Jocketty out in St. Louis

Oh, I wasn't defending the firing, I was just pointing out that based on final records this year's regular season wasn't much worse than last season's.

 

83-78 and now 78-84 ... This year's record is misleading. The Cardinals' run differential was -100-plus -- among the worst in franchise history. They were a terrible team.

I'm not saying Jocketty deserved to be fired. He's a great GM. Sometimes you need a new direction. The current market stresses player development, which isn't Jocketty's strength.

 

Why did they only play 161 games last season?
And I agree, sometimes a new direction is needed. Plus, it's not like he will be without a job for long.

 

But where does he land? Pittsburgh, which was said to be interested in him when it fired its GM, has already made a hire. Does he take a season off?

I'm sure there's a situation that would fit the Jocketty/La Russa package, but I could see them picking their spot.

 

I still think the Mariners fucked up by keeping their pair around.
I don't know where he goes. I guess he may have to take a year off.

 

I've been reading all year that Jocketty was going to leave St. Louis at the end of the season and wind up in Cincy. And La Russa might follow. He'd love it, they got tons of fungible relievers.

 

Of course, it's DeWitt. During the offseason, DeWitt bumped up his "wonderboy" Jeff Luhnow to Veep, thus cutting Jocketty and his crew off from scouting and player development. This pissed Jocketty off and he made it known that DeWitt and him were not seeing eye-to-eye. From ripping KMOX of radio rights and buying a station to put the Redbirds on, to, in effect, making Jocketty a lame duck by force, DeWitt's paws is all over the Cardinals.

I understand that Jocketty waited to get clipped so he can get a nice financial package, but I would have said "fuck you" to DeWitt and walked out of Busch on Monday morning.

Unless a gig opens up, now that Willie is staying put in NYC, and I don't think the Reds will move Mackanin out, The Genius may have to stay and manage the string in '08. I think the Cardinals are going to blow up this team the moment LaRussa leaves.

 

The Reds have already told Mackanin they are going to interview other managerial candidates. He'll still get an interview but he's not going to be handed a job.

 

Psst, Tony,

Armchair wants you to know that Pete isn't a lock in Cincy. Get your ass over there and show them how smart you are about the game of baseball, and the job is yours.

Signed,

Cubs fans who hate Cardinals Nation

 

I agree with the idea that Jocketty and LaRussa are a package (hey-o!!!) deal...which would seem to disqualify LaRussa landing in Cincy.

Or with the Mets, where LaRussa would kill little Jeffy Wilpon by noon of his first day on the job.

Seattle seemed to be a great fit. Maybe it still can be in 2009.

 

St. Louis is the 21st media market and has a $100 million payroll. Despite that payroll, and the presence of Pujols, the team was terrible this season. It's maxed out financially if it wants to make a profit. So the option is to find someone who can develop minor-league talent better than Jocketty could. It makes sense from that perspective.

Look at the rosters of the D'Backs and Rockies and look at the Cardinals. I'm sure that's what Dewitt was doing.

 

Jocketty had a good run. He will resurface. Solid baseball man. LaRussa, Duncan and company will be there probably for anothe year or two. The team had a rough year. The people in Cow Town, that's what Chilli Davis calls it, loves LaRussa.