My heart is still aching since learning about the death of former Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty at age 74.
The terrible news was softened – just a little – by knowing, per Derrick Goold, that the Cardinals will induct Jocketty into the franchise Hall of Fame in September.
The Cardinals privately disclosed ownership’s plans to select Jocketty to their Hall of Fame in a January meeting of the Red Ribbon Committee, a group of voters that screen candidates for the “veteran” and “modern-era” ballot. But the committee doesn’t have anything to do with selecting front-office executives, coaches, broadcasters, etc. Those decisions are made by Bill DeWitt Jr. and Bill DeWitt III.
I’ve been lobbying for Jocketty’s selection through columns, radio hits and videos. I was delighted by the news – shared privately – of the DeWitt family’s decision to put Jocketty in the 2025 Hall of Fame class that will be inducted Sept. 6. The information disclosed in these meetings are 100 percent confidential, and I’ve honored that.
The joy of the Jocketty news was instantly overtaken by additional news: this classy gentleman – such a good man -- was hospitalized with a dire, life-threatening illness that kept him hospitalized for a year.
Jocketty had undergone a lung transplant, and despite excellent medical attention, a million prayers and the immense love poured onto him, Walt quietly succumbed late Saturday night.
According to Goold, the Cardinals had informed Jocketty of his Hall of Fame selection earlier this year. The DeWitts made the call. A friend of Jocketty’s told me the news made Jocketty extremely happy, and he had started to write his acceptance speech in his hospital bed.
DeWitt fired Jocketty immediately after the troubled 2007 season to unify the organization following a bitter, divisive rift between Jocketty and the young baseball executive, Jeff Luhnow, who was personally hired by DeWitt in 2003. Jockey resented losing authority to Luhnow in the areas of scouting, drafting and player development.
Which is understandable; Jocketty, after all, had guided the Cardinals to remarkable success during his time in charge of the baseball department.
But DeWitt wasn’t wrong to hire Luhnow. The goal was payroll efficiency with an emphasis on producing more home-grown talent.
It was a great decision, because Luhnow modernized some important parts of the baseball-operations structure. A more advanced method of evaluating players was initiated, and DeWitt wanted to see the Cardinals be fully prepared for the new frontier.
Luhnow’s changes were responsible for extensive success that carried through, even after he left to become Houston’s general manager in December 2011.
I know we’re supposed to take sides, but I had no reason to do so in this case. I didn’t blame Jocketty for feeling disrespected – not at all – but I’d be a ridiculous hypocrite if I criticized DeWitt for bringing in Luhnow to guide the Cardinals in a more forward-thinking direction in the new age of analytics, new technology and advanced scouting methods. The new way was successful – at least until DeWitt and Mozeliak let it erode.
Luhnow hired a young staff of around six or seven analysts, and they excelled at designing, deciphering and applying analytics. Some of these guys went on to run major-league clubs with success.
DeWitt’s instincts were on the mark, and Jocketty had more of an old-school team of scouts who had an aversion to the new stuff. The generational divide was wide. Jocketty, an honorable guy, fought for his guys and didn’t let up.
Sometimes a relationship turns so contentious it can’t be fixed. And that happened with Jocketty and DeWitt. The chairman had to make a difficult decision, but the feuding between Jocketty and Luhnow intensified and became unbearable. DeWitt did what he thought was best.
Just so you know, Jocketty and DeWitt Jr. repaired their relationship many years ago and were on good terms. (Both DeWitt and Jocketty told me that.) Jocketty even acknowledged that he could have done a better job of handling the Luhnow situation – and that because of what happened in St. Louis, he went about the GM job differently when he took the lead role in Cincinnati’s front office.
It was always great to see Jocketty returning to Busch Stadium to celebrate and honor the team’s new Hall of Famers, or the special championship teams from his time in office.
The sadness, of course, is that Walt didn’t live long enough to slip on that beautiful red jacket and be honored, in person at Busch Stadium, by generations of fans and Cardinals players. This also pains my heart.
I’m going to write a lot about Jocketty here – it’s therapeutic – so I hope you will go through all of the words here.
But dang it, I’m going to pay tribute to Walt Jocketty, I’m not holding back. I’m determined to do it right. So prepare to do some reading. I’ve tried to make it easier by breaking the information and perspective into categories.
THE CARDINALS BEFORE JOCKETTY
Jocketty was an assistant GM for the Rockies when the Cardinals in October, 1994. There was no postseason baseball that year – yes, that really happened, kid – because of a nasty labor dispute between owners and players. The final day of games was Aug. 11. It was a strange time to be a first-time GM. Jocketty began planning for 1995, but had little freedom to spend money on payroll because Anheuser-Busch was trying to sell the franchise.
Even then – perhaps a sign of things to come – Jocketty made a great move by signing an elite reliever, Tom Henke, who locked down 311 saves during his 14 big-league seasons for the Rangers, Blue Jays, and finally the Cardinals. Henke – a Missouri native who played high school ball in Jefferson City – grew up as a Cardinal fan and wanted to close his career as a Cardinal.
So, yeah, it was an easy signing but Jocketty got it done instead of – well, you know, screwing it up. And at age 37, Henke saved 36 games (fourth in the majors) for a St. Louis team that had a .434 winning percentage in ‘95. Henke was a rare source of joy for Cardinals fans.
During the 1995 season, the Anheuser-Busch executive in charge of the Cardinals ordered Jocketty to fire manager Joe Torre. Jocketty was opposed to the move, briefly gave some thought to resigning – but he hung in there.
It was such a bad situation when Jocketty became the team’s GM. From 1988 through 1995, the Cardinals had a .489 winning percentage that ranked 20th among the 28 MLB teams. The Cardinals had not made the playoffs since 1987. Attendance was dropping. St. Louis sports fans were going wild over the return of NFL football in the market, and the Rams were the No. 1 show in town. The Blues had Brett Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Al MacInnis and Chris Pronger and were a beloved franchise with a loyal fan base. Among the three pro sports franchises, the Cardinals had slumped to third.
A TIME OF HOPE AND RESTORATION
A group led by Bill DeWitt Jr. closed on a purchase of the Cardinals around Christmas 1995, and Jocketty – and the team – were back in business. DeWitt gave Jocketty a larger payroll, and Jocketty got to work by hiring Oakland manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.
Jocketty got busy, coordinating a plan with significant input from La Russa. Jocketty made a flurry of moves, adding the following players to the St. Louis roster before in advance of the 1996 season:
* Starting pitchers Andy Benes and Todd Stottlemyre.
* Relievers Dennis Eckersley and Rick Honeycutt.
* Outfielders Ron Gant and Willie McGee. And McGee – one of the most beloved Cardinals in the modern era – returned as a free agent after playing for several teams from the summer of 1990 through 1995.
* Infielders Gary Gaetti, Royce Clayton and Mike Gallego.
Jocketty’s impact was immediate; the restocked Cardinals won 88 games and the NL Central division title, defeated the Padres in the 1996 NLDS, and took the Braves to seven games before losing the NLCS.
The franchise was on the way back to prominence. And with DeWitt’s aggressive backing and the Hall of Fame-caliber managing of La Russa, Jocketty restored the Cardinals to greatness after a couple of down seasons in the late 1990s. The addition of Mark McGwire in a huge Jocketty trade in the summer of 1997 gave the Cardinals a new star, sellouts at Busch Stadium, and a boom in popularity.
The rest was history … a new and fantastic era of St. Louis Cardinals baseball.
WALT JOCKETTY’S LEGACY
Got an hour or two?
* With Jocketty as GM in a full season, the Cardinals ranked fifth in the majors for regular-season victories from 1995 through 2007. That ranking improves to fourth if we start with the DeWitt-Jocketty partnership in 1996.
* From 1996 through 2006, teams assembled by Jocketty had the No. 2 regular-season winning percentage in the National League and led the NL in postseason wins. Only the Yankees had more postseason victories overall during that time.
* From ‘96 through ‘06 the Cardinals competed in seven postseasons, a total topped only by the Yankees (11) and Braves (10) during the 11 years.
* From 2000 through 2006 the Cardinals had the NL’s top regular-season winning percentage (.581) and were third in MLB overall. They qualified for the postseason six times during the seven seasons; only the Yankees (7) made the playoffs more often.
* Until the outstanding DeWitt-Jocketty-TLR troika formed in 1996, the Cardinals hadn’t made the postseason since 1987, and hadn’t won a World Series since 1982.
* The Cardinals won two NL pennants and the World Series (2006) in a three-season stretch that began in 2004. They had two 100+ win seasons during the three years. The Cards won 23 postseason games from 2004 through 2006, and no other MLB team won more than 13.
What a grand and exciting time for Cardinals baseball. STL’s three-year run included two seasons of 100+ victories.
Jocketty’s influence on Cardinals baseball remained long after his sacking. His former assistant, John Mozeliak replaced Jocketty and maintained the team’s success through 2015. Mozeliak was a valuable presence in the aftermath of Jockketty’s ouster; he was able to bring the two factions together and the baseball operation was unified.
All 25 players on the 2006 World Series winning roster were drafted, acquired in trade, or signed in free agency by Jocketty.
Though Jocketty has been gone for four seasons, the 2011 World Series champions had 12 players on the postseason roster who were brought to the Cardinals by Jocketty via draft, trade or free-agent signing.
NOTABLE JOCKETTY DRAFT CHOICES
Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina, Matt Morris, Jason Motte, J.D. Drew, Rick Ankiel, Skip Schumaker, Jon Jay, Daniel Descalso, Chris Duncan, Allen Craig, Dan Haren, Braden Looper, Colby Rasmus, Adam Ottavino, Jaime Garcia, Mitchell Boggs, Brad Thompson, Bud Smith, Tyler Johnson, Randy Flores, Adam Kennedy, Kyle McClellan, Brendan Ryan, Anthony Reyes, Chris Perez and Luke Gregerson.
NOTABLE PLAYERS ACQUIRED BY JOCKETTY VIA TRADE
Adam Wainwright, Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, Matt Holliday, Mark McGwire, Edgar Renteria, Darryl Kile, Larry Walker, Woody Williams, Jeff Weaver, Jason Marquis, Joel Pineiro, Ronnie Belliard, Todd Stottlemyre, Dennis Eckersley, Fernando Vina, Will Clark, Steve Kline, Dave Veres, Chuck Finley, Fernando Tatis, Rick Honeycuttt, David Bell, Ray King, Aaron Miles, Mark Mulder, Craig Paquette, Ryan Theriot, Royce Clayton, Mike Timlin. And there were others! (Just a reminder: Matt Holliday was acquired by John Mozeliak, and Mozeliak signed Holliday to a seven
NOTABLE FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS MADE BY JOCKETTY
Chris Carpenter, Jason Isringhausen, Jeff Suppan, David Eckstein, Mike Matheny, Andy Benes, Tom Henke, Reggie Sanders, Ron Gant, Ryan Franklin, Pat Hentgen, Delino DeShields, Julian Tavarez, So Taguchi, Scott Spiezio, Ryan Ludwick, Gary Gaetti, Tony Womack, Mark Grudzielanek, Juan Encarnacion, Josh Kinney, Gary Bennett, and the late-career Willie McGee. I know I’ve left some guys out – there are so many of them!
COOPERSTOWN HALL OF FAMERS BROUGHT TO ST. LOUIS BY JOCKETTY
Start with Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa, who was hired by Jocketty. Three HoF players were obtained by Jocketty: Scott Rolen, Larry Walker and Dennis Eckersley. And Jocketty-era draft picks Pujols and Molina will one day be enshrined in Cooperstown. We could also say Jim Edmonds merits stronger consideration for the Hall, so I hope one of the Cooperstown committees takes up his case. The same applies to Adam Wainwright.
CARDINALS FRANCHISE HALL OF FAMERS BROUGHT HERE BY JOCKETTY
La Russa, Dave Duncan, Jim Edmonds, Mark McGwire, Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter, Matt Morris, and Isringhausen. Did I miss anyone? Well, we can add Wille McGee who was signed back to St. Louis before the division-winning 1996 season, and McGee played his final four MLB seasons with the Cardinals. In the future the All-Jocketty Cardinal Hall of Fame roster will expand to include Pujols, Molina, Wainwright and Renteria.
CARDINALS NL ALL-STARS ACQUIRED BY JOCKETTY
18 different Cardinals procured by the Jocketty regime were selected for the National League All-Star team a combined total of 48 times. The 18 are Molina, Pujols, Wainwright, Rolen, McGwire, Edmonds, Renteria, Matt Holliday, Chris Carpenter, Matt Morris, David Eckstein, Darryl Kile, Jason Isringhausen, Woody Williams, Ryan Ludwick, Tom Henke, Allen Craig, Ryan Franklin and Royce Clayton.
AWARD WINNERS BROUGHT TO ST. LOUIS BY JOCKETTY
Players who were drafted, signed or acquired by Jocketty combined to win three NL MVP awards, a Cy Young award, 30 Gold Gloves and 16 Silver Sluggers. That’s not all. There was a Rookie of the Year, a World Series MVP, two NLCS MVPs, three Roberto Clemente awards and two Hank Aaron awards. And La Russa won multiple Manager of the Year honors. Not to mention all of the other MVP votes and Cy Young votes collected through the years by Jocketty’s additions.
WALT JOCKETTY’S 12 BEST MOVES
I went with 12 for a reason: his tenure with the Cardinals didn’t really kick in until 1995. So that means Jocketty had 12 full seasons. And the final 11 years were spent working for DeWitt.
Just a heads-up about something before I begin. I tend to see things differently than some (or maybe a lot of) folks, so my rankings might not match the overall sentiment that’s out there. I put a premium on postseason success and the player’s role in helping his team get to the playoffs.
No rankings system is perfect, so please don’t take these literally. As the lead sports columnist for the Post-Dispatch, I was in the middle of everything during the Jocketty Years and I have a good perspective on his St. Louis career.
Here we go.
1) Drafting Albert Pujols and catcher Yadier Molina. They’re an iconic tandem in Cardinals history. Do I really need to explain why drafting these two eventual Hall of Famers goes at the top of the list? Start with two World Series titles, three NL pennants for Pujols, and four pennants for Molina. Pujols was a star on eight Cardinals teams that reached the playoffs. Molina was a defensive genius behind the plate, and a fiery leader who set the example for intensity. He fought for the Cardinals in a remarkable number of postseasons, 13.
As Cardinals, Pujols and Molina combined for 11 gold-glove awards, seven silver sluggers, and 19 All-Star selections. Pujols won three National League MVP awards. Molina didn’t win an MVP, but he appeared on a lot of ballots through the years. As Cardinals Pujols-Molina received MVP votes (combined) in 16 seasons. If we add together their postseason games as Cardinals, and their postseason wins as Cardinals, here’s what we come up with: 180 postseason games, and 92 postseason victories. Molina was a playoff starter for all four managers who have led the Cardinals since 1996: La Russa, Mike Matheny, Mike Shildt and Oli Marmol.
2) Hiring La Russa as manager before the 1996 season – which also meant hiring Dave Duncan, arguably the best pitching coach of the modern era.
In his 16 seasons in St. Louis, TLR led the Cardinals to two World Series titles, four NL pennants, seven division titles, and nine postseason appearances. From 1996 through 2011, the Cardinals ranked fourth overall in regular-season wins, and had the most postseason victories (50) in the National League.
Oh, and TLR is the winningest manager in franchise history.
During Duncan’s time here as pitching coach the Cardinals ranked third in the majors with a 3.45 ERA and were third in starting-pitching ERA, and fifth in quality starts.
There’s no guarantee of La Russa coming here with another GM running the club. But Jocketty and La Russa had a long relationship that began in 1978; Jocketty had a job in the Chicago White Sox minor-league operation, and La Russa managed the team’s Triple A affiliate that year.
Jocketty was hired by Oakland owner Charles Finley to run the A’s minor-league system, and La Russa was hired as the team’s manager (under new ownership) in the middle of the 1986 season.
La Russa took note of Jocketty’s worth ethic, professionalism, intelligence and ability to work well with others. Oakland’s GM at the time was Sandy Alderson, an ideal mentor for the young Jocketty, who eventually landed in St. Louis at age 34.
Among other dandy developments, Jocketty’s Oakland farm system produced three consecutive American League Rookies of the Year: Jose Canseco (1986), Mark McGwire (1987) and Walt Weiss (1988).
“He was thoughtful and process-oriented, didn’t do anything precipitously and had tremendous common and baseball sense,” Alderson told The Athletic after learning of Jocketty’s passing.
“He had great relationships with his scouts and advisers, tremendous respect for them, and an ability to synthesize information. But what I liked about Walt is there wasn’t much of an ego you could identify. He was a people person, and I think that’s why he had success.”
The TLR-Jocketty bond was established in the late 1970s, got reconnected in the mid-1980s, and then had a glorious 11-season run in St. Louis from 1996 through 2007. Their excellent personal/working relationship and deep level of trust was vitally important to the Cardinals’ success.
3) Trading for Atlanta pitching prospect Adam Wainwright. He became the second-best starting pitcher in franchise history to Bob Gibson. Waino received a bunch of Cy Young award votes, finishing second or third four times and seventh another time. He won 200 games, made 411 starts, received MVP votes five times, and was virtually perfect as a stunning rookie closer who stepped up in an emergency before the 2006 postseason capped by the team’s first World Series title since 1982.
4) Acquiring center fielder Jim Edmonds before the 2000 campaign. In eight years with St. Louis, Edmonds won six gold gloves, a silver slugger and was chosen for three All-Star games. He received MVP votes in five seasons including two top-five finishes. Edmonds triggered 241 homers and 713 RBIs. He hit 29+ home runs five times, and posted three seasons of 100+ RBIs. Edmonds was epic in 2004 – .301 average, .643 slug, 1.061 OPS, 42 homers, 111 RBIs, and a career-best OPS+ that made him 71 percent above league average offensively.
Only Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina played in more playoff games than Jimmy (61) for the Cardinals during the DeWitt Era that began in 1996. In 253 postseason plate appearances Edmonds batted .277, crafted a .368 onbase percentage, slugged .523, lofted 13 homers, and delivered 41 RBIs. Of course, Edmonds’ heroics in Game 6 and Game 7 of the 2004 NLCS carried the Cardinals over the Astros and into the team’s first World Series since 1987.
Diamond Jimmy had style, swag and a flair for the dramatic.
5) Signing free-agent starting pitcher Chris Carpenter. Big Carp won the NL Cy Young award in 2005, finished second in 2009, and third in 2006. Carpenter was the unequivocal ace who pitched the Cardinals to World Series championships in 2006 and 2011 and holds the franchise record with 10 postseason wins. From 2005 through 2011, St. Louis had a 12-3 record in postseason games started by Carpenter. His leadership in the clubhouse was an essential factor in the Cards success. With Carpenter’s considerable presence and influence, the Cardinals made the playoffs six times from 2004 through 2012 in a run that included two World Series titles and three NL pennants.
And to think that Jocketty gambled only $500,000 to sign Carpenter to a one-year contract before the 2003 season. Jocketty knew that Carp would probably miss all of the ‘03 season to recover from shoulder surgery but bet on Carpenter being a part of the rotation in 2004.
Well, Jocketty’s wager netted a huge payoff. From 2004 through 2006, Carpenter went 31-10 with a 3.10 ERA – and the Cardinals had a .710 winning percentage when he started a game.
6) Trading for third baseman Scott Rolen: Rolen layered his Hall of Fame resume during five-plus seasons as a Cardinal. The latter years were painful with Rolen weakened by two serious shoulder injuries that required surgery/ But in his time as a Cardinal Rolen hit .286 with a .370 OBP and .510 slug and won four gold gloves. He was part of the “MV3” powerhouse that won 105 games and the NL pennant in 2004.
Rolen had the best season of his big-league career in ‘04, hitting .314 with a 1.007 OPS, 34 home runs, and 124 RBIs. He’s on the short list of the best defensive third basemen in MLB history, hanging right there with Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt and Nolan Arenado.
7) Trading for starting pitcher Jeff Weaver: OK, this one may surprise you and I get it. Weaver was a Cardinal for a brief time, but so what? His presence was absolutely critical for the 2006 Cardinals that won their first World Series in 25 years. And that’s why I put this Jocketty move ahead of some other, more celebrity-loaded deals. More details on this later in my Jocketty tribute but for now I’ll leave you with this: the 2006 Cardinals wouldn’t have won the World Series without Weaver.
What I loved about this trade is it showed just how much the Cardinals benefited from the Jocketty, La Russa and Duncan alliance. These guys worked so closely together, and that helped Walt identify trade candidates overlooked by other front offices. If La Russa and Duncan expressed enthusiasm for the idea of getting Weaver, then Jocketty knew it was the smart thing to do. This kind of trade doesn’t get made in organizations that don’t have such a strong ownership-GM-manager-coach alignment.
Frankly, the Cardinals gradually lost that after Jocketty’s post-2007 dismissal and La Russa’s retirement from the team. Without Jocketty and La Russa’s strong guidance – and they had a positive impact on DeWitt as well – the Cardinals were very good at times … but never really the same.
8) Trading for shortstop Edgar Renteria: In his five seasons as a Cardinal, Renteria was a vital piece of four successful Cardinal teams that made the playoffs and won the 2004 NL pennant. La Russa loved him.
In franchise history, only three shortstops had more career FanGraphs WAR as a Cardinal than Renteria, who is second to The Wizard for most WAR by a Cardinals shortstop during the expansion era.
In his six St. Louis seasons Renteria was selected for three All-Star teams, earned two Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger trophies, and finished in the top-20 of National League MVP voting in both 2002 and 2003.
Renteria is the only shortstop in franchise history to win both the Gold Glove award and the Silver Slugger award in two consecutive seasons, 2002-2003.
Among shortstops that made at least 1,500 career plate appearances as a Cardinal, Renteria ranks second in OPS, home runs, stolen bases and slugging percentage and is third in hits, extra-base hits, runs batted in, runs scored, batting average and doubles.
9) Trading for Mark McGwire: He was a ticket-sales bonanza for the DeWitts and all of major-league baseball, with McGwire drawing sellout crowds even in MLB markets known for poor attendance. Big Mac set the MLB record for home runs (70) in a season, though the mark was later seized by Barry Bonds. In four-plus seasons in St. Louis, McGwire averaged an astonishing average of one homer per 7.9 at-bats and had a .427 onbase percentage and .683 slug. Over his two-year peak (1998-99) McGwire launched 135 home runs, drove in 294 runs, and slugged .724.
What a thrill it was for me to tour around with McGwire in the summer of ‘98. The only thing missing in his time here was postseason success. In 10 postseason games in 2000 and 2001, McGwire had two hits in 15 at-bats and struck out six times. One hit was a solo home run. In what would have been Big Mac’s final at-bat as a Cardinal, La Russa sent Kerry Robinson in to pinch-hit for McGwire in Game 5 of the 2001 NLDS at Arizona because the situation called for a bunt. McGwire soon retired after that. It was awesome to have him in St. Louis. Just an entertaining, exciting experience.
10) Signing free-agent closer Jason Isringhausen. He’s STL’s all-time franchise leader in saves, with 217. And from 2002 through 2005, the Yankees’ Mariano Robera was the only major-league closer with more saves than Izzy.
11) Signing free-agent Jeff Suppan, a money starting pitcher for STL from 2004 through 2006. Suppan was left off Boston’s postseason roster in 2023, so why did the Cardinals seek to sign him? Again, chalk it up to the powerful Jocketty-TLR-Duncan alliance. The three identified a good fit, and Walt made the move to bring Suppan in.
Suppan went 44-26 with a 3.95 ERA during the three regular seasons and posted a 3.00 ERA in nine postseason starts. In the 2004 NLCS, “Soup” out pitched Houston’s Roger Clemens in Game 7 to set the itinerary for the Cardinals’ first trip to the World Series since 1987. Suppan was vital to the Redbirds’ capturing of the 2006 World Series title; he was 3-1 with a 2.49 in four postseason starts.
And it was Suppan who kept the Cardinals alive in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS by dodging trouble and holding the Mets to one run in 7 innings. Suppan won his only World Series start, defeating the Tigers in Game 4 to give St. Louis a 3-1 series lead.
Jocketty pulled in Suppan on a three-year contract that averaged $3 million per season. Nice investment, eh?
12) Signing free-agent shortstop David Eckstein: When the Angels placed Eckstein on waivers after the 2004 season, Jocketty signed him two days later to fill the shortstop vacancy that opened when Renteria left for Boston in free agency. In three seasons with the Cards, Eckstein was chosen to two All-Star teams and was voted MVP of the 2006 World Series. That MVP was prominent in my thinking here.
Most Honorable Mentions: Darryl Kile, Steve Kline, Larry Walker, Reggie Sanders, Woody Williams, Andy Benes, Mike Matheny, Fernando Vina, Will Clark, Todd Stottlemyre, Gary Gaetti, Dennis Eckersley. But heck, I could mention quite a few others.
WHAT MADE JOCKETTY SO EFFECTIVE?
I asked La Russa about this a few years ago, after Jocketty retired from the Reds.
TLR’s answer …
“First of all, Walt was very smart, worked hard, and was always in sync with the manager, coaches, everyone in the baseball department. He did a great job of coordinating all aspects of the organization.
“The second thing is, here’s a guy who paid his dues, and worked his way up, and developed a highly professional outlook in his job. He understood the minors, the farm system, and what was necessary for the major-league club. He was never caught off guard. He planned very well.
“He was able to make so many outstanding trades for a reason … the other general managers liked him, respected him, and most important, they trusted him. Walt was straightforward, easy to talk to, consistent, honest … his word was golden. He never tried to con anyone or double-cross them. Other GMs liked dealing with him.”
La Russa often told me that he’d get into debates with Jocketty over potential personnel moves. La Russa would push, and Jocketty would explain that the deal wouldn’t work because the other team was asking for too much. That, or Jocketty didn’t value a particular trade target as much as TLR did. So yeah, these close friends had some battles.
“But when Walt made the final decision, I accepted it, and we moved on,” La Russa said. “There was never any kind of power trip. We respected each other so much and that came above everything else. So when Walt said ‘No’ to me on this or that, and it was his final answer, I may have disliked his answer … but that did nothing to diminish my respect for him and the responsibilities of his job.”
Over the weekend, La Russa said this of Jocketty to Bob Nightengale of USA Today in commenting on Walt’s death:
“He’s tied for first with the finest person I’ve ever known.’’
Nightingale added: “Jocketty was one of the most genuine, sincere and fabulous GMs of his era. There have been few executives more beloved than Jocketty, the architect of World Series championship teams in Oakland and St. Louis while also leading the Cincinnati Reds to the postseason.”
A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF JOCKETTY’S TRADES
Jocketty was a master at receiving massive value in trades without giving up much in return.
For your consideration:
In acquiring Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds Darryl Kile, Scott Rolen, Edgar Renteria, Larry Walker, Will Clark, Dennis Eckersley and Fernando Vina, Jocketty traded this collection of players:
Kent Bottenfield, Adam Kennedy, Jose Jimenez, Manny Aybar, Brent Butler, Rick Croushore, Eric (not Ryan) Ludwick, T.J. Mathews, Blake Stein, Steve Montgomery, Jose Leon, Placido Polanco, Bud Smith, Mike Timlin, Braden Looper, Juan Acevedo, Eliezer Alfonso, Matt Parker, Armando Almanza, Pablo Ozuna, Chris Narveson, Luis Martinez and Jason Burch. I mean, seriously … how did Jocketty do all of that? These trades were ridiculously favorable for the Cardinals.
Sure, those deals included a few good players that could have helped the Cardinals had they stayed here – the prime examples being Placido Polanco and Adam Kennedy. One of the better guys traded by Jocketty – pitcher Braden Looper to Miami in the Renteria deal – made his way back to St. Louis and was a member of the 2006 postseason bullpen.
The Cardinals didn’t need Kennedy because they had Renteria at shortstop, and Renteria was outstanding here. Kennedy ultimately made his way back to the Cardinals as well. And Polanco was terrific, but if you have a chance to get Rolen … you go get Rolen.
Of the guys traded from this list I just provided for you, there were only two that delivered high value for their new teams.
Using the FanGraphs version of Wins Above Replacement (WAR), Polanco and Kennedy combined for 49.5 career WAR as non-Cardinals.
The other 18 guys on this list traded by Jocketty accrued only 6.9 WAR – total – after being dealt by Jocketty.
In return, the Cardinals received 124.8 WAR collectively from Edmonds, Kile, McGwire, Rolen, Renteria, Walker and Clark. And these guys had success in the postseason as well. There are no WAR metrics for postseason performance, but the group of elite players acquired by Jocketty were extremely valuable in postseason play.
When we add their combined postseason appearances for St. Louis, they competed in 24 postseasons (collectively) for the Cards: six playoffs for Edmonds, four for Rolen and Renteria, three for Vina, two for Kile, McGwire and Walker – and one for Will Clark.
A “small” Jocketty deal that paid off in a substantial way and changed Cards history.
Here’s the No. 1 example of what I’m talking about, and it’s a doozy. I’ve already mentioned the name: starting pitcher Jeff Weaver.
The 2006 Cardinals probably wouldn’t have made it to the postseason or won the World Series without the move made by Jocketty on July 5th of that season.
With Mark Mulder (shoulder) lost for the season, Sidney Ponson already released, Jason Marquis struggling terribly, and rookie Anthony Reyes getting knocked around, Jocketty acquired Weaver from the Angels for minor-league outfielder Terry Evans.
Jocketty coveted Weaver for a smart reason: he firmly believed pitching coach Duncan could revamp the talented right-hander and get him back on track.
And that’s exactly what happened. Duncan got Weaver throwing more two-seam fastballs, and it took a while for Weaver to get comfortable, but “Dream” Weaver became a valuable rotation presence down the stretch and into the playoffs.
With the Cardinals slumping late in the regular season and in need of a boost, the Cardinals went 5-2 in his final seven regular-season starts.
Clutch! What happened next was much better. Weaver had a 2.43 ERA in his five postseason starts in ‘06 and won a game in all three rounds.
In defeating the Padres, Mets and Tigers, in the ‘06 postseason, Weaver yielded only three runs in 19 innings for an ERA of 1.42. And, of course, it was Weaver who pitched eight innings of one-run, nine-strikeout ball to put the Tigers away in World Series Game 5.
So, what became of Terry Evans? He played 20 games, total, for the Angels and batted .158. That was the extent of his big-league career.
I don’t think the Redbirds would have won it all in ‘06 without Weaver. This is one of the best trades he made that doesn’t get enough recognition.
Jocketty made other glorious heists that didn’t receive all that much attention. My favorite example in this category was Jocketty’s trade for Montreal lefty reliever Steve Kline in exchange for third baseman Fernando Tatis Sr. and young starting pitcher Britt Reames. (The Cards also received starting pitcher Dustin Hermanson in the deal.)
Tatis had put up big numbers for the Cardinals from 1998 through 2000, but Jocketty believed Tatis had peaked, and he seemed unhappy in 2000. So to Walt, it was the right time to cash out. And Jocketty was right; Tatis was below the league average offensively for the Expos from 2001 through 2003, and didn’t play in the majors at all in 2004 and 2005.
From 2001 through 2004 Kline churned a 2.69 regular-season ERA, an 0.69 postseason ERA, and handled 300 relief appearances, the second most by a MLB lefty over the four seasons. If you go by the ERA+ metric, Kline performed 56 percent better than league average over the four seasons. He was very, very good – and durable, too.
So when you look back on this trade – which was criticized by some media and fans – the transaction was an absolute steal for the Cardinals.
Reames never amounted to much, Tatis faded, and Kline became one of the greatest left-handed relievers in Cardinals history. I probably should have included Kline on my “Top 12” Jocketty moves. Then again, that list easily could have gone to 20.
OK, but didn’t Jocketty give up young talent in trades that maybe he’d like to have back?
OK, two of the players he traded away blossomed after leaving the Cardinals.
But I can’t really fault Jocketty for making those deals.
Near the 2002 deadline, the Cardinals traded outfield prospect Coco Crisp to Cleveland for quality starting pitcher Chuck Finley. The reason for making the trade was obvious; rotation ace and team leader Darryl Kile died in June of that season, and the starting-pitching supply was decimated by injuries. The Cardinals used 14 different starters that season and were in need of rotation stability. Jocketty did what he had to do. Finley pitched well over the final two months, and won both of his postseason starts until the Cardinals got bounced by the Giants in the 2002 NLCS.
Crisp went on to have a really good 15-season MLB career, but given the Cardinals’ shaky rotation situation at the time, it’s ludicrous to rip this trade in retrospect.
It’s best to reflect on the reasons why a trade was made. That should never be ignored.
Here’s the second trade: Jocketty traded the young starting pitcher Dan Haren to Oakland for lefty Mark Mulder before the 2005 season. Ultimately the deal turned into a disappointment.
After leaving the Cardinals, Haren was very good for 11 seasons – winning 147 games, getting picked to three All-Star teams, and receiving Cy Young votes two different times.
Jocketty was motivated to trade for Mulder after the Cardinals won 105 games and the NL pennant in 2004 despite having a rotation that was fried late in the season. (Especially the World Series). So Jocketty’s Cardinals went all-in in a quest for the World Series championship in 2005, and how can we blame him for feeling that way?
It’s worth remembering just how good Mulder was for Oakland. In his final four seasons with the A’s Mulder had a 72-32 record, 3.65 ERA, averaged 31 starts per year, made two All-Star teams, and finished second in the 2001 AL Cy Young vote. Mulder was 27 when Jocketty completed the trade – only three years older than Haren, and Mulder had already attained impressive success at a young pitching age.
For Jocketty, there was common-sense thinking behind this trade, and it looked really good for a while. In 2005, Mulder went 16-8 for a St. Louis team that won 100 games only to come up short in the ‘05 NLCS. Mulder’s ailing left shoulder required surgery in 2006, and his career was effectively over.
Jocketty wasn’t wrong to covet Mulder. Injuries happen, and this time the repercussions were severe for the Cardinals. And while it’s fine for all of us to say it didn’t go as well as hoped – and was disappointing – I think we should ask ourselves a question … with so many incredible, one-sided successful trades engineered by Jocketty, is it really necessary to trash the Haren-Mulder deal? I don’t think so.
Jocketty made the so-called traditional trades where both sides came out well.
The most famous instance was trading outfielder J.D. Drew and catcher Eli Marrero to Atlanta for starting pitcher Jason Marquis, lefty reliever Ray King, and a top pitching prospect named Adam Wainwright after the 2003 season.
Would any Cardinal fan gripe about this one? Heck, no. C’mon now. Jocketty had no angst over trading Drew a year before Drew (with agent Scott Boras) was eligible for free agency.
So in sacrificing one season of Drew, Jocketty landed the Waino, the second-best starting pitcher in Cardinals franchise history – and before that, he was a sensational rookie closer in the 2006 postseason that ended with the Cardinals winning their 10th World Series title. Marquis went 15-7 in 32 starts for the 2004 NL champions, and the durable King had a 2.91 ERA in 163 relief appearances across 2004 and 2005.
WASN’T IT EASIER BACK THEN FOR JOCKETTY TO MAKE THESE BIG TRADES?
Yes. Of course. So what’s your point? All of the other baseball GMs could have made these trades – or similar trades – and they didn’t. Not as often as Jocketty, anyway.
In Jocketty’s heyday as the Cards GM, he specialized in pursuing walk-year players who were either in the final year of their contracts or about to be. Back in those days front offices weren’t as smart as they are now, and Jocketty found many trade partners willing to move the likes of McGwire, and Edmonds and others just to “get something for them” before they walked in free agency.
The way MLB teams are run now, front offices are way more astute at identifying and grading prospects that are offered in a potential deal for a star player. You don’t see teams just give away talented veterans – walk year or not – for a modest exchange rate.
This has nothing to do with Jocketty’s legacy. He was a smooth, respected and highly intelligent general manager who pursued trades under the trends and methods of the day.
And as I mentioned, the Jocketty had an advantage because he networked and stayed in frequent touch with industry colleagues and always found an open door for trade discussions. He should receive a maximum praise for the way he worked the system at the time.
JOCKETTY’S IMPACT ON TEAM MORALE
And Jocketty was valuable in another way: he had a way of talking to players that eased their minds and made them feel appreciated when going through awful slumps. He had the human touch, the empathy, and the players loved him for it.
One of the reasons why Jocketty was so popular with Cardinal players was their confidence in him. Time and time again, he’d boost the clubhouse morale and get the boys fired up by adding talent in trades. No general manager scores big on every trade, but La Russa, the coaches and players could count on Jocketty doing everything possible to give them their best shot at winning.
La Russa: “Walt did an incredible job for the Cardinals and was a major reason why we won. When I managed the team, he always went out and filled our needs and did everything he could to make us better. Just look at the record.”
Because of what Jocketty started, stars from other teams really wanted to play for St. Louis. Jocketty’s influence was an important factor in fostering the winning culture during the La Russa Years. The Cardinals haven’t had that working for them as much in recent years, but in fairness DeWitt-Mozeliak did manage to reel in a few free agents on multi-year contracts – namely pitcher Sonny Gray and catcher/1B Willson Contreras. And before that, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado were excited to be traded to the Cardinals and helped make it happen. But no, it isn’t quite the same.
WHERE DOES JOCKETTY ‘RATE’ IN CARDINALS HISTORY?
Branch Rickey stands alone at the top because he established the first minor-league system in major-league history, a visionary move that kept the Cardinals stocked deep in talent. Rickey ran the Cardinals from 1919 through 1942, winning four World Series and six NL pennants.
Rickey built the Cardinals teams that won the World Series in 1942, 1944 and 1946. That team also won the NL pennant in 1943. Though Rickey resigned after the ‘42 WS championship, he was responsible for the ensuing success during the 1940s.
William Walsingham Jr. was technically the top baseball executive after Rickey’s departure, but he inherited a legendary roster assembled by Rickey. Walsingham was also the the nephew of Cardinals owner Sam Breadon and never had the official GM title. Walsingham was part of a three-man leadership team that included Breadon and head scout Joe Mathes.
Bing Devine served the Cardinals in a wide range of front-office duties from 1958 through 1978, and left (and returned) a couple of times. Devine put together the roster that won the World Series in 1964, and many of the same players were still in place for the 1967 World Series champion Cardinals and the 1968 pennant-winning team. Devine gets full credit for the ‘64 triumph – even though he was fired in August that season. The Cardinals were struggling and nine games out of first place on Aug. 17 when the disgusted owner Gussie Busch abruptly sacked Devine and other members of the baseball office. Devine was brought back before the 1967 season, and though Stan Musial had the GM title, Devine was the de facto head of baseball operations.
Whitey Herzog was hired by Gussie Busch in June 1980 to rebuild the Cardinals and did a masterful job of putting together a unique machine of a team that relied on blazing speed, exceptional defense, and solid pitching. Herzog moved downstairs to take over as manager and led the Cardinals to the 1982 World Series title and NL pennants in 1985 and 1987. The Cardinals had a GM or two during that time to work closely with the manager. But no doubt about it, Herzog called the shots until the Anheuser–Busch (which owned the team) installed business executives to supervise the team and the payroll spending. sHerzog wasn’t pleased.
Mozeliak succeeded Jocketty and the Cardinals won the 2011 WS and 2013 NL pennant under his watch. But the product has declined in recent years, which reduces Mozeliak’s overall impact on the franchise.
OK, what about Jocketty? Where does he fit?
Just one guy’s opinion …
1. Rickey
2. Herzog
3. Jocketty
4. Devine
But here’s what I really think: after Rickey, it’s basically a tie for second place among the others because all were exceptional at the job.
Rest in Peace, Walt. And thank you for everything you did for the Cardinals and their fans. You played a large role in returning the Cardinals to glory.
Thanks to everyone for reading …
–Bernie
Bernie was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. During a St. Louis sports-media career that goes back to 1985, he’s won multiple national awards for column writing and sports-talk hosting. You can access all of his columns and videos here on SportsHubSTL, catch him weekdays on the “Gashouse Gang” or “Redbird Rush Hour” on KMOX (1120-AM, 104.1-FM), and he is a regular guest of “Cardinal Territory” video show hosted by Katie Woo of The Athletic.