With Opening Day just a few breaths away, the rumors are flying out of both Arizona and Florida. Will anything of consequence happen over the weekend? Probably not, but let’s give it a whirl anyway in the latest rumor mill…

While Todd Walker awaits the results of the grievance the players union filed on his behalf (a grievance that he has virtually no chance to win), he has already found gainful employment before Opening Day.
His decision to sign with the A’s is a bit surprising, given that he only earned a minor league contract, but his live bat and ability to play three infield positions should be a future boon to Oakland. With the labrum injury to Dan Johnson and with Mark Ellis a fragile figure at second base, Walker will provide Bob Geren and Billy Beane with a nice insurance policy…

The Mets are so dissatisfied with their incredible shrinking bullpen that they have had talks with the Orioles about journeyman sidearmer Todd Williams. Ironically, the Orioles already have the submarining Chad Bradford, whom the Mets failed to re-sign this past off-season. Given the potential season-ending loss of Duaner Sanchez, the steroid suspension of Guillermo Mota, and the disappointing spring performance of Ambiorix Burgos, the Mets are regretting the departure of Bradford more than ever. The Mets also like young right-hander Francisco Rosario, who is out of options with the Blue Jays but throws 96 miles-per-hour, has pitched well at Triple-A, and could be available for the right piece. If the Mets fail to make a trade, they’ll still need to find one more quality right-hander to team with Aaron Heilman and spring sensation Joe Smith, and will be scanning the waiver wires with ferocity this weekend. Such is life when you’ve decided that gulp, Aaron Sele, gulp, has made your Opening Day roster…

The Pirates continue to receive phone calls about their two available backup catchers, Humberto Cota and Ryan Doumit. The White Sox are a possible trade partner, having lost Toby Hall to a season-ending torn labrum. How about a re-run of Hacking Rob Mackowiak in the Steel City? The Pirates may have other suitors, too. Despite their stated intention of using the limited Wil Nieves as a backup, the Yankees remain very interested in Pittsburgh’s catching depth. They could offer Pittsburgh a young outfielder like Bronson Sardinha or any one of a number of mid-level pitching prospects. Other teams looking for a veteran backup catcher include the Rangers and the Rockies.

After a layoff of several weeks, the Rumor Mill returns to the Friday night lights…

The biggest trade of spring training in 2006 involved the Red Sox and Reds, with the two teams swapping Bronson Arroyo for Wily Mo Pena. The way things are transpiring in Florida and Arizona right now, there might not be any trades this spring that come close to rivaling even that one in terms of impact and headlines. Up until now, there has only been one trade of substance made during spring training, and that happened earlier on Friday, with the Royals acquiring Tony Pena Jr. from the Braves to be their starting shortstop. Sadly, for those who enjoy rumor-mongering, the situation may not change drastically between now and Opening Day. Oh, there might be another deal or two before the first pitches are thrown, but I can’t remember a spring training that has been colder on the rumor front than this one…

Some of the rumors are just that—rumors. For example, there’s been rumbling of the Yankees and Angels discussing an Alex Rodriguez swap (one rumor had A-Rod doing west for a package of Jered Weaver, Jose Molina and minor league pitcher Dustin Moseley), but that’s more wishful thinking than anything else. Yankee GM Brian Cashman doesn’t want to consider an A-Rod trade just yet, and A-Rod won’t give his consent to a trade this early in the season. So nothing will happen on this front until at least a couple of months into the season…

In reality, the two hottest names on the trade market are relievers Armando Benitez and Jorge Julio. Both are available, and both are in some demand because of the crying need for bullpen health in both leagues. Julio seems like the most likely to be traded; the D-backs have talked to the Marlins and Mariners, among other teams. Julio comes relatively cheap, as he’s scheduled to make $3.6 million in 2007 … The Giants have talked to the Reds, the Marlins, and the Mariners about Benitez, who has lost weight and has looked good this spring (that’s the good news), but still carries the stigma of being less-than-reliable in the clutch and also carries a $7 and a half million salary (that’s the bad). Benitez makes a ton of sense for Philadelphia, where he can be used in a set-up role instead of in the high-intensity role of close, but Phillies GM Pat Gillick has been consumed with trade talk involving Jon Lieber. And even the latter subject seems to be a moot point now that Freddy Garcia has come up with some tenderness in his triceps. Lieber might still be traded before Opening Day—remember that Gillick pulled off the David Dellucci trade last spring—but I’d bet that the paunchy right-hander stays put for now…

Several middle infielders are on the block, most notably Angel Berroa of the Royals, Tampa Bay’s Jorge Cantu, and Clint Barmes of the Rockies. The Royals have become so fed up with Berroa’s lack of development that they are prepared to give him an outright release if they can’t trade him before Opening Day. Having lost out on the shortstop job in Colorado, Barmes could be an option for the Cubs if they feel they can’t carry Cesar Izturis’ bat. As for Cantu, his stock has fallen dramatically from its peak of two years ago. Scouts not only question whether he should continue to play second base, but whether he will ever come close to recapturing his 2005 hitting stroke. The Mets might have some interest in Cantu, but they won’t be ready to make a deal until they’re convinced that Jose Valentin’s 2006 season was a fluke. For what it’s worth, Valentin is having a terrific spring at the plate…

Of the outfielders on the trade block, two of the most prominent names are Marcus Thames and Aaron Rowand. I can’t understand why the Tigers have buried Thames, who’s a capable power hitter with the versatility to play all three outfield spots, though none of them particularly well. The Tigers wouldn’t play Thames in the postseason and won’t give him a realistic chance to win the first-base job over Sean Casey. (Of course, the same could be said of Chris Shelton, who remains persona-non-grata in Detroit and could be traded sometime this spring or summer.) As for Rowand, there continues to be talk of a trade that could land him back in Chicago, maybe for a package of Rob Mackowiak and a reliever (Mike MacDougal?). The rumors of Rowand going to San Diego, however, have completely died down. The Padres don’t want to detract from their bullpen to add a player who is too much like their own Mike Cameron. Thames would actually be a better fit for the Padres; it’s just a question of what San Diego would be willing to send to Detroit. If the Padres don’t want to deal from the strength of their bullpen, they might have to part with a solid prospect.

I started becoming a really avid baseball fan in 1972. Well, maybe "avid" isn’t the right word; after all, I was all of seven years old. But that is the year that I started collecting baseball cards and really became interested in the game on more than a passing level.

To commemorate the 35^th anniversary of my first spring and summer with the game, I’ll be reliving the 1972 season from time to time in this space. I’ll highlight some of the memorable moments from that season, while offering some personal reflections on what was a fascinating year in baseball. What happened in 1972? It was the year that Steve Carlton was traded, igniting the Hall of Fame portion of his career. That was the first year that a strike delayed Opening Day. It was also the last season that the American League played without a DH, and the last year that we saw Roberto Clemente stalk right field for the Pirates. It all culminated in a superb World Series, a high-level seven-game affair between the "Big Red Machine" and the "Mustache Gang."

In beginning our retrospective on 1972, let’s begin with what happened on this date 35 years ago. Today was the day that the Yankees acquired relief ace Sparky Lyle from the Red Sox for first baseman Danny Cater. Given the benefits of hindsight, we all know this turned out to be one of the most profitable deals in the history of the Yankees—and one of the worst in the annals of the Red Sox. Lyle didn’t just have a standout season in 1972, when he earned The Sporting News’ AL Fireman of the Year; he would remain terrific in pinstripes through the 1977 season before losing the closer’s role to Goose Gossage the following spring. In seven seasons with the Yankees, Lyle would record 141 saves. He would also win the Cy Young Award in 1977 while helping the Yankees to back-to-back world titles.

Even without hindsight, it’s hard to figure what benefit the Red Sox saw in this deal at the time. Lyle had pitched very well as their relief ace in 1971. Of their top five relievers in 1971, only Lyle and one other reliever put up ERA’s below 3.00. That was Bill Lee, who would eventually end up as a key starter in Beantown. Plus, the Sox had already traded one of their other southpaw relievers, Ken Brett, sending him to the Brewers as part of the George Scott/Tommy Harper blockbuster. With all of that in mind, why give up a good lefty reliever like Lyle for a singles-hitting first baseman in Cater?

The Red Sox may have simply felt a desperate need for a first baseman. In trading Boomer Scott to Milwaukee, the Red Sox received a young Cecil Cooper as part of the deal. But Cooper was only 22 at the time, and not yet ready to play first base regularly in the major leagues. Unfortunately, the Sox picked the wrong first baseman in Cater. In 1971, Cater had hit .301 for the Yankees, but it was a shallow .301, with few walks, no speed, and little power. Even in his best power season, coming in 1965 for the White Sox, Cater had managed only 14 home runs. He didn’t even have enough power to take advantage of The Wall at Fenway Park. In reality, Cater was a serviceable platoon player and pinch-hitter who really had no business playing first base everyday, either at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium. And he would be out of baseball by the end of 1975, a full two years before Lyle’s peak season in New York. In the meantime, the Red Sox would remain without a dominant relief ace for much of the 1970s.

Danny Cater for Sparky Lyle. It didn’t make much sense 35 years ago. It only looks more lopsided in retrospect. And it might just be one reason why the Yankees and Red Sox haven’t made many trades with each other since that spring day in 1972.

In the hours after first learning of the death of Bowie Kuhn, I’ve read and heard several accounts that described the former commissioner as a pompous stuffed shirt who often seemed stiff and uncomfortable. Well, that was never my experience with Kuhn. I talked to him several times during my years at the Hall of Fame, including an interview that I conducted in front of an appreciative crowd in the Hall’s Bullpen Theater. The former commissioner struck me as thoughtful and well spoken, even charming at times. He took an interest in my work at the Hall of Fame, which is not always the case with guest speakers who come to Cooperstown. I once gave him a ride from the Otesaga Hotel to the Hall of Fame; he was gracious and open during our conversation, and grateful for having saved him from a long walk.
After talking to Kuhn for awhile, it became obvious that he was both a fan of the game and a believer in old-school values. Those are two characteristics that rank highly with me. He was also knowledgeable about the Negro Leagues, having attended games at old Griffith Stadium in Washington. He had a real interest in preserving baseball history, which motivated him to donate his collection of papers from his days in baseball’s front office. He wasn’t just a suit who held the office of commissioner while waiting for something better to come around. This was a man who had a genuine love for the game, and took pride in trying to defend some of its values.

Still, as a commissioner, Kuhn was far from perfect. He made his share of mistakes, which the media of the seventies and eighties usually portrayed in earnest. With his reign as commissioner lasting from 1969 to 1984, Kuhn’s tenure coincided with one of the most tumultuous eras in the game’s history. His legacy was mixed, with some obvious failures, some more subtle successes, and a nearly endless supply of controversy and conflict.

The Bad
Bouton’s Book: The release of Jim Bouton’s tell-all diary, Ball Four, rocked a conservative baseball world in 1970. Commissioner Kuhn joined the fray by panning the book as “detrimental to baseball.” Kuhn’s criticism of Bouton only helped the book become a national bookseller, while making himself look out of touch with the realities of a baseball clubhouse. As with some of his decisions, Kuhn would have liked a do-over on this issue.

Hank Aaron’s Home Run Chase: With Aaron on the cusp of tying and breaking Babe Ruth’s home run record at the start of the 1974 season, Kuhn chose not to attend the Braves’ Opening Day game against the Reds—or any other Atlanta games prior to Aaron hitting his 715th. Kuhn felt that it was “beneath” the office of the commissioner to follow Aaron from ballpark to ballpark, contending that there might be logistical problems if Aaron failed to hit the tying and breaking home runs quickly. By choosing not to honor Aaron’s achievement with his presence, Kuhn raised the issue of race while making himself look arrogant. Kuhn’s decision would prove to be a public relations disaster.

Going Head To Head With Marvin Miller: Kuhn was usually hamstrung by the whims of the owners, many of whom wanted to break the union. Still, Kuhn has to take some of the responsibility for an inability to keep pace with the head of the Players Association. Whether it involved labor negotiations or anything attached to collective bargaining, this was Kuhn’s greatest shortcoming. The Commissioner underestimated Miller’s intelligence, perhaps because he considered him an outsider to the game. Kuhn also listened to bad advice from his lawyers, who were never quite as smart as the legal advisors employed by Miller.

The Good
Night Games in the World Series: With football gaining in popularity, Kuhn took a page from the NFL playbook, which had introduced Monday Night Football into the sports consciousness. Kuhn felt that baseball was denying much of its working fan base the opportunity to watch the World Series because of the insistence on playing games in the afternoon. So in 1971, Kuhn introduced an experiment: the staging of Game Four of the 1971 World Series during the primetime evening hours. The game, a tight-knit affair between the Orioles and the upstart Pirates, attracted record viewership on NBC, convincing Kuhn that more night games should be introduced in October. By featuring games from 8 PM until 11 PM Eastern time, during the height of television’s primetime hours, Kuhn increased postseason exposure by leaps and bounds. Critics of Kuhn might say that baseball went overboard by eventually moving all of its World Series games to nighttime starts, but that didn’t actually happen until 1985, one year after Kuhn was ousted as commissioner.

The Mike Andrews Incident: This was Kuhn at his finest. After Andrews committed two critical errors in Game Two of the 1973 World Series, A’s owner Charlie Finley forced him into signing an affidavit that he was hurt and then essentially fired his embattled second baseman, removing him from the active roster. Kuhn was not pleased. He looked into the matter quickly, determined that Andrews was not hurt, and ordered Finley to reinstate him. The Commissioner also fined Finley while publicly reprimanding him for his uncivil treatment of Andrews. In terms of swiftness, public relations, and justice, Kuhn won the day on all counts.

Baseball’s Battle with Cocaine: During the early 1980s, baseball was plagued by an illegal drug problem that rivaled recent concerns over the use of steroids and other performance enhancers. The widespread use of cocaine had infiltrated several major league clubhouses of that era, principally those in Pittsburgh and Kansas City. After the 1983 season, three members of the Royals (Willie Mays Aikens, Jerry Martin, and Willie Wilson) were arrested for attempting to purchase cocaine. After they received three-month prison sentences, Kuhn responded with a proper level of harshness, suspending each of the three for part of the 1984 season. Kuhn also imposed a season-long suspension against Dodgers reliever Steve Howe, whose drug problems were just beginning. With the Players Association and most major league owners afraid to act, Kuhn stepped in and played the role of enforcer, sending a clear message to all players that drug abuse would not be tolerated on his watch.

The In-Between
Baseball Vs. Curt Flood: Kuhn testified against Flood when the former Cardinals outfielder challenged the reserve clause in court. In Kuhn’s favor, he really had no choice but to take the owners’ side in the dispute. And as Kuhn often pointed out, baseball actually won its case against Flood, though the Supreme Court ruling opened the door to future challenges of the reserve clause. On the down side, Kuhn’s unsympathetic treatment of Flood galvanized militant players who felt that owners had taken advantage of them for years. Coming across as cold and uncaring, Kuhn also hurt the baseball establishment’s ranking with both the media and the game’s fan base.

Halting Finley’s Firesale: After Charlie Finley sold off stars Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers, and Joe Rudi strictly for money prior to the 1976 trading deadline, Kuhn swooped in and voided the deals, claiming they “were not in the best interests of baseball.” This was the right thing to do; Kuhn didn’t want a competitive team to be able to sell off its best players strictly for financial gain, ala Connie Mack many years before. Unfortunately, Kuhn didn’t make the proper follow-up move, which would have been to allow Finley to re-work the transactions so that he acquired actual player talent in return. As it turned out, Finley lost the players to free agency after the season, received nothing for them, and saw his franchise turn into a laughingstock.

So what’s the final ledger on Kuhn as a commissioner? Given his problems with Miller, he was not a success. Given his longevity and baseball’s economic growth during his tenure, he was not a failure, either. All in all, he made too many mistakes to be considered a great commissioner. But I think it’s safe to say that he was a very important and significant commissioner, a man who presided over the game at a time when it faced major upheaval because of labor issues, drug problems, expansion, the growth of television, and the presence of strong personalities in both ownership and the union. Rather than skirt these issues, he usually faced them, sometimes for good and other times for bad. In writing a complete history of baseball, I think that one would have to devote at least one chapter to the reign of Bowie Kuhn.