Former MLB Commish (Bowie) Kuhn Dies

wmtw.com ^ | March 15, 2007

[lunarbicep]

Former commissioner Bowie Kuhn died in a Florida hospital Thursday at age 80.

Kuhn lorded over baseball during 15 tumultuous years that saw players gain free agency and start the spiral of multi-million dollar salaries.

He died at St. Luke's Hospital in Ponte Vedra Beach following a short illness.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[End Times Sentinel]

Yet Ed Asner continues to burn oxygen.

My Lord, why have You forsaken me?

[Tax-chick]

Rest in piece. I remember when he was Commissioner.

[KellyAdmirer]

He was a good man. I feel bad about some of the things that happened to him after he left baseball. Rest in Peace.

[Buckeye Battle Cry]

I'm still angry at him for nixing the pre-1976 season deal to send Vida Blue to the Reds in exchange for Dave Revering.

RIP Bowie. That schlub Bud Selig couldn't hold a candle to you.

[OneWayOut]

Kuhn was Ex-Yankee Jim Bouton's "best bud."/s

When Bouton wrote the riotous 'Ball Four,' he and Kuhn has some hilariously exchanges over a book that at the time was the most controversial book EVER written in the sports world.

Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn called Ball Four "detrimental to baseball," and tried to force Bouton to sign a statement saying that the book was completely fictional. Bouton, however, refused to deny any of Ball Four's revelations. Many of Bouton's teammates never forgave him for publicly airing what he had learned in private about their flaws and foibles.

The book made Bouton unpopular with many players, coaches and officials on other teams as well, as they felt he had betrayed the long-standing rule: "What you see here, what you say here, what you do here, let it stay here." Pete Rose took to yelling "F--- you, Shakespeare!" from the dugout whenever Bouton was pitching. Many traditional sportswriters also denounced Bouton, with Dick Young leading the way, calling Bouton and Shecter "social lepers"

Bouton seemed rather pleased by the commotion his book had kicked up, and the following year described the fallout from Ball Four and his ensuing battles with Commissioner Kuhn and others in another diary, entitled I'm Glad You Didn't Take It Personally.

The largest measure of Ball Four's impact is that many of the athletes who seemed most offended by Bouton's candor in 1969, including Mickey Mantle, went on to write memoirs of their own which were, in some respects, just as candid as Bouton's had been.

Source: Wikipedia

[Artemis Webb]

God Bless

Go Cards.

[Mr. Mojo]

The largest measure of Ball Four's impact is that many of the athletes who seemed most offended by Bouton's candor in 1969, including Mickey Mantle, went on to write memoirs of their own which were, in some respects, just as candid as Bouton's had been.

Ain't that the truth.

[trumandogz]

Is he the one that approved the use of the DH in the AL?

[Lancey Howard]

bttt

[Lancey Howard]

My sharpest memory of Bowie was watching him sit in the stands at Veterans Stadium pretending he wasn't getting wet during a playoff game between the Phillies and the Dodgers when Steve carlton was trying to pitch with a waterfall of cold rain cascading off the brim of his cap.

[restornu]

R.I.P.

Memories
A. Bartlett Giamatti was elected to a five-year term as baseball's seventh Commissioner on September 8, 1988 by a unanimous vote of the 26 club owners.

After being elected Commissioner, Giamatti created a deputy commissioner position and appointed Francis T. Vincent, Jr. to the post. Determined to maintain the integrity of the game during his commissionership, Giamatti entered into an agreement with Cincinnati manager and baseball's all-time hit leader Pete Rose that was tantamount to a lifetime suspension on August 23, 1989. The agreement came after a lengthy investigation and court battle regarding gambling by Rose.

On September 1, 1989, Giamatti died of a heart attack at his summer home in Martha's Vineyard, MA

[ConservativeStatement]

Same here but it was after the 1977 season.

[OneWayOut]

Bouton was a trailblazer, though at the time I can understand why others in the game regarded him as a rat. Politically he was a Liberal... Btw, did you happen to catch Mike and the Mad-Dog's interview with Jeter on YES? He addressed the A-Rod "relationship" by candidly stating he "supports A-Rod on the field," and what happens off the field is irrelevant -- which is true.

He emphasized his point by mentioning that he'd NEVER ONCE gone out to dinner with Paul O'Neill (which is surprising isn't it considering all those years playing together?).

And rarely do I catch an NBA game, but I watched the last 5 minutes of the Mavs/Suns game that went into double OT. What a game!

And oddly enough, at the same time the 50 Greatest BB Shots was on ESPN. The Final Two were one of Jordan's 1,000 impossible shots, and Laettner's last second game winning turn-around bomb with Duke.

[B Knotts]

Requiscat in pace, Bowie.

For those who don't know, Bowie Kuhn had long been active in the pro-life movement, and was a good friend of Tom Monaghan, serving on the board of Domino's Pizza and the Ave Maria Foundation.

I remember that he was at the March for Life as recently as two years ago. Maybe this year, too...I dunno.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

Well he the commissioner when I became a baseball fan. He saw over the LCS which was a good thing for baseball. I believe he is the person who coined the phrase "in the best interest of baseball" so whenever he made a decision he would just say it was in the best interest of baseball. I suppose the one dishonorable moment was for him to be absent the night Hank Aaron hit 715 after forcing Aaron the play the previous weekend in Cincinnati (braves were thinking of benching Aaron for the first 3 road games of 1974 season so Aaron could tie and break Babe Ruth HR record at home). May he Rest In Peace.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

****I'm still angry at him for nixing the pre-1976 season deal to send Vida Blue to the Reds in exchange for Dave Revering.****

Yes I was upset about that too...When I was a kid Vida Blue was one of my favorite players.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

****My sharpest memory of Bowie was watching him sit in the stands at Veterans Stadium pretending he wasn't getting wet during a playoff game between the Phillies and the Dodgers when Steve carlton was trying to pitch with a waterfall of cold rain cascading off the brim of his cap.****

Game 4 of the NLCS in 1977.

[Catholic Iowan]

He was a fine Catholic gentleman. May he rest in peace.