Burying Bowie: Former MLB Commissioner Left a Lot to Be Desired

Former MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn passed away Thursday, due to respiratory problems stemming from pneumonia. He was 80 years old.

Now, as a general rule of thumb, nothing good comes from criticizing the dead. However, when most people try to observe a respectful silence, some people try to revise history with breathless tributes to the dead that run counter to all of the facts created in the deceased's lifetime. We need to look no further than all of the glowing tributes to ex-President Gerald Ford, who was never elected Vice President or President and was defeated in his only presidential race.

So, let me state this in no uncertain terms - Bowie Kuhn was a terrible MLB Commissioner. Anyone who says otherwise is either A) blowing smoke up your ass B) trying to further their own agenda or C) simply too young or was not paying attention during his time in office.

Current MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said of Bowie Kuhn, "He was a close friend, a respected leader, and an impressive figure in all ways. He led our game through a great deal of change and controversy. Yet, Bowie laid the groundwork for the success we enjoy today."

This is a little bit of A and a little bit of B from above. Selig was a Bowie Kuhn confidant and has everything to gain from praising his mentor. Because if Bowie Kuhn was great, what must that make Selig? But he's also blowing smoke because there is nobody on earth who is "an impressive figure in all ways."

I've also heard and read comments by people too young to remember Bowie Kuhn in office about how he was a great steward and the last real MLB Commissioner. These people applaud Bowie Kuhn for his convictions and standing up for the best interests of baseball.

Those people are at best uniformed.

Bowie Kuhn was a puppet. Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley was the real power behind Bowie Kuhn. Even though he held the title MLB Commissioner, Bowie Kuhn was an employee of the owners. The Players Association had no say in either his hiring or firing. Bowie Kuhn imagined himself as representing both the players and the owners. This was just one of his many flaws.