European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 182007 stars and stripes 0 Page 43 Kuhn guided baseball through modernization Compromise commissioner who oversaw move to playoffs free Agency Dies at 80 by Hal Bock the associated press Bowie Kuhn who died at 80 on thurs Day at St Lukes Hospital in Jacksonville a following a Short bout with pneumonia that led to respiratory failure looked a lot More aloof than he really was armed with a buttoned Down image this Princeton educated attorneys dry sense of humor underscored a passion for baseball that was sparked when he was a teenager changing the numbers by hand on the scoreboard at Washington old Griffith stadium he loved to talk about baseballs old stars players he watched growing up he chuckled at the stuffed shirt tag that was a function at least in part of his aus Tere appearance accented by his wire rimmed glasses Kuhn stood an imposing 6foot5 but he was More Golf shirt than stuffed shirt he became commissioner almost by Acci Dent and ushered baseball through its greatest period of growth a time when at Tendance and salaries ballooned to record proportions he conducted himself with dignity and design never shaken by boisterous owners who often tested his patience but never really rattled the Man who once said the scoreboard Job was the Best one he Ever had Kuhn who liked to Call himself com Mish took Over baseballs top Job on feb 41969 succeeding Gen William p Eck Ert who had been elected commissioner hastily and was dismissed almost As quickly before completing his first term determined not to make another mis take the owners launched into a Long pain Ful search for a new Man this evolved into a showdown Between new York Yankees Boss Michael Burke and future National league president Chub Feeney the Battle went on for 19 ballots before Kuhn then the no attorney emerged As a Compromise candidate was offered the Job As a oneyear interim solution while base Ball searched for a Lon term Leader he turned out to be that Man sticking around for 15 years As caretaker of a game whose landscape changed dramatically during his watch when Kuhn arrived on the Job there were no playoffs no free Agency no designated hitter and no night games during the world series slowly baseball evolved sort of the Way it moved from flannel uniforms to double knits and with Kuhn at the Helm the game not Only survived the changes but flourished with them in his first season baseball introduced division play leading to postseason play offs a sort of drum Roll precursor to the world series traditionalists shuddered Over that change and again on the evening in 1971 when with Kuhns Blessing the Pittsburgh pirates and Baltimore orioles played the first world series night game there was no denying that the game was changing Kuhn fought a Brave but losing Battle against the Advent of free Agency he knew that eliminating the Reserve clause that bound players to their teams until traded or released would set off a salary explosion the average salary for players was Paul baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn right puts his Arm around Peter Ueberroth who succeeded Kuhn As commissioner prior to the Start of the Allstar game on july 11 1984 Kuhn who oversaw baseball during 15 tumultuous years died thursday when he became commissioner that was tip Money when Kuhn left the game in 1984 then there were the clashes with own ers most notably Oakland Charles 0 Fin Ley stung by the free agent ruling that Cost him Pitcher Catfish Hunter in 1974 Finley decided to sell off his top players before they could walk away Kuhn barred the sales of Joe Rudi and Rollie fingers to bos ton for million and Vida Blue to the Yan Kees for million Finley sued calling Kuhn the Village idiot one of countless feuds Between the two Strong willed men Ted Turner frustrated by the struggles of the Atlanta braves decided to Don a uni form and manage that team the commissioner thought that want such a Good idea and talked Turner Back into civilian clothes after one game later he suspended turn or for one year for tampering with outfielder Gary Mathews the father of the current los Angeles Angels player when George Steinbrenner was convicted of making Ille Gal Campaign contributions to Richard Nix on presidential Campaign Kuhn suspended the Yankees owner for two years there were other scrapes with Nelson Doubleday of the mets Jerry Hoffberger of the orioles and Gussie Busch of the cardinals that led to a dump Bowie movement in 1974 but Kuhns Job was saved by Dodg ers owner Walter Omalley whose Over night lobbying session persuaded the own ers to change their minds like a game there were hits runs and errors during Kuhns term in office twice the game was shut Down by player strikes there were the Foolhardy bans of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays when they took jobs As glad handers for casinos and his failure to show up in Atlanta when Hank Aaron broke babe ruths Home run record but make no mistake Kuhn had a sense of humor when some playful writers Dis covered the phone number in his private Box at a world series game in Cincinnati they called the commissioner and ordered a pizza wrong number he snapped the first time the phone rang when it rang again he recognized the voice on the other end and realized what was up Plain or Pepperoni he said chuckling Fla state coasts past Michigan the associated press Tallahassee Fla Florida state made a believer out of Michigan coach Tommy Amaker on thursday night the seminoles took advantage of 15 steals and some torrid shoot ing to Advance to the quarterfinal round of the National invitation tournament with a surprisingly easy 8766 Victory Over makers wolverines there going to be a Tough out in this tournament Amaker said after the loss Florida state 2212 scored 34 Points off some of Michigan turnovers the difference in the game its a formula for disaster especially on the Road Amaker said their quickness their Speed gave us a lot of problems Toney Douglas and Isaiah Swann scored 15 Points apiece to Lead the seminoles who meet the Winner of saturdays Mississippi stat Bradley game in an nit quarterfinal tuesday Florida state hit 11 of its last 14 shots in the first half closing with a 3314 spurt for a 4130 Lead at the break the seminoles maintained their double digit advantage throughout the second half leading by As Many As 22 Points on four occasions that shows you what were Ca Pable of Swann said weve just got to keep it up Michigan took an Early 168 Lead but Douglas and Swann each scored six Points that sparked a 207 run to put Florida state ahead 2823 that was really a big turning Point Florida state coach Leonard Hamilton said that Little period there was what made the difference Dion Harris scored 15 Points Lester Abram 14 and Courtney Sims 11 for the wolverines its a Tough Way to end the year said Amaker we were pretty darn Good at Home but struggled 39 on the Road six players finished in double figures for Florida state Jason Rich Uche Chefu and Al Thorn ton the Atlantic coast conferences leading scorer during the season scored 11 Points each and Canaan Breeden added 10 the seminoles have shot Well in both of its nit games this week hitting 623 percent in tues Days 7761 Victory Over Toledo Thornton now has 674 Points for the season 68 shy of Jim Ole is school record set in the 195556 season Swann shot 6for9 including 3for5 on three pointers and had a game High six assists we were moving the Ball get Ting great shots Swann said when we do that we make a High percentage after scoring just eight Points on 3for12 shooting in the first 9 minutes Florida state finished at 593 percent for the game while Michigan shot 417 percent and committed 21 turnovers West Virginia 90 Massachusetts 77 at Morgantown Eva Frank Young scored a Ca ree High 31 Points to Lead West Virginia in its second round matchup Young the big East Leader in six threes including one with 2 minutes left that sealed the game after mass rallied from a 19point deficit to pull to 7470 with 5 minutes left he had three in the final 6 min utes of the first half to help the mountaineers build a 3723 Edge at the break Steve Florida states Toney Douglas shoots Over Michigan Deshawn Sims in a second round nit game thursday in Tallahassee Fla Young tied a school record for threes in a season with 101 set by Chris Leonard in 1992 Darris Nichols added 14 Points and Alex Ruoff had eight Points and seven assists for the mountaineers who advanced to the quarterfinals to face the win Ner of no state Marist James life led mass 249 with 20 Points Gary Forbes added 15 and Stephane lame had 14 lame also had 14 re Bounds for his 14th double Dou ble this season Sosa makes rangers 40man roster the associated press Sammy Sosa celebrated his big news by hitting a Home run that travelled so far it must have brought Back memories of the Good old Days after being told hed made the Texas rangers 40man roster Sosa hit a Long Homer thursday his Solo shot was just one of 26 hits in a game won by the Arizona diamondbacks 1512 but it was part of a big Day for the 38yearold slugger in his comeback after a year away from the game by making the 40man roster Sosa fifth on the career Home run list with 588 becomes a major leaguer again he was in Camp on a minor league contract i still have a ways to go Sosa said because i made the team Doest mean Ive got to slow Down no Way the move nearly assures Sosa of making the 25man roster for opening Day unless he gets Hurt he will be guaranteed for making the 40man roster and he can earn an additional million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances