David Ortiz Is Ready to Trot Away

On Oct. 1, 1986, at the old Arlington Stadium in Texas, Dave Kingman hit his 35th home run of the season for the Oakland Athletics. About 7,000 fans were there to see it. Kingman finished the season hitting .210 and never played in the majors again.

The owners colluded against the players that winter, and free agents struggled to find jobs. Maybe that was why teams ignored Kingman, or maybe it was because he had sent a live rat, inside a gift box, to a female sportswriter that season. That creepy act of misogyny is now part of his legacy.