European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 1, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                February 1978 the stars and stripes Page 21 Uhn blocks Sale of Blue to the reds Bygre Raiello new York up commissioner lie Kuhn blocked the million Deal Vida Blue urging the Cincin 11 reds and Oakland As to work out an ther Deal for the 28year old but in irritated Charlie Finley said the Only place Hes going is to in a 15page Kuhn Digap i the 9 Trade of Blue to Cincin Hati for million and minor league first i Dave revering As not being in Best interests of baseball and having Adverse effect on competitive Bat i am satisfied on the basis of the Evi developed at the hearing that the sed assignment is not in the Best in Keresty of baseball and should be Digap pursuant to my Powers under the ajor league agreement and major Itcague Kuhn said in his state that is All which i hereby i am passing Only upon the proposed assign i am not saying that i will disapprove an assignment of Blue under All i quite the i urge i the Oakland and Cincinnati clubs to review i the situation carefully to see if they cannot i find some Way to Structure a Deal which i will not present the concerns which i see in i the presently proposed when informed of the decision at his Chi Cago Finley said he would go to court this is the first i heard of said but it Doest Surprise in not t in going to do until i consult but ill Tell you this ill be in certainly ill be Kuhns decision was the second time in j 19 months that he blocked an attempted Sale by Finley of the former by Young award Winner and one of baseballs Premier on june the commissioner 1 voided a Deal sending Blue to the new York Yankees for and a separate Deal which would have sent reliever Rollie Fin Gers and outfielder Joe Rudi to the Boston red sox million after losing a million suit against Kuhn in Federal Finley dealt the three time 20game Winner to Cincinnati for million and revering at the Winter baseball meetings in but Finley and Cincinati president Bob Howsam were unsuccessful in realizing their Hope that the inclusion of a 24yearold Power hitter who has spent seven years in the would convince Kuhn the transaction was not just for revering has his Best season last year when he batted pm in 128 including 29 Home runs and 110 runs batted most of the principals emerging last week from two Days of hearings at Kuhns office expressed optimism the Deal would be Finley Neil Papia said the testimony was overwhelmingly in favor of the now whose picture already appears on the reds 1978 press will be returned to Finley Appeal of Kuhns action 19 months ago voiding the Sale of Fin Gers and Rudi is scheduled to be heard in the court of appeals for the seventh circuit in Chicago the week of the decision to nullify that the strongest and most controversial act Kuhn has made in nine years As was upheld last March 17 in Chicago by District court judge Frank in Finley suit against the commission Mcgarr ruled that cancelling player sales fell within the Broad authority Given Kuhn by Trie baseball owners to act in the Best interests of the Kuhn hailed the ruling As a landmark decision for the future of he rejected the sales primarily on the grounds they upset the competitive balance of the american league and because he was convinced they were made by Finley strictly for Finley sold fingers and three players who helped Lead Oakland to five straight american league West titles and three world series on the june 15 trading Kuhn hurriedly called a hearing two Days later in his new York office at which Finley Testi fied without an the hearing lasted Only 90 minutes and the next Day Kuhn jolted the baseball Finley then wound up losing both Fin Gers and Rudi plus most of his other top players in the first free agent draft after the 1976 the stocked with a Large number of recently promoted minor league plummeted to last place with a 6398 record last they often were referred to jokingly As the triple the Brash Finley and the staid Kuhn have been at Odds for a few years ago Finley spearheaded a move to dump Kuhn As when Kuhn voided Finley three player Finley said the commissioner sounded like the Village last february Kuhn temporarily continued on Page 33 Finley will Challenge Kuhns ruling in court addle Joss  player Chicago Oakland As owner Charles Finley said monday he would take baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn to Federal court again to Challenge Kuhns decision barring the Sale of Pitcher Vida Blue to the Cincinnati i dont like to sound like Muhammad Finley but if All can predict the round hell Knock out i can predict what in going to do to ill get him in the second hell be in court again on this Finley lost a Federal court suit against Kuhn last year when District judge Frank Mcgarr ruled that Kuhn had the authority to void the Sale by Finley of Rollie fingers and Joe Rudi to the new York Yankees and Boston red sox for Kuhns ruling monday voided the Sale by Finley of Blue to the reds for million plus a minor league his decision didst Surprise me at Finley but it was pretty hard to we won the division five straight years and three consecutive world Champi and nobody objected when i poured millions of dollars into the team to develop by committee on baseball veterans Macphail Are named to Hof Byre Mcmane new York up addle a right handed Pitcher from the Deadfall Era who boasts the second lowest career earned run and innovative executive Larry Macphail monday were named to the Hall of Fame by the committee on baseball who died of spinal meningitis at he Peak of his career in is the first player Ever to be elected to the Hall of tone with less than 10 years in the major prior to this year Joss was ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration since e played Only nine but a special Resolution was passed by the Hall of fames Board of directors last year making him eligible for consideration As a special he died Only a few Days before the Start of his 10th big league Cam t a new format this the com 1 Attlee on veterans was allowed to select oily two members to the Hall of Fame and had to make their choices from among three categories a players who retired before 1946 or been retired at least 25 b managers and umpires who have been retired at least five years and c players from the negro a 185pound Joss compiled an amazing record for the indians from 1902 through 1910 even by the Deadfall pitching standards of the Joss was a fou time 20game Winner 2012 in 219 in 2710 in 1907 and 2412 in 1908 and in his nine seasons never had an earned run average higher than the Era he had in his Rookie 1902 Cam his Era was less than in five seasons and his lifetime Era ranked him second on the Al time list Only to Hall of Famer de Walsh Joss pitched two including a perfect game against the Chicago White sox on which is considered perhaps the classic pitching Duel of All his struck out 15 batters and allowed Only four hits with Joss winning the game for Cleveland the loss was a severe blow to the White sox Pennant Hopes with the Detroit tigers eventually winning the american league Joss pitched his second no hitter against the while sox on april by which time the illness which had plagued him since 1904 was taking a severe Joss had Only a 1314 record in 1909 and was 55 in 1910 when he went on the disabled his lifetime won lost record was 16097 for 623 who died at the age of 85 in pioneered night baseball in the major leagues and was a successful executive with the Cincinnati Brooklyn Dodg ers and new York Yankees Between 1s33 and a flamboyant similar in Outlook and methods to Bill Mac Phail also was the first general manager to authorize regular air travel for his was a Leader in obtaining a pension plan for the championed various promotions such As old timers Days and was among the first to recognize that new Parks had to be better designed for spec Tactor Comfort in order to transform base Ball from a predominantly male oriented peanuts and Beer game to a form of family he was opposed by the baseball establishment in most of his undertakings and usually reacted in a uncompromising manner that earned him the enmity of rival baseball executives his election to the Hall of Fame is considered Long overdue by Many baseball they opposed me so much that some times i had my Macphail said in later referring especially to his introduction of night but in the end it turned out that i was right and they were i did not receive any support when i lost in 1976 and million in 1977 and it looks worse this can Kuhn deprive me of trying to keep my ship afloat its Cincinnati has indicated it will join me in a and Kuhn better get in shape to defend Finley last month agreed to sell the As to Denver interests for but the Deal fell through when he was unable to escape from a lease requiring the As to play in i Hope its but it looks like an impossible he nobody will try to buy the club to keep it in my future action will speak for who underwent open heart sur Gery last said he has recovered com i Felt any id get he veto shocks reds Boss Cincinnati a Bob president of the Cincinnati denounced commissioner Bowie Kuhns veto of the Vida Blue Deal charging that the hearing was More like an inquisition than a fac finding Howsam expressed Shock at Kuhns decision and recommendation that the reds and Oakland owner Charlie Finley restructure the he said he reds and Finley had proposed such a but charged that Kuhn didst even re questioning the Power of Kuhn to act As judge and jury regarding baseball Howsam said i dont think that baseball intended for the commissioner to decide which teams would be allowed to win pen Nants and How i dont think baseball intended to give the a Man who has never been involved in operating a making a or otherwise directing a baseball the Power to judge baseball Talent or the effect that a Trade would have on a teams loss of Confidence when the Public recognizes that the if he can do what he pro poses to do in this in effect would have the ability to dictate where a team can end up in the i predict that Public Confidence in the game will be de Howsam said in a statement re leased hours after Kuhn denied the he angrily charged that the decision was first leaked to the wire services and then sent indirectly to the reds so that Long continued on Page 23