson]] heirs sold the Mets franchise to the [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] publishing company for $21.1 million. [[Nelson Doubleday, Jr.]] was named chairman of the board while minority shareholder [[Fred Wilpon]] took the role of club president. Kingman was reacquired by the Mets from the Cubs for Steve Henderson and cash on February 28, {{Baseball year|1981}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/01/sports/kingman-back-with-mets-henderson-traded-to-cubs.html|last=Durso|first=Joseph|title=Kingman Back with Mets; Henderson Traded to Cubs|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 1, 1981|accessdate=October 16, 2022|authorlink=Joe Durso}}</ref> In separate deals, the new organization also reacquired [[Rusty Staub]], and two seasons later, [[Tom Seaver]].

Kingman primarily played first base upon his return to the Mets in 1981, and exclusively there in his second season back in New York. In {{Baseball year|1982}}, he tied his own Mets' single-season home run record while hitting .204, the lowest batting average for a first baseman with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. It was also the first time where the Cy Young award winner ([[Steve Carlton]]) had a higher batting average than the home run champion.  Leading the league in home runs that year, it is also the lowest batting average for any season's home run leader.  In spite of this, he still drove in 99 runs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/hihr5.shtml |title=Home Runs Year-by-Year Leaders  |access-date=2008-07-31 |work=Baseball-almanac }}</ref>

Kingman led the NL in strike outs both of the first two seasons of his return to the Mets (105 in an abbreviated 1981 & 156 in 1982). On June 15, {{Baseball year|1983}}, the sixth anniversary of the Midnight Massacre, the Mets acquired first baseman [[Keith Hernandez]] from the St. Louis Cardinals for pitchers [[Neil Allen]] and [[Rick Ownbey]]. Kingman remained with the team for the remainder of the season in a limited role. He was released at the end of the season, and signed as a free agent with the [[Oakland Athletics]].

In six total seasons with the Mets, Kingman hit .219 with 154 home runs and 389 RBI in 664 games.<ref name="baseball-reference.com3"/>

===Oakland Athletics (1984–1986)===
On April 16, 1984, Kingman collected his fifth and final three-homer game, in a 9–6 win over the [[Seattle Mariners]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1984/B04160SEA1984.htm|title=Oakland Athletics 9, Seattle Mariners 6|access-date=2009-10-25 |work=Retrosheet|date=1984-04-16}}</ref> He made just nine appearances at first base in {{Baseball year|1984}}, and was the A's regular [[designated hitter]] the remainder of the time. For the 1984 season, he hit .268 with 35 home runs and 118 RBI. He was named the [[American League]]'s [[Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award|Comeback Player of the Year]], and finished 13th in MVP balloting.

After hitting 30 home runs in 1985, Kingman's 35 homers in 1986 were a record for a player in his final season, which held until surpassed by [[David Ortiz]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-david-ortiz-sets-home-run-record-c202361116|title=Red Sox David Ortiz sets home run record|website=MLB.com|access-date=2016-09-21|archive-date=2017-10-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026111554/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/202361116/red-sox-david-ortiz-sets-home-run-record/?game_pk=449118|url-status=live}}</ref>

In three seasons as a DH in Oakland, he collected at least 30 home runs and 90 RBIs in each. He also had two at-bats which did not result in home runs, but nonetheless were noteworthy: in the [[Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome|Metrodome]] against the [[Minnesota Twins]], on May 4, 1984, he hit a pop-up that flew into a hole in the roof and got stuck for a [[ground rule double]]. In a game in [[Seattle]] on April 11, {{Baseball year|1985}}, he hit a hard drive to [[left field]] which struck a speaker hanging from the roof of the [[Kingdome]], bounced back and was caught for an out.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseballbiography.com/dave-kingman-1948 |title=Dave Kingman from the Chronology |access-date=2009-10-25 |work=baseballbiography.com }}</ref>

During his final year in Oakland in 1986, Kingman sent a live rat in a pink box to Sue Fornoff, a sportswriter for ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/25/sports/kingman-fined-3500.html|title=Kingman Fined $3,500|last=AP|newspaper=The New York Times|date=25 June 1986}}</ref> The rat had a tag attached to it that read, "My name is Sue." Fornoff claimed that Kingman had told her that women do not belong in the clubhouse, and that he harassed her several times since she began covering the team the year before. Kingman himself said it was intended as a harmless practical joke.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/ugly.media-athlete.confrontations/content.18.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100816055112/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1008/ugly.media-athlete.confrontations/content.18.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 16, 2010|title=Sports Illustrated (undated) Ugly Media-Athlete Confrontations}}</ref> The A's fined Kingman $3,500 and warned that he would be released if a similar incident occurred again.

When Kingman's contract expired after the 1986 season, Oakland did not renew his contract and he became a free agent.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/08/jack-of-all-trades-dave-kingman.html|title=Jack Of All Trades: Dave Kingman |last1=Megdal |first1=Howard |date=2010-08-02 |website=mlbtraderumors.com |access-date=2021-11-01 }}</ref> Oakland signed former Athletic and future [[Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Famer]] [[Reggie Jackson]] for his final year as the team's designated hitter for the 1987 season to play alongside the new blood in homerun hitting in [[Jose Canseco]] and rookie [[Mark McGwire]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/OAK/1987.shtml|title=1987 Oakland Athletics Statistics|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

In three seasons with Oakland, under managers [[Steve Boros]], [[Jackie Moore (baseball)|Jackie Moore]], and [[Tony LaRussa]], Kingman hit .230 with 100 home runs and 303 RBI.<ref name="auto1">November 30, 1977: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs.</ref>

Overall, in his career, Kingman hit .236 with 442 home runs and 1210 RBI. He had an .302 OB%, a 780 OPS with 608 walks and 1816 strikeouts in 1941 career games. Kingman averaged a home run every 15.11 at bats, tied with [[Juan González (baseball)|Juan González]] for 14th best all-time.{{as of when|date=January 2025}}<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Career Leaders & Records for AB per HR |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/at_bats_per_home_run_career.shtml |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 1995, Kingman was awarded over $829,000 in damages for collusion by MLB owners against him (and other MLB players who were free agents), specifically for 1987.<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1995/01/18/more-collusion-damages-awarded/059208ad-54ff-4c59-9bed-3e6517df5d5d/</ref>

==Retirement==
On July 11, 1987, Kingman signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants during the {{Baseball year|1987}} season.<ref name="baseball-reference.com"/> After twenty games at AAA Phoenix in which he batted .203 with two home runs and 11 RBI, he retired from baseball.<ref name="baseball-reference.com1"/>

In 1989, Kingman played for the [[West Palm Beach Tropics]] of the [[Senior Professional Baseball Association]], alongside other former major league players. He hit .271 with 8 HR and 40 RBI, as the Tropics had the best record in the Senior League. The league folded in 1990.{{cn|date=July 2022}}

In {{Baseball year|1992}}, his first year of eligibility for the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]], he appeared on just three ballots, excluding him from future [[Baseball Writers' Association of America]] voting. He was the first player to hit 400 or more home runs without being eventually inducted into the Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/voting_year.jsp?year=1992 |title=1992 Hall of Fame Vote Totals |access-date=2008-07-31 |work=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228192753/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/voting_year.jsp?year=1992 |archive-date=2008-02-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Personal life==
Kingman lives in the [[Lake Tahoe]] area. He has three children, Adam, Abby and Anna, and operates a local tennis club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/met-dave-kingman-lake-tahoe-article-1.325231|title=Where are they now? Former Met Dave Kingman in Lake Tahoe|first=Anthony|last=McCarron|website=nydailynews.com|date=September 13, 2008 }}</ref> His son Adam won season 3 of ''[[Making It (TV series)|Making It]]'' and was crowned Master Maker.<ref>{{cite episode|title = Shed Hack|series = Making It|series-link = Making It (TV series)| air-date = August 26, 2021|season = 3|number = 8}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
*[[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite news |url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/dave-kingman-can-still-connect-1.2974458 |title=Dave Kingman can still connect |first=Daniel |last=Brown |newspaper=[[Newsday]] |date=June 21, 2011}}
* {{cite web |url=http://1970sbaseball.mlblogs.com/2015/12/22/25-facts-about-dave-kingman-that-you-may-not-know/ |title=20 Facts About Dave Kingman That You May Not Know |first=Joe |last=Gersbeck |website=1970s Baseball |date=December 22, 2015}}
* {{cite web |url=https://studiousmetsimus.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-best-on-worst-dave-kingman.html |title=The Best On The Worst: Dave Kingman |first=Ed |last=Leyro |website=Studious Metsimus |date=March 24, 2014}}

==External links==
*[http://www.DaveKingman.com Official website]
{{Baseballstats|mlb=117092|espn=142|br=k/kingmda01|fangraphs=1006939|brm=kingma001dav|retro=K/Pkingd001}}

{{1970 USC Trojans baseball}}
{{Oakland Athletics}}
{{NL home run champions}}
{{AL Comeback Players of the Year}}
{{Edgar Martínez Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingman, Dave}}
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