European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday april 22. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary maligned Kuhn they said he was a stuffed shirt. A anachronism a victorian character in the wrong Century part Scrooge and part Micah two hut an elitist All the Way. Rut in his tenure in baseball salaries escalated into the stratosphere going from an average in the Low digit to the High six digits. They said he had the political Outlook on William of Orange the economic enlightenment of Calvin Coolidge. Bui in his term baseball cast off the Lasi shackles of slavery in this society the Reserve clause and players accepted the Freedom of movement of hungarian gypsies or Plains indians. They said he was a pro Duel of the owners ventriloquism thai when lie talked you could we Walter o Malley s lips Mova but somehow he incurred the enmity of enough owners that he had a constant fight on Hii hands just to slay in office and finally was no longer Able to do in. They said he was what Harold Ickes once called Wendell Willkie he Barefoot boy from Wall street.1 that he was enlisted to turn baseball Back a Century and into an absolute monarchy again. In Stead he saw it turn into the nearest thing to a work ers Paradise in the whole fabric of sport. There were four commissioners of baseball before Bowie Kuhn. By common consent judge Kenesaw Mountan Landis was the Best of them. He had carte Blanch coming to the game on the Beels of its most embarrassing scandal the Black sox fix of 1919, and he ruled the game the Way Genghis Khan ruled Asia. By and Large lie left the game in the same Unen lightened backward looking condition he had found it. Jim Crow was still the governing philosophy of its landscape. In Dixie you got on the Back of he bus. In baseball you did t even get on the bus. Landis tacitly enforced this Plantation mentality. As an antitrust Jurist with a reputation for busting up a Standard Oil Cartel from he Bench. Judge Windis must have known he was presiding Over one of the biggest combinations in restraint of Trade this Side of the roman Empire but he preserved the fic Tion of fairness and impartiality with a crusty veneer of moral superiority he was bigger than baseball which in itself was bigger than the Law. The owners never made the mistake of installing a Pope in that chair again. One of the things they did was provide lha a commissioner s reelection required a three quarters majority. They needed a War Den but they wanted a servant. They did t want another judge Landis they wanted a judge Crater. When . Happy Chandler proved to misunderstand his role completely they fired him and hired Ford Frick whose duties consisted mainly if not to say entirely of calling off world series games if it was raining. When prick retired and they found out about it they hired an air Force general whose qualification for the Job was that he had never seen a major league ballgame. The owners pm the 75-Perccnl-of-the-vote Rule in for the same reason mule skinners carry whips. But smarting under the derision the selections of Frick and Gen William Eckert brought them they picked a baseball Man for a change a Man who not Only knew the infield Fly Rule but How Many hits Tycobb got lifetime off left handed pitching and who caught for the 1951 St. Louis Browns Bowie Kent Kuhn was a Nice Guy who loved baseball but he came into focus As baseball s Hatchet Man an Ivy league socialise a Hoover Republican a Park Avenue lawyer. And he came into Power if that was the word Lor it at the same time As Marvin Miller who became such a powerful adversary As counsel for the players Union that for Many years the press snickered that Miller was the game s real commissioner and Kuhn was his whipping boy. Miller had the Power to destroy baseball via strike and Kuhn scarcely had any to save it. But As Kuhn Points out in his new Book hardball the education of a baseball commissioner baseball was on fire when he first got into it. It was the sick Man of sport running a Distant second to football in the popularity polls dismissed by networks and pub Lic alike As too slow too contemplative too old fashioned and too archaic for today s san Saigon seeking violence preferring audiences. Kuhn May have been the Best commissioner the game had Given the circumstances of his reign if in could be called that. Kuhn himself brought to the office a reverential  for the traditions of the game. He was his own worst enemy. He was More of a gut fighter than anyone imagined. He put George  no Lew. Out of inc game for ilk nil Flection contributions put Ted Turner out fur tampering with another Leam i player the giants Gary Mathews and he look on such powerful enemies As tussle Flusch. The Beer billionaire and owner of the St. Louis cardinals and Nelson double inlay the publishing scion and owner of the new Yurk mets. Kuhn was like the general who fails to protect his rear. Still in Bowie s time at the top the grand old game moved from an average salary of $2t duo to $450,000 per player. Attendance in All of organized Ball moved from less than 20 million to More than 80 million. The game survived devastating strikes headache scandals players and owner Trou Bles and Bowie s office a always open his phone was listed. Where you could gel in to see judge Landis Only if you fixed a game first you could get Bowie any time Day or night to take your Call. He had a Mentor who warned never get in an argument with people who buy Ink by the barrel but Bowie s deputation in the press was never a belter than his predecessors. He was either a no per son or a Villan. He either got no mention at All. Or unfavourably. These Days Bowie is ostensibly trying to sell his Book but Bowie is really trying to sell Bowie tic is even counteracting the widespread belief that he was a vicar without humor by chuckling that his lung time foe George  dismisses his Bonk As sea stories by the Captain of the  he does not want to go Down in baseball history As the front office equivalent of Fred Mark la or the Guy who dropped the third strike against the Yankees in the 41 world series or let the grounder go through his legs in the Las one. Bowie thinks he was one of the Best friends baseball Ever had. He thinks some one should say thunks for helping save the baby from drowning instead of he had a hat when he went a Tel Lungi 1h� Lemond shot by Hunting companion Sacramento Calif. Apt Greg Lemond the Only american to win the tour de France bicycle race was in fair condition monday after being hit in the Back with a Shotgun blast during a Hunt ing trip authorities said. He should recover from All injuries and they should not affect his performance As an athlete said or. Sandy Beal one of three surgeons involved in the two hour operation on the cyclist at University California Davis medical Center. Shir said Lemond would probably be Hospital cd for one or two weeks and would be Able to resume cycling Prat lice in a couple of months. Lomond. 25, and some friends were apparently Hunting in the area when one of the companions. Patrick Blades fired a Shotgun at a running Rabbit accidentally shooting Usmond in the Bpck Placer county sheriffs capt. Larry Newman said. They were Hunting in Rural Lincoln about 20 Miles non ust of Sacramento Newman said. No charges were filed. Zemond s 2 a year old wife Kalaj. 11pregnant and in Ait area Jiosi Paul but not the same Hospital As Ocmand. A runner up in the tour do frana1 in i9h5, Lemond won the prestigious Day 2,500-mile race last july. Former team Nutley Mosi s Malunat kit joins Julius Kinji s furl jiurai1 sunday. Philadelphia holds Parade for doctor j Philadelphia a Julius Erv ing Rode through throngs of cheering fans monday in a downtown lunch Lime Parade in his Honor and then thanked his teammates for helping him reach the 30,000-Point plateau. Bui before hiring even finished his speech fans began tooting vandalizing and fighting nearby according to police who said they arrested 33 people. Authorities closed a mall about a half mile from the rally which police Esti mated up to 20,000 people attended. The 17-year-old Erving is retiring after 11 Aba seasons with me Philadelphia 76m. It is impassible for a player to stand Oul said Ervin i. Wii Puiul having some great teammates. Sealed Here. T have the greatest teammates in the  on tin aimed podium to Himl Irving in a downtown Pla a were current Mem Bers of the Philadelphia 7ders and past Teo Ninati s Hobby Jones and Sieve mix. Thousands of Rte Itadio a pridans Lut Trad onto the so Nils to watch the Parade which Fri lured mm1 College and Gigli is Hool manniing Bonus Ami a do in antique cars can ii us current and Fanner Iben. A crowd fifis Bill own d t ring ind his wife Turbo is who brought up the rear of the Parade in a 1928 roadster convertible