So Long, Bowie Kuhn

Bowie Kuhn, who as the fifth commissioner of baseball oversaw the game from 1969 to 1984 -- an extraordinary era -- died Thursday at the age of 80.

I'm not inclined to say too many nice things about Kuhn. He should get some credit for keeping baseball alive and thriving through the tumultuous transition to free agency. He should also get enormous discredit for ordering the Braves to play Hank Aaron in Cincinnati at the start of the 1974 season, where he tied Babe Ruth's home run record. Conveniently, Kuhn was there for Opening Day, and saw the tying homer. But Kuhn wasn't in Atlanta on April 8 when Aaron broke the record. Instead, he sent Monte Irvin as his emissary. Kuhn was in Cleveland during the historic moment.

To remember Kuhn, I'll leave you with a few quotes, courtesy of collections compiled by Paul Dickson and David H. Nathan.

• "We're not really seeing into the bowels of the minds of the parties across the table." --Kuhn explaining why a strike couldn't be avoided in 1994.


• "Bowie Kuhn is the best commissioner in baseball today." -- Jim Bouton, Atlanta Braves, 1978.


• "If I hear him say just once more he's doing something for the betterment of baseball, I'm going to throw up." -- Reds manager Sparky Anderson, 1978.


• "We've got a commissioner who doesn't represent both sides. He doesn't even know who's playing the game. I've been introduced to him eight or nine times over the years and every time he says, 'Nice to meet you.'" -- Rangers third baseman Buddy Bell, 1978.


• "I have often called Bowie Kuhn the village idiot. I apologize to the village idiots of America. He's the nation's idiot." -- A's owner Charlie Finley, 1980.