Working together, the manager and GM brought great results for the 2009 St. Louis Cardinals.
The two men with the highest-profile jobs running the St. Louis Cardinals on the field and off come from very different backgrounds.
One is a 65-year-old who has worn the uniform of a major league manager for over 30 years and is a future Hall of Famer. He has a pair of World Championships and over 2,500 career wins in the dugout, approaching half with St. Louis.
The other is a quarter century younger, a man who worked his way up through the system to become the general manager of one of the most storied franchises in the history of Major League Baseball.
It now seems longer ago than just two years when the former boss of both Tony La Russa and John Mozeliak was summarily fired. Then-general manager Walt Jocketty was responsible for bringing both men to St. Louis. La Russa arrived as field manager prior to the 1996 season, having worked with Jocketty in Oakland. Mozeliak served under Jocketty in Colorado and traveled with him when he joined the Cardinals the year prior to La Russa’s arrival.
After internal political pressure over investment and protection of the player development pipeline hastened Jocketty’s departure following the 2007 season, an external GM search was fruitless. In-house candidate Mozeliak was charged with bringing all parties together while keeping the organization moving forward.
Though the club missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season in 2008, Mozeliak made great headway in laying the groundwork for the future. He signed co-ace Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina to smart long-term contracts and resolved a very challenging situation with Scott Rolen by swapping him to Toronto for Troy Glaus.
No one can make perfect moves every time as Mozeliak gambled and lost on troubled shortstop Khalil Greene and seems to have overpaid for Kyle Lohse. Yet he also diffused two other potential clubhouse situations by moving Adam Kennedy and Chris Duncan.
In 2009, Mozeliak’s in-season adjustments helped the Cardinals take their first division crown since 2006. He acquired Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa and Julio Lugo via trade, added John Smoltz and signed relievers Ryan Franklin and Trever Miller to contract extensions.
While the organizational tension could have crushed their relationship, instead Mozeliak offers a calming influence behind the fiery La Russa. Sometimes it requires tact to diffuse La Russa dreams like signing Barry Bonds or having 46-year-old Mark McGwire appear as a pinch-hitter, yet Mo seems up for the job.
Because La Russa has the decorated career and works for a perennial contender, it is more difficult for him to contend for game-wide recognition. Yet he was close to receiving the Manager of the Year Award in a sixth career season in 2009.
Though Colorado’s Jim Tracy received the 2009 NL nod, La Russa came in second. He took a club that most experts placed second or third in its division prior to the season and brought it in with 91 wins and a 7-1/2 game cushion in the NL Central. In the process, he coaxed career years from stars as well as the unlikely before falling uncharacteristically early in the post-season.
Starting his 32nd season in a job that many can’t hold for more than a couple means La Russa is a true survivor. As with anyone in such a public role for so long, the manager has his detractors. Yet his players are the first to defend him as always having their backs.
While La Russa remains one of the premier managers in the game, he is hinting his time in the role is nearing its end. He took several weeks following the conclusion of the 2009 season deciding whether or not to return for 2010 and when he did, it was only via a one-year contract, his first since joining the Cardinals.
Perhaps La Russa has even a little more fire in his belly to try to bring the 11th World Championship to St. Louis in 2010. It would be his third crown as an MLB manager and Mozeliak’s first in the head role.
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[...] final season Skip-ped 9. The Return of Big Mac 8. Franklin the Finisher 7. Penny for Pineiro 6. The successful odd couple – Mo and TLR 5. 4. 3. 2. [...]
Still not sure where the balance of power rests these days among Mo, Tony, and Jeff.
Was disappointed that Dustin didn’t report on Luhnow’s WWU comments but I understand he can’t be everywhere at one.
As long as there remains a balance, everything should be ok. On the latter, me too. Unfortunately, he had a personal commitment and had to leave early.
DD still being here says a lot about Mo’s ability to manage high profile personalities and multi-dimensional fubars. If my boss fired my son I’d probably punch his big fat head and find a new job, especially if I didn’t need the money.
Balance may keep the peace but I don’t know if that makes it the best situation.
I understand the delays in the Shoemaker negotiations may be on MO/BD……… a tactic?
The Ludwick deal…… 5.45 as the median………..how far apart were they? 5 and 5.9? 47% raise on a 1yr deal? Do you see Ludwick asking for 6million? Since this isn’t an Arbitration number, it can’t be rejected before the deadline?
Westie, I’m assuming they signed a contract for that amount. Cards could probably release him before the season starts but will owe 30 days or 45 days of pay depending on when they do it ( I tell you that Westie just to give you hope even though it will never happen!)
Shu is guaranteed a contract……………..whats the delay? They have overpaid everyone so far. I’m missing the point. They aren’t going to go to a hearing over chump change. The dead pool market
is going to start stinking before long. Tejada isn’t a factor, by Lopez might effect a Shoemaker negotiation.
The success of Mo is a monster story.
I think some of the issues Mo has been dealing with are very difficult. Trading for Holliday and then re-signing him, for me as just a fan, its stressful, so how Mo can deal with it, it beats me. My hat is off to the guy.
Then Mo hired one of my favorite human beings, Mark McGwire. Took guts, stood up for a good man. Mo toughed it out, took whatever Brian, Herzog, Jack Clark, and others, had to dish out. Love the job by Mo and TLR to be loyal, despite the heat.
Brian suggested Mo overpaid for Lohse. I dont think that is crystal clear. When guys reach veteran free agency, lets face it, they command a lot of money, if they can play. Fans will sometimes say the Cards overpaid for Izturis or Joel Pineiro or as Brian suggests Lohse. The truth is a more complicated. In retrospect, Pineiro’s deal was not as awful as some feared, at the time of his signing, because Joel came through in 2009. The Cards wanted a veteran SS in Izturis and paid the going wage; Mitey Cesar was able to parlay his sojourn in St Lou into a two year deal with the orange birds of Balitmore, so it must have worked out, even if Jumbo too was mightily glad to see the last of the Mitey One. And so with Lohse, Kyle had a good 2008, he was a free agent, he is not going to be cheap. As with Holliday, sometimes you have to pay the piper, otherwise known as the Union or Mr. Boras. We did this with Lohse, one of a handful of Native Americans playing MLB. Kyle was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he has worked for what he has earned. If Kyle can bounce back in the years ahead, his contract will be seen as a good deal. If he cannot, some will see it as a bad deal. Back in September 2008, for the time when negotiated, it was a fair deal.
Mo and TLR have forged a functional relationship. Mo used to have Jeff’s job as scouting director, so they have shared appreciation for the difficulties of this job. Mo pulls the pieces together and is not at crosspurposes with DeWitt, as Walt got himself. His protege, Mo, is making it work. This could be story number one.
Ricky Ankiel goes Royal…………..Oh what a relief it is!! .3.25 large
The Royals have signed several costly amateurs the past few years, paying big bucks to Boras. So its no surprise the Royals take a chance on Ankiel. Rick is a smart gamble, because if he gets his shoulder healthy, he could deliver big time for the Royals. And the Royals are a good destination for Rick, because he can get playing time. Plus they are in the Midwest, lots of nice folks in KC.
Thanks to Rick for his service to the Cards and best of luck on the other side of Missouri!