|
Kuhn Served Baseball Well During Tumultuous Years
BY BERNIE BEGLANE
General William Eckert stepped down as Commissioner of Baseball in 1969, and when the then-24 club owners gathered to select a successor, they had one goal in mind.
You may wonder why it was never in the forefront previously, but that goal was to select someone familiar with baseball.
Familiar with the business, the game and the people.
Two candidates emerged — Mike Burke, the president of the New York Yankees, and Chub Feeney, the president of the National League.
The ballots were divided along league lines, and during the impasse, Bowie Kuhn was mentioned as a possible candidate. The response was overwhelming in his favor.
So much so that Kuhn was elected by unanimous vote on the first ballot.
Wondering how he fulfilled that goal of selecting someone familiar with baseball?
After all, Kuhn served from 1969 until 1984, making his 15-year tenure, second only to the 23 years of Kenesaw Mountain Landis.
It was at a memorial Mass for Bowie last Saturday that Julian Goodman, former president of NBC and a longtime close friend, gave some insight.
Speaking at Immaculate Conception Church, Quiogue, at the Mass for Kuhn who passed away in Florida last March 15, Goodman revealed that at the age of 16, Bowie first became involved in baseball.
“Bowie, as you know, was born in Takoma Park, Maryland, a suburb of Washington,” began Julian, “and he went to Griffith Stadium and secured a job working the hand-operated scoreboard.
“Yes, he was the person standing inside the scoreboard putting up the metal signs for balls and strikes as well as for the number of runs scored in each inning.
“His baseball career was started.”
The memorial Mass was concelebrated by Father Joseph Mirro, pastor of Immaculate Conception parish which Bowie and his wife, Luisa, and their children attended, and by Monsignor Thomas Bohlin, Opus Dei Vicar for the U.S.
Four members of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, an order that Kuhn helped in many ways, attended.
Especially when it came to having baseball personalities such as Hall of Famer Tommy Lasorda appear at fundraising events.
Growing up in the nation’s capital, Kuhn graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School and then attended Franklin and Marshall College in the Naval V-12 Office Training Program prior to going to Princeton in 1945.
After receiving his bachelor of arts degree in economics with honors two years later, Bowie went on to receive his law degree in 1950 from the University of Virginia where he served on the editorial board of the law review.
Kuhn became a member of the New York firm Wilkie, Farr and Gallagher, chosen because it represented the National League.
He spent the next 19 years working in baseball’s legal affairs and was counsel to the NL in the lawsuit brought against it by the City of Milwaukee when the Braves moved to Atlanta.
He also served as counsel for negotiations between the Major League Baseball Players Association and the club owners.
Returning to Kuhn’s days as commissioner, in less than one month, he had helped solve the biggest issue facing baseball by negotiating a new three-year contract between the owners and the Players Association.
The settlement came after more than 40 negotiating sessions and prevented what could have been baseball’s first strike.
Bowie also presided over more tumultuous times in baseball. Among the notable events was the Curt Flood reserve case of 1970. Flood was traded by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Phillies, but refused to report to his new team. Instead, the outfielder initiated legal action against baseball challenging the legality of the reserve clause and the right of clubs to trade players at will.
Ultimately, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower courts’ decisions in favor of baseball, ruling that federal antitrust laws did not apply to the game.
After several bargaining sessions, the players and owners agreed to the current modification that grants players the right to free agency after six years in the majors.
In 1976, Bowie was also involved in a lawsuit with Oakland Athletics’ owner Charles O. Finley, who wanted to sell three of the players for $3.5 million. Kuhn blocked the move, claiming it was “not in the best interests of baseball,” and Finley sued. Bowie prevailed in court, a decision that reaffirmed the powers of the commissioner.
Under Kuhn, the major leagues endured a 57-day players strike in 1981. Also during his tenure Major League Baseball grew from 20 to 26 teams and attendance increased from 23 million fans in 1968 to 45.5 million in 1983.
As we wrote in an earlier column, it was Tommy Villante, director of marketing and broadcasting for Major League Baseball, who introduced us to Bowie.
Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s widow, wanted Major League Baseball to offer opportunities for blacks to become front office employees.
At that time, we were an assistant dean and director of the Bachelor of Science Sports Management Program at St. John’s University.
Tommy, a friend of ours who played baseball for Blessed Sacrament parish, Jackson Heights, and myself put together a summer program for senior high school students who might be interested.
Guest speakers were front office personnel and players.
Anyone who was academically eligible and wanted to study sports management received Jack Robinson Sports Management Scholarships.
All of this was accomplished with the blessings of Bowie who had the New York Yankees and New York Mets donate the scholarship money.
Elaine Weddington was one of the early attendees and she not only received her undergraduate degree but also went on to graduate from law school.
Today she is the legal counsel for the Boston Red Sox.
Monsignor Bohlin, in his homily, pointed out that in living a full life, Bowie accomplished many things.
“He was a friend of God…a friend of Jesus Christ,” said the concelebrant.
“One of his favorite expressions was: ‘Do not let your life be troubled.’”
Stephen Bowie Kuhn, one of Bowie’s sons, recalled, “I was in the third grade when he became commissioner. Imagine that.
“My father was a great man…he was my guide…my confidant. And there was life after baseball.
“He was very close to John Cardinal O’Connor, was a Knight of Malta and visited patients at St. Vincent’s Hospital.”
Forest Hills Girls Swim to Diocesan CYO “A” Championships for Fifth Time
Don Baldi Photo
The Tri-M Girls Swim Team won their fifth consecutive Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan Championship at Eisenhower Aquatic Center on April 28. Tri-M represents Our Lady of Mercy and Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, Forest Hills. Swimmers range in age from five to 14 years. Pictured with the champs are Mary Leong, head coach, and assistant coaches Alex Leong, Melissa Santos, Carolyn McNulty and Amy Bavolar.
The girls also took four gold and four silver medals at the CYO Girls Olympics in March. Congratulations to four seniors who broke the record for the 200 Medley Relay: Emily Brillson, Karina Hain, Katherine Kraus and Keara Leong.
Sports Awards for CPS Seniors
Three young men from Cathedral Prep Seminary, Elmhurst, were among the honorees at a Senior Awards Dinner late last month.
Msgr. Joseph P. Calise, rector-principal, and Tim McCleary, athletic director, were proud to present these graduates with the following awards, from left, Anthony George was named Athlete of the Year; Connor O’Mara earned the Sportsman of the Year Award and Michael Fox received the Msgr. Bannan Award.
|
