Fingers disputes ranking among state's top tax delinquents
(Published Tuesday, January 16, 2007 10:33:58 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE - Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers disputed his status as one of Wisconsin's largest tax delinquents, insisting in an online journal that he had income taxes withheld from every paycheck when he played for the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1980s.
"The Brewers went through the archieves (sic) and found that every paycheck issued to Rollie Fingers while he was a member of the Brewers had state income taxes withheld," according to an entry dated Jan. 8 on RollieFingersSportsBlog.com.
Fingers confirmed to a Madison TV station by phone that he operates the Web site but he declined to discuss the post with WKOW.
Minutes after the interview ended the entry was removed from Fingers' blog. But WKOW kept a printout of the post, a copy of which was provided to The Associated Press.
The Wisconsin Department of Revenue lists Roland Fingers as No. 8 on its list of top 100 delinquent taxpayers. As of Monday evening, the list showed Fingers owing the state $1,448,097 in back income taxes, interest, penalties, fees and costs.
In his blog, Fingers said the State Franchise Board in Wisconsin was clearly mistaken.
"I would say that those in charge are in more s..t than a Wisconsin cow walks through in a year," he wrote, using periods to self-censor an apparent obscenity. "I mean how does anyone owe 3 times the amount of state tax in any one year than they actually made the whole year. What is the tax rate in Wisconsin 300%+?"
Revenue Department spokeswoman Meredith Helgerson said previously she is barred from discussing any specific taxpayer's situation. She confirmed earlier this month the department's Top 100 list was started in January 2006 and Fingers was added in July.
Fingers said he was leaving matters to his legal counsel.
"Right now, it's in my tax attorney's hands," he told WKOW from his Las Vegas home. "I'm not going to be able to talk to him until the end of the week. You know as much about it as I do."
Fingers, famous for his iconic handlebar mustache, was a closer for the Brewers in 1981-82 and 1984-85.
In his 17-year major league career, mostly as a reliever, Fingers helped the Oakland A's win three consecutive World Series from 1972-74. He was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.
