Bowie Kuhn
Bowie Kuhn | |
---|---|
![]() Kuhn in 1982 | |
5thCommissioner of Baseball | |
In office February 4, 1969 – September 30, 1984 | |
Preceded by | William Eckert |
Succeeded by | Peter Ueberroth |
Personal details | |
Born | Bowie Kent Kuhn October 28, 1926 Takoma Park, Maryland,U.S. |
Died | March 15, 2007 Jacksonville, Florida,U.S. | (aged 80)
Spouse | Luisa |
Children | 2 children 2 step-children 10 grandchildren |
Alma mater | Princeton University(B.A.) University of Virginia(J.D.) |
Baseball career |
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Member of the National | |
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Induction | 2008 |
Vote | 83.3% |
Election method | Veterans Committee |
Bowie Kent Kuhn(/ˈbuːiˈkjuːn/;October 28, 1926 – March 15, 2007) was an American lawyer and sports administrator who served as the fifthCommissioner of Major League Baseballfrom February 4, 1969, to September 30, 1984. He served as legal counsel forMajor League Baseballowners for almost 20 years prior to his election as commissioner.
Kuhn was inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Famein 2008.
Early life and career
[edit]Kuhn was born inTakoma Park, Maryland,the son of Alice Waring (Roberts) and Louis Charles Kuhn, a fuel company executive. His father was a Bavarian (German) immigrant, and his mother had deep roots in Maryland.[1]Kuhn grew up in Washington, D.C., and graduated fromTheodore Roosevelt High School.He then attendedFranklin and Marshall Collegein theV-12 Navy College Training Programbefore going toPrinceton Universityin 1945. Kuhn graduated from Princeton with honors in 1947 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. He then received his J.D. degree in 1950 from theUniversity of Virginia School of Lawwhere he served on the editorial board of the law review.[2][3]
Following his graduation from law school, Kuhn worked at the New York City law firmWillkie Farr & Gallagherbecause the firm represented theNational League.[4]While working in baseball's legal affairs, Kuhn served as a counselor for the NL in a lawsuit brought against it by the City of Milwaukee when theMilwaukee Bravesmoved to Atlanta following the 1965 season.[5]
After the owners forced outWilliam Eckertin 1968, Kuhn seemed like a logical replacement for the job of commissioner. He, unlike Eckert, was very aware of the inner workings of Major League Baseball before taking office. Kuhn's closest challengers for the commissionership wereMike Burke,president of theNew York Yankees;andSan Francisco Giantshead of baseball operationsChub Feeney,who instead became president of theNational League.[6]At 42, Kuhn remains the youngest commissioner in history.[7]
Actions as commissioner
[edit]His tenure was marked by laborstrikes(most notably in1981), owner disenchantment, and the end of baseball'sreserve clause,yet baseball enjoyed unprecedented attendance gains (from 23 million in 1968 to 45.5 million in 1983) andtelevision contractsduring the same time frame.[8]
Kuhn suspended numerous players for involvement with drugs and gambling, and took a strong stance against any activity that he perceived to be "not in the best interests of baseball".
In 1970, he suspended starDetroit TigerspitcherDenny McLainindefinitely (the suspension was later set at three months) due to McLain's involvement in abookmakingoperation,[9]and later suspended McLain for the rest of the season for carrying a gun. He barred bothWillie Mays(in 1979) andMickey Mantle(in 1983) from the sport due to their involvement incasinopromotion; neither was directly involved in gambling, and both were reinstated by Kuhn's successorPeter Ueberrothin 1985.[10]
Also in 1970, Kuhn describedJim Bouton'sBall Fouras "detrimental to baseball"[11]and demanded that Bouton retract it. The book has been republished several times and is now considered a classic.
On October 13,1971,theWorld Seriesheld anight gamefor the first time.[12]Kuhn, who thought that baseball could attract a larger audience by featuring aprime timetelecast (as opposed to a mid-afternoon broadcast, when most fans either worked or attended school), pitched the idea toNBC.An estimated 61 million people watched Game 4 on NBC;[13]TVratingsfor a World Series game during the daytime hours would not have approached such a record number.
Through the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s, weekday World Series games were played at night while most weekend games continued to be scheduled in the daytime. An exception came in1976,when Game 2 was played on a Sunday night to avoid conflicts with NBC'sNFL coverage;Kuhn responded to criticism of the scheduling by attending the game, held at Cincinnati'sRiverfront Stadium,without an overcoat in spite of the chilly nighttime weather.[14]Kuhn's primetime vision has been manifested, however, as all World Series games are now shown in prime time.
In 1980, during theIranian hostage crisis,Kuhn sat at a baseball game withJeremiah Denton,a Navy admiral and formerPOWinVietnamwho would be elected U.S. Senator later that year from the state ofAlabama.Recalling the event toThe Washington Post,Kuhn believed that"that afternoon...the idea of a lifetime baseball pass was discussed,"and upon their return from Iran, each of the 52 hostages was given one of these unique passes.[15]
Curt Flood
[edit]On October 7, 1969, theSt. Louis Cardinalstraded Curt Flood, catcherTim McCarver,outfielderByron Browne,and left-handed pitcherJoe Hoernerto thePhiladelphia Philliesfor first basemanDick Allen,second basemanCookie Rojas,and right-handed ace relief pitcherJerry Johnson.[16]
However, Flood refused to report to the moribund Phillies, citing the team's poor record and the fact that they played in dilapidatedConnie Mack Stadiumand played in front ofracistfans. Flood forfeited a relatively lucrative US$100,000 contract by his refusal to be traded to the Phillies.
In a letter to Kuhn, Flood demanded that the commissioner declare him afree agent.
Flood's letter to Kuhn
[edit]December 24, 1969
After twelve years in the Major Leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States and of the sovereign States. It is my desire to play baseball in1970,and I am capable of playing. I have received a contract offer from the Philadelphia Club, but I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs before making any decisions. I, therefore, request that you make known to all Major League Clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season.
Flood v. Kuhn
[edit]Kuhn denied his request, citing the propriety of thereserve clause,which was language in contracts that essentially prevented a player from playing with another team even after his contract expired. In response, Flood filed a lawsuit against Kuhn and Major League Baseball on January 16, 1970, alleging that Major League Baseball had violated federalantitrustlaws. Flood likened the reserve clause toslavery.It was a controversial analogy, even among those who opposed the reserve clause.
The case,Flood v. Kuhn(407 U.S. 258) eventually went to theSupreme Court.Flood's attorney, former Supreme Court JusticeArthur Goldberg,asserted that the reserve clause depressed wages and limited players to one team for life. Major League Baseball's counsel countered that Commissioner Kuhn acted in accordance with the rules, which were set up (and therefore his duty to uphold, in so many words) ' "for the good of the game."
Ultimately, the Supreme Court, acting onstare decisis"to stand by things decided", ruled 5–3 in favor of Major League Baseball, upholding a 1922 ruling in the case ofFederal Baseball Club v. National League,(259 U.S. 200).[17]
Charles O. Finley
[edit]Though he had a reputation as an owners' commissioner, Kuhn did not avoid confronting at least one owner whom he disliked. He was a major adversary ofOakland AthleticsownerCharles O. Finley.A major embarrassment for baseball resulted from Finley's actions during the1973 World Series.Finley forced playerMike Andrewsto sign a falseaffidavitsaying he was injured after the reserve infielder committed two consecutiveerrorsin the 12th inning of Oakland's Game 2 loss to theNew York Mets.Andrews's teammates as well as managerDick Williamsrallied to his defense. Kuhn in response forced Finley to reinstate Andrews. In 1976, when Finley attempted to sell several players to theBoston Red SoxandNew York Yankeesfor $3.5 million, Kuhn blocked the deals on the grounds that they would be bad for the game.[18]Kuhn's decision may simply have been a revenge tactic aimed at Finley after he attempted to force an owners' vote to remove Kuhn as commissioner in 1975.
Hank Aaron
[edit]At the start of the 1974 season, Kuhn inadvertently got into the middle of a small controversy duringHank Aaron's pursuit ofBabe Ruth's record of 714 careerhome runs.Aaron'sAtlanta Bravesopened the season on the road inCincinnatiwith a three-game series against theCincinnati Reds.Braves management wanted him to break the record at home inAtlantaand were therefore going to have Aaron sit out the first three games of the season. But Kuhn ruled that Aaron had to play two out of three.[19]The result was that Aaron tied Ruth's record in his very firstat bat,but did not hit another home run in the series. Kuhn did not attend the game where Aaron broke the record, citing a previous engagement.
Ted Turner
[edit]In 1977, Kuhn battled the brash new owner of theAtlanta Braves,Ted Turner.Turner admitted that he had made remarks at a cocktail party about acquiringSan Francisco GiantsstarGary Matthews,at a time when Kuhn had ordered owners not to speak about potential free agents. Kuhn concluded that Turner's statement was not in the "best interest of baseball" and fined Turner, suspended him from baseball for one year, and penalized his club with the loss of a draft choice.[20]Turner sued but both the trial and appellate courts refused to grant Turner relief, emphasizing the limited-extent of judicial review over baseball and the commissioner's office.
Melissa Ludtke case
[edit]In 1977,Melissa Ludtke,a reporter forSports Illustrated,sued Kuhn and the baseball commission for access to the locker room of theNew York Yankees.She was denied access to theYankeesclubhouse during the1977 World Seriesand asserted her14th amendmentright was violated. She won her suit. The court stated her fourteenth amendment right was violated since theYankeesclubhouse was controlled by New York City. The court also stated that her fundamental right to pursue a career was violated based on her sex.[21][22]
Race
[edit]When baseball writers came out in support of inducting Negro league players into theHall of Fame,Kuhn supported recognizing the players in the Hall, but was unable to garner sufficient support from the Hall of Fame board of directors. As a compromise, Kuhn established a committee to select the greatest Negro leaguers, to be honored with a display at the museum in Cooperstown.[23]Satchel Paigewas selected as the initial inductee for the Negro leagues display.[24]
The decision to honor the Negro leaguers with a separate exhibit received significant criticism. SportswriterJim Murrayof theLos Angeles Timeswrote, "They segregated the Hall of Fame!... To have kept Satchel Paige from playing in the white leagues for 24 years and then bar him from the pearly gates on the grounds he didn't play the required 10 years [in the major leagues] is a shocking bit of insolent cynicism, a disservice to America. What is this – 1840? Either let him in the front of the hall – or move the damn thing to Mississippi."[25]Larry Doby,the first black player in the American League, commented, "With another wing... whatever good they've done, they've torn it down."[26]
Kuhn, in his autobiography, claimed that he "knew that the furor would be heard by the board of directors and that the public outcry would be hard to resist. That is exactly what happened."[23]Within a few months, the Hall of Fame board of directors changed its mind and agreed to give Paige, and future honorees of the Negro leagues selection committee, full membership in the Hall.[27]
Bill James, in his bookThe Politics of Glory: How Baseball's Hall of Fame Really Works,wrote that Kuhn seemed "very proud of how he handled the affair, doing an end run around the Hall of Fame board of directors by exposing the Hall – and himself – to public criticism. Perhaps this does reflect some personal courage, and he was able to see that the right thing was done. But the Hall of Fame was also damaged.... The message that got through to the public, loosely translated, was that the Hall of Fame was a racist institution.... Bowie Kuhn would have been a better friend to the Hall of Fame if he had led them to come to terms with theirinstitutional racismin private, rather than leading them to expose it to the public. "[28]
Kuhn's war on drugs
[edit]After being in office for over ten years, Kuhn had grown a strong reputation for being hard on players whoabused drugs.Kuhn was quick to punish players who used drugs with heavy fines and suspensions.Kansas City RoyalscatcherDarrell Portertold theAssociated Pressthat during the winter of 1979–1980 he becameparanoid,convinced that Kuhn knew about his drug abuse, was trying to sneak into his house, and planned to ban him from baseball for life. Porter found himself sitting up at night in the dark watching out the front window, waiting for Kuhn to approach, clutching billiard balls and a shotgun.[29]Ironically, when Porter was named the most valuable player of the1982 World Serieswhile playing for the Cardinals, Kuhn was on hand to congratulate him.
In 1983, four players from theKansas City Royals–Willie Wilson,Jerry Martin,Willie Aikens,andVida Blue– were found guilty ofcocaineuse.[30]In addition, such established stars asFerguson Jenkins,Keith Hernandez,Dave Parker,and other veteran players such asDale Berra,admitted to having problems with drugs. In 1980, during a customs search inToronto,Ferguson Jenkins was found possessing 3.0 gramscocaine,2.2 gramshashish,and 1.75 gramsmarijuana.In response, on September 8, Kuhn suspended him indefinitely. However, Jenkins' suspension lasted only two weeks before, in an unprecedented action, an independent arbiter reinstated him and he returned to the league.[31]Jenkins was not further punished by MLB for the incident, as he remained active until his retirement following the 1983 season.
Leaving office
[edit]Kuhn was both praised and attacked for the firm stand that he levied against offenders. However, his hardline stand onPEDsand the1981 strikecaused most of the MLB owners to turn against him. In 1983, Kuhn and his supporters made a last-ditch effort to renew his contract but ultimately failed. The owners electedPeter Ueberrothas the sixth Commissioner of Baseball, however since Ueberroth was serving at the time as president of the organizing committee for the1984 Summer OlympicsKuhn was allowed to remain Commissioner for the 1984 regular season before leaving office.[7]
Life after baseball
[edit]Following baseball, Kuhn returned to the law firm ofWillkie Farr & Gallagherand assumed presidency of the Kent Group, a business, sports and financial consulting firm. Kuhn left Willkie, Farr & Gallagher in 1987 to join with Harvey D. Myerson, a former senior partner in the firm ofFinley, Kumble, Wagner, Underberg, Manley, Myerson & Casey,to form the firm ofMyerson & Kuhn.[32]He also became an adviser and board member forDomino's Pizzaand theAve Maria Foundation.
Kuhn had been a longtime resident ofRidgewood, New Jersey.[33]According to anAPwire story,[34]he partnered in a law firm with Harvey Myerson which subsequently went bankrupt and then sold his New Jersey home and moved toPonte Vedra Beach, Florida,because his home and other assets were shielded from the bankruptcy.
Kuhn became the Chairman of the Catholic Advisory Board of theAve Maria Mutual Fundsupon the inception of their first mutual fund, Ave Maria Catholic Values Fund, in May 2001. Bowie was a member of the Catholic organization for presidents and CEOs,Legatus,and was influential in chartering the Legatus chapter in Jacksonville, FL. Legatus later memorialized him for his dedication and service to the organization by establishing the "Bowie Kuhn Award for Evangelization".
In July 2001, Kuhn appeared onan hour-long episode of The Journey Home,[35]in which he explained the role that his Catholic faith had played in his life and career.
During a telecast of the2004 World Series,broadcasterJoe Buckannounced that just prior to his 78th birthday, Kuhn was scheduled to undergo open-heart surgery.[36]He died on March 15, 2007, atSt. Luke's HospitalinJacksonville, Florida,after being hospitalized for several weeks with pneumonia.[33]
Kuhn was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Famein2008,after having been elected by theVeterans Committeenine months after his death.[37]
References
[edit]- ^Goldstein, Richard (March 16, 2007)."Bowie Kuhn, 80, former baseball commissioner".The New York Times.RetrievedNovember 8,2013.
- ^"Law Library Guides: Our History: Featured Alumni/ae: Kuhn, Bowie K., 1950".libguides.law.virginia.edu.RetrievedMarch 30,2022.
- ^"Former commissioner Kuhn dies at 80".ESPN.com.March 15, 2007.
- ^Holley, Joe."Bowie Kuhn: Commissioner Modernized Baseball".The Washington Post.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^"Former MLB commissioner Kuhn dies at 80".ESPN.March 15, 2007.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^The Official Site of Major League Baseball: History: Commissioners
- ^ab"Bowie Kuhn Career Timeline".ESPN.March 15, 2007.RetrievedOctober 4,2018.
- ^Kupper, Mike (March 16, 2007)."Bowie Kuhn 1926-2007".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedOctober 2,2018.
- ^"Denny McLain showed off his power years before winning 31 games in 1968".FoxSports.com.Fox Sports Interactive Media, Inc.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^Dwyre, Bill (March 24, 2015)."Peter Ueberroth recalls reinstating Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays to baseball".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^Godfrey, Andrew."Ball Four: Book Review".BleacherReport.com.Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^"Bowie Kuhn | Baseball Hall of Fame".Baseballhall.org.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^Brown, Maury."The Highest-Rated World Series Games of All Time".Forbes.RetrievedOctober 2,2018.
- ^Anderson, Dave (November 2, 1982)."SPORTS OF THE TIMES; THE THERMAL MAN".The New York Times.
- ^Carpenter, Les (January 20, 2006)."Safe at Home".The Washington Post.RetrievedApril 26,2010.
- ^"Curt Flood Trades and Transactions".Baseballalmanac.com.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^"Curt Flood Case Decided".History.com.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^Jackson, Frank (June 15, 2016)."Bowie the K and Charlie O".Fangraphs.com.RetrievedOctober 4,2018.
- ^"How Hank Aaron Feuded With Commish Over No. 715".New York Post.April 8, 2014.RetrievedOctober 1,2018.
- ^"Braves' Turner Suspended by Kuhn".The Washington Post.RetrievedOctober 4,2018.
- ^Barrett, Molly."Ludtke v. Kuhn 461 F. Supp. 86 (D.N.Y. 1978)"(PDF).University of Denver Law School.RetrievedOctober 14,2016.
- ^Strachan, Maxwell (September 25, 2015)."37 Years Ago, A Female Journalist Won The Right To Do Her Job".The Huffington Post.RetrievedOctober 13,2016.
- ^abKuhn, Bowie(1997) [1987].Hardball: The Education of a Baseball Commissioner.University of Nebraska Press. p. 110.ISBN0-8032-7784-9.RetrievedDecember 31,2010.
- ^"Paige enters baseball's Hall of Fame".The Gazette.Montreal. Associated Press. February 10, 1971. p. 17.RetrievedJanuary 1,2011.
- ^Murray, Jim (February 15, 1971)."Baseball Did Paige Great Disservice".Milwaukee Sentinel.Los Angeles Times. p. 2, part 2.RetrievedJanuary 1,2011.
- ^Gross, Milton (February 20, 1971)."Paige Belongs in Hall of Fame, Not in Dusty Museum Corner".Virgin Islands Daily News.NANA.p. 15.RetrievedJanuary 1,2011.
- ^"Paige OK'd for Hall of Fame".Milwaukee Sentinel.Associated Press. July 8, 1971. p. 2, part 2.RetrievedJanuary 1,2011.
- ^James, Bill(1994).The Politics of Glory: How Baseball's Hall of Fame Really Works.New York: Macmillan. p.188.ISBN0-02-510774-7.
- ^Rieper, Max (February 2, 2015)."The 100 Greatest Royals of All-Time-#23 Darrell Porter".Royalsreview.com.Vox Interactive Media, LLC.RetrievedOctober 4,2018.
- ^Hill, David (November 17, 2016)."Kansas City Royals History: Three Jailed for Cocaine".Calltothepen.com.Vox Interactive Media.RetrievedOctober 4,2018.
- ^1919 Black SoxArchivedAugust 20, 2008, at theWayback Machine
- ^Shipp, E. R. (January 6, 1988)."Myerson & Kuhn Arises From Finley, Kumble".The New York Times.RetrievedApril 26,2010.
- ^abBlum, Ronald."Former MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn dead at 80",USA Today,March 16, 2007. Retrieved March 10, 2008. "He sold his house in Ridgewood, N.J., and moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, where his home was shielded from bankruptcy proceedings."
- ^ESPN – Former MLB commissioner Kuhn dies at 80 – MLB
- ^EWTN - Bowie Kuhn, Former Cultural Catholic
- ^ESPN – Former commissioner has heart surgery – MLB
- ^"Kuhn elected to Hall of Fame; union adversary Miller left out again".ESPN.December 3, 2007.RetrievedSeptember 26,2018.
- Kuhn, Bowie with Appel, Martin (Editorial Assistant),Hardball: The Education of a Baseball Commissioner(Times Books), 1987.
External links
[edit]- Bowie Kuhnat theBaseball Hall of Fame
- "Baseball Hall of Fame – 2007 Veterans Committee candidate profile".Archived fromthe originalon April 20, 2007.Retrieved2007-02-21.
- BOWIE KUHN by A. D. Suehsdorfat theWayback Machine(archived May 13, 2001)
- Ave Maria Mutual Funds site
- The Official Site of Major League Baseball: History: Bowie Kuhn, 1926–2007
- Associated Press: Former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn dead at 80
- Bowie KuhnatFind a Grave
- Without Playing Politics, Kuhn Governed the Game Well
- 1926 births
- 2007 deaths
- American people of German descent
- National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees
- Major League Baseball commissioners
- New York (state) lawyers
- Princeton University alumni
- American activists
- Roman Catholic activists
- People from Ridgewood, New Jersey
- People from Washington, D.C.
- People from Takoma Park, Maryland
- University of Virginia School of Law alumni
- 20th-century American lawyers
- United States Navy personnel of World War II
- People associated with Willkie Farr & Gallagher