No-Names Kingsdown Baseball Club, normally known as NN Kingsdown or simply Kingsdown, is a professional baseball club located in McCutchen, Longdon, Ianoia. They were founding members of the Nationwide Baseball Alliance (NBA) in 1900, and one of 14 clubs to participate in the Nationwide League in 1915 when it became the second tier of professional baseball in Ianoia. The club’s nickname is the “Kingsmen”.
History
The formation of NN Kingsdown can be traced back to a group of skilled baseball players who aspired to join the renowned McCutchen City team prior to the start of the I-League in 1900, but were unable to secure contracts. Undeterred by this setback, the players took matters into their own hands and embarked on a path to establish a new team, rallying together to from NN Kingsdown. The team derived its name from the shared experience of being relatively unknown in the baseball community at the time of its founding and the fact that a significant number of its players resided in the McCutchen suburb of Kingsdown.
As founding members of the Nationwide Baseball Alliance, NN Kingsdown played a pivotal role in the formation of the rival league, which aimed to challenge the predicted monopoly of competitive baseball by the newly established I-League. The Kingsdown’s inaugural game took place on April 6, 1900, resulting in a narrow 5-4 loss to Souldrop. However, they quickly rebounded, securing their first victory just two days later with a hard-fought 4-3 win. In their inaugural season, Kingsdown finished in 8th place with a record of 21 wins and 33 losses. The following year, after suffering two additional defeats, The Kingsmen finished in last place, before finishing 6th and 7th respectively, with a 27-27 record in 1903. The club unfortunately repeated a last-place finish in 1904 when they went 15-39 to set the lowest winning percentage in the pre-Nationwide League era by any club.
Following disappointing finishes in 1905 and 1906, NN Kingsdown ended up in 8th place both years, primarily due to poor away records. In 1907, the introduction of the Durand Rules brought changes, and the team played their first-ever draw on April 7th against Brinkburn Coastal. Their performance declined towards the end of the season, accumulating only 6 points from their final 14 games, resulting in a slump to 13th place. Despite a strong start in 1908, going 6-8-2, the team finished similarly to the previous year, securing a 10th place finish with 5 more draws.
A turning point came in 1909 when NN Kingsdown achieved a 6th place finish and set a winning record for the first time, going 36-12-30. Despite winning their last 6 games, they slipped from 5th place on the final day due to Canons securing an extra win while being tied on points. On April 10th, 1909, the team were no-hit at home against Arthur Mitchell of Athletic Ragdale. The following year, Kingsdown repeated their 6th place finish, winning 2 more games, and improved further in 1911, securing a 5th place finish despite a weak start to the season with only one win in April.
In 1913, NN Kingsdown achieved their highest-ever finish, taking 4th place. After slipping to 7th in the previous year, the team achieved a winning percentage of 0.583, thanks to a record 40 wins, which included leading the league in July. Their performance exceeded expectations as they were predicted to be mid-table. In the final season before the league transitioned into the Nationwide League, NN Kingsdown couldn’t replicate their strong showing, ending in 11th place.
Stadium
Located in the northern suburb of Kingsdown, Thyme Meadow Field is the home ground of NN Kingsdown. Surrounded by an industrial estate until it was converted to residential housing in the 1960s, the area was wasteland that was repurposed for use by the club in time for the 1900 baseball season. As was common at the time, the square block of land shaped the playing area, with a deep centerfield that closes into a point, sitting 449 feet from home plate. Extensive upgrades throughout the clubs history includes bullpens located underneath the grand stands along the left foul line and bleacher seating surrounding the whole field.
Renowned as a batter-friendly ballpark, the dimensions of the outfield contribute to this reputation, with both left and right-handed batters finding success in clearing the 11-foot high fence at a slightly higher rate compared to league averages. This increased success can be attributed to the presence of fairly shallow foul poles, which provide batters with favorable angles for hitting deep drives and achieving home runs.