Walt Jocketty, the baseball executive who helped build championship teams with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals, has died at age 74, Major League Baseball confirmed Saturday.
“On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to offer our condolences to Walt’s family and his many friends,” Cardinals chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement.
“Walt was our first GM when we purchased the ball club, and he helped to lead our baseball operations through some of the franchise’s most successful and memorable years. He will be sorely missed, but long remembered for his distinguished career in baseball.”
Jocketty made his biggest mark during his 13 years running the Cardinals from 1994 to 2007.
Under his leadership, St. Louis dominated the National League Central, winning seven division titles.
The Cardinals also reached the World Series twice during his tenure, bringing home the championship trophy in 2006.
He had a knack for making trades that transformed the franchise. Jocketty brought in stars like Chris Carpenter, Jim Edmonds, Mark McGwire, Scott Rolen, and Adam Wainwright through savvy deals.
His eye for talent wasn’t limited to trades. The Cardinals drafted future Hall of Famers Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols while Jocketty was in charge.
Perhaps his most important move was hiring legendary manager Tony La Russa, who would lead the Cardinals to multiple championships.
Before joining St. Louis, Jocketty spent 13 years with the Oakland Athletics in various roles. He worked his way up from director of minor league operations to become a key figure in the front office.
It was in Oakland where he first teamed up with La Russa, creating a partnership that would later flourish in St. Louis.
Jocketty was part of the A’s organization during their dominant run from 1988-90, when they won three straight American League pennants and the 1989 World Series.
His impact on baseball went beyond just winning games. Jocketty helped revolutionize how young players develop by founding what’s now known as the Dominican Summer League and the Arizona Complex League. These leagues give rookie players a better place to start their careers.
After leaving St. Louis, Jocketty wasn’t done building winners. He took over as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 2008, serving in that role through 2015 before becoming president of baseball operations.
He stepped back into an advisory role with Cincinnati in December 2016.
A Minneapolis native, Jocketty attended the University of Minnesota before beginning his remarkable baseball journey with the Athletics.
