After a 2014 season in which the Lions had half of their regular-season games canceled because of poor weather — they played just nine games overall — King, a senior righthanded pitcher, is looking forward to playing a full slate of games this spring.
Q: How tough was last season?
A: It was real frustrating because every other game got canceled.
Q: Where are you in the pitching rotation?
A: I’m probably No. 2. Mike [Stodolka] is No. 1. He’s got a really good fastball, and his control is more reliable.
Q: What’s wrong with your control?
A: I throw decently hard, but the kids on the other teams don’t get too comfortable with me because I’m not always sure where the ball is going.
Q: As long as you’re not walking people, can that work to your advantage?
A: Yeah [laughs}. I guess it has its positives.
Q: Do you play year-round?
A: I used to. Last summer I umpired North Star league, American Legion and Junior Legion games.
Q: That must have been an eye-opener, seeing things from that perspective.
A: It gave me a better appreciation of what umpires do. And I think it’s helped me as a player. I see many more pitches than I do as a player and I can recognize them better. It really helps as a batter.
Q: What has been your best baseball experience?
A: Two years ago, I pitched against St. Agnes in sections at the old Midway Stadium. They crushed me, but they went on to win the [Class 1A] state championship. I thought it was really neat to pitch against a team like that. That was pretty exciting.
Q: I hate to ask what your worst experience was.
A: That’s easy. In 10-U traveling baseball, I hit four batters in an inning. I was ejected. I had no control at all.
JIM PAULSEN