st. Louis – Walt Jockett, the three-time baseball executive of the year and former general manager of both the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, has passed away. He was 74 years old.
Jockett passed away Friday in the Phoenix area, and former Cardinals manager Tony La Lassa told the team after speaking to Jockett’s wife Sue.
The Cardinals announced their death on Saturday. Jocketty has been battling health issues for several years.
The Cardinals held a moment of silence for the jockey before Saturday went 6-5 to win the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cardinals have won the National League Central Division seven times under Jocquet’s leadership.
St. Louis also won the National League Championship in 2004 and 2006 and the 10th World Series title in 2006.
The 2006 championship ended a 24 year drought with a team that won 83 games in the regular season.
“On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to express my sadness to Walt’s family and many of his friends,” Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. “Walt was the first GM when he bought the ball club and he helped lead baseball operations through some of the most successful and memorable franchises of the year.
“He’s been overlooked badly, but he remembers for a long time because of his prominent baseball career.”
Jocketty broke into baseball in Auckland’s track and field in 1980 and won the World Series ring in 1989.
Jocketty became General Manager of St. Louis on October 14, 1994.
After the team was sold in 1995, new ownership maintained Jocketty in his work.
His biggest move was to hire Lassa in 1996. The two men worked together in Auckland.
La Lassa is the most wondrous manager in Cardinals history and will continue inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Jocketty revamped the team’s roster and in 1996 the Cardinals returned to postseason play for the first time in nine seasons.
During his tenure with St. Louis, Gioccotty drafted or acquired stars such as Albert Pujols, Yadia Morina, Mark McQuire, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, David Eckstein, Jason Islinghausen, Jim Edmonds and Scott Lauren.
With Jocketty at the helm, St. Louis has put together seven consecutive winning seasons.
In 2004 and 2005, the Cardinals won over 100 games.
He was named MLB Executive of the Year in 2000, 2004 and 2010.
Through the 2000 season, Jocketty became the first GM in baseball history, trading in the same offseason as the 20-game winner (Colorado’s Darryl Kile) and the 40-home run hitter (Anaheim’s Edmonds).
After being fired by Cardinals in 2007 due to differences with ownership, Jocketty was hired by the Cincinnati Reds as a special advisor on January 11, 2008.
He was then appointed General Manager of the Reds after Wayne Cliffsky was fired on April 23, 2008.
He played the role until Dick Williams replaced him on December 27, 2016.
Jocketty has been replaced by John Mozeliak of St. Louis.
“He was a great guy,” Mozeliac said after Saturday’s game. “In terms of baseball, he loved it. His influence on himself and this organization was enormous. It’s difficult to try and sum it up in a sentence, but his influence is something I think I’ll always remember. His legacy is a lot older.”
Mozeliac said the two were nearby, despite replacing him when he was fired.
“Of course, it was a different time,” Mozeliac said. “In the end, we became friends again. We knew this was part of the business. I think he was proud of my success.”
The Reds made the playoffs three times in 2010, 2012 and 2013 when Jocketty served as GM. They have only made the playoffs once since.
Jocketty was hired by Auckland in 1980. Jocketty spent 14 seasons as director of minor league operations, director of baseball management and right-hand man for Sandy Alderson in the organization of A.
In Oakland he helped out with the A victory three American League pennants and the 1989 World Series.
Jocketty was survived by his wife and two children, Ashley and Joey.
