An Open Letter to Billy DeWitt

by musial6 on Mar 14, 2008 1:03 AM EDT Comment 23 comments

Good luck to Mr Lamping. He will be missed. This club was a mess when he took over, and his tenure as Cardinals President has been nothing short of a renaissance. I wish him all the best in his new gig.

That being said, there is a good deal of angst in Cardinal Nation these days. I'm willing to give the new team president a chance to carve his own legacy, but he would be wise to earn back some of the goodwill that the club has blown these last few years.

my suggestions (for what they're worth) after the jump...

-First and foremost, cut down on the BS

I understand you're running a business, and you need to spew a little PR from time to time, but don't talk to us like we were born yesterday. Most of us have lived through at least one dark ages period with the club. We can live with rebuilding...we can live with injury decimated rosters...we can live with losing seasons...but please don't piss on our legs and tell us it's raining. This goes for everything from press releases to game broadcasts. Enough with the propaganda already!

-Don't drop the ball on Ballpark Village

I understand there's a lot of ins and outs and whathaveyous and it's near impossible to make everyone happy, but you created this mess when you demolished old Busch, now it's on YOU - not the taxpayers - to make it right.

-More games on FREE TV

Pretty self explanatory. In case you hadn't noticed, not everyone in this economy is doing so well at the moment. Plenty of Cards fans do not subscribe to cable or satellite, and you're tuning them out by cutting down on the free broadcasts.

-Freshen up the broadcasts with some young blood

I'm not trying to pick on anyone in particular, but I feel the broadcasts across the board have gotten pretty stale. Bring in a voice who speaks to those of us born after 1975.

All I'm really saying is, don't take the fans for granted. You can get away with a lot of crap when the club is winning, but if you want the fans to stick around during the lean years, you need to throw them a bone once in a while.

Now good luck to you, Mr DeWitt - you've got a tough act to follow.

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The DeWitts and Thier Crap: And a fan Sick of It.

Once I caught wind that the Cardinals were promoting more cheapness a la DeWitt, I remembered...

This is a conversation I overheard the other day... or something:

Cardinals Fans: Hey ownership, why can't we sign a guy like A-Rod this offseason. You know, shake up the mix. Bring in a great bat? He could really set a fire under this city and this organization for years to come.

DeWitts: Eh, we just can't afford the big stars. We're small market. We're on par with the Marlins and the Rays. Gotta keep that payroll under $95 mil.

Cardinals Fans: True. We are small market. You know what? We'll just take Milton Bradley. He could provide a solid bat in the lineup and fill a whole in the outfield.

DeWitts: Uh. Guys?!? BFB!!(Best Fans in Baseball)??!? He's black.

Cardinals Fans: Holy shit. He's whatt? Alert Chesterfield!! Is Town & Country here? Ladue? We don't want one of those kind of players. You know, troublemakers. If he's not 5'6", white, and extra-scrappy, that's right, "extra-scrappy," we don't want any part of him. We're not spending our hard earned money to watch some "thugs" hoot and holler on a baseball diamond.

DeWitts: That's right. You have mid-western values. A Cardinals game is a family event. You guys are so morally spectacular and you don't want us to pay millions to some high-profiled gangster.

Cardinals Fans: Yeah, let's stick with those awesomely mediocre guys we have. They hustle! They're scrappy! We're just underdog, hard-working mid-westerners. And that's the way we like our baseball. Hell, we're the best fans in baseball.

DeWitts: That's right. You guys are the best fans in baseball. But, you have to stay loyal. Loyalty is key. You are all so smart and so loyal.

Cardinals Fans: Yea! Loyal and Smart! Yea! We don't need your high-profile athletes. We have Aaron Miles!

DeWitts: And Kyle Lohse! And hey, we even got this guy named Troy Glaus to play 3rd base. He used to play in Toronto! That's in Canada!

Cardinals Fans: Canada? Wooooah. Canada. Wow. That's where those moose live.

DeWitts: That's right. See how we reward your loyalty? And you know what he said the other day?

Cardinals Fans: What?

DeWitts: He said it is a pleasure to come to St. Louis. To play in front of the best fans in baseball.

Cardinals Fans: (receive boners) (double high five each other)

DeWitts: That's right. The best. Now, how about a season ticket package?

by udcardinals on Mar 14, 2008 2:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Distant observer

I have been reading posts like this here and there for a while now and I agree. If the organization is so interested in hearing our point of view on player development maybe they can hear some of this. I also understand the PR side and have caught on any number of occasions a local radio program where I live talking high praises of Aaron Miles and his batting average and how people just cannot understand how some do not appreciate his game. So unfortunately, many are drinking the koolaid.

As a younger Cardinal fan who is just now in a station in life where I can think about purchasing tickets, I too am sick of the PR bullshit and I do not plan on purchasing tickets this year. I will watch the team everyday but I am becoming a little jaded with the organization. As posted above, I can live with losing and injuries, I am not a fair-weather-fan, but a cow does not go quack. Please, quit telling me that it does.

by ajo080s on Mar 14, 2008 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kool Aid

Yes, because when you disagree with someone, it obviously means they have nothing worthy to say and are just mindless drones.

I say this as a 30-year Cardinal fan--I am sick and tired of complaints of "PR BS." Honestly, grow a skin; it's been a hell of a lot worse than one or two years of struggle after, what, six years of playoffs and a World Series win. It's a tiresome complaint that speaks of an impatient fanbase that's spoiled with winning. "PR BS" is part of the business and was the same during Whiteyball (go back and read Whitey's reasons for trading Keith Hernandez for Neil Allen and Rick Ownbey because "they needed pitching"). Live with it.

by Forsch31 on Mar 14, 2008 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wow

I think that any person who cannot at least see some disagreement over Miles place on this team is drinking the front office koolaid. I have a tough skin, and I have an opinion, and I have a choice. I have absolutely no problem watching the Cardinals and cheering for them, even in a losing season. But I am not coughing up the money to see Izturis and Miles play when I could be watching any number of our young options. My only recourse to disagreeing with management or ownership is to withold giving them money. That's my choice. As your choice was to assume many things of me and start the inferred name calling. To each his own. I'll agree that PR is part of the game, and I understand that, but I do not have to roll over, accept it, like it, and ask for more.

by ajo080s on Mar 14, 2008 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Or another kind of kool aid...

...which was my point about your rant. I've argued here before about why I think resigning Miles was a justifiable idea, and if you disagree with that, that's fine. But what I don't need is you to tell me that I'm "drinking front office kool aid" because I think that way.

I'm sorry, but if you don't like being criticized for wielding a wide paint brush, then put it down.

by Forsch31 on Mar 14, 2008 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can't tell...

if you're trying to be insulting to Cards Management or Cards Fans. Or both. I think you miss the mark on both though.
I agree with some of what you say, but you go too far. Yeah, it would be nice to see us go after A-rod. But it seems like he didn't want to go anywhere, so...it's not like we could force him to come here.
And what impact arms were out there this year? I can't think of anyone who would've helped that much...
Bradley's "character issues" do seem overblown, but "character" and "chemistry" have been the sports buzzwords for a while, so decisions like this are going to happen. Especially if a smaller-market organization (which we are) has to consider the happiness of a part of its fanbase when making a decision to bring in a player in what looks like a down-year.
They're running a business and while, I don't like what they say all the time (or the decisions, either) they're doing what they can to make money.
There's no need to get all huffy about it...

by joeyart on Mar 14, 2008 11:52 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This.

I'd rather my sister be a prostitute than my brother a Cub fan.

by _pistol_ on Mar 14, 2008 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

beat that straw man harder

i don't think he's quite dead yet.

play skip at second base.

by SleepyCA on Mar 14, 2008 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

interesting rant...

I also think you have some legitimate grievance, but perhaps are taking it a little too far. For example, I especially am frustrated with how far the "best fans in baseball" thing has been taken. Don't get me wrong, I think Cardinals fans are definitely among the best, but sometimes it sounds as if they really believe we have a monopoly on loyalty, knowledge of the game, courtesy, etc. There are plenty of other great fan bases out there.
I can't see how the racial thing has anything to do with this... does Eckstein's near-albino status make him some sort of aryan symbol of the organization's plot against players of color? Do Ozzie, McGee, Ray Lankford, Ray King, Renteria, Belliard, Heathcliffe Slocumbe (great name), et al count as counter examples?
Lastly, does "udcardinals" have anything to do with my alma mater the University of Dallas by any chance? Long shot, I know...

by mattybobo on Mar 14, 2008 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Egads

That was quite a rant.

For all of those bashing the Dewitts and Mozeliaks of the world. Let's look at the tale of the tape this offseason.

AROD? No player is worth that much money and only one team can afford him. Besides, AROD had no intentions of leaving the Yanks. He is from New York and likes it there.
Milton Bradley? This guy is a decent player, but doesn't seem like much of an upgrade from Ludwick or Ankiel. Besides, this team has enough problems in the clubhouse without bringing in a loose canon like him. Also, if you get him, do you dump Barton back to the Indians? He has far more potential than Bradley.

The Cards picked up Clement (who was considered the best bet for 2008 out of the injured guys.) Lohse, who was considered on par with Silva, but we got him for 44 million less. Larue is an upgrade at backup catcher. Pineiro was a perceived low risk gamble. (he was healthy at the time.) Barton was a steal in the Rule 5 draft. Phelps was a great insurance pickup and getting Glaus for Rolen was a pretty fair deal considering Rolen had to go. The Edmonds deal was a salary dump that cleared money for Lohse, Gonzo, and Miles. Gonzalez is a low risk with high reward potential, but Miles is...well...Miles.

Don't get me wrong, I want to see a better team on the field and I get sick of the "best fans in baseball" BS also, but there wasn't alot that was available this winter.

The best free agent pitchers on the market were considered to be Schilling (injured), Silva (4yr 48MM for mediocre results, and Lohse. The injured versions were Colon (setbacks and no fastball) and Clement (long recovery period). The Cards needed dramatic defensive improvement at SS. Izturis was the best defensive option available. (although he hasn't shown it this spring yet.) There just wasn't much available unless you had top notch prospects to trade. (for Santana and Cabrera)

Unfortunately, the Dewitt crystal ball did not predict injuries to Carp, Mulder, Edmonds, Rolen, Kennedy, Eckstein, Molina, Duncan, Pujols, Encarnacion...etc.

100MM payroll is nothing to sneeze at. The Marlins spend a third of that.

How about handin' me another helpin' of those mashed taters...thank you very much!

by Elvis on Mar 14, 2008 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, the Marlins

spend a third of what we do. And they won 2 world series.

I'm not bashing Mo or DeWitt. I just wonder if what's the long term plan, and if so, have we deviated from it with some of the actions this year:

LaRussa
Miles, Iz2, etc

To me the long term plan should be cyclical in nature, with the intent of putting a competitive team on the field every year, and peak years where they feel they may have the players/budget for a run. I don't see them making a run again until 2010. So I'm fine with a 100m budget if we're being competitive with a long term plan.

"The Food Channel: Porn for fat people"

by bukowski on Mar 14, 2008 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

What we want

We want the ownership to build winning teams for us to watch. The fans in this town heavily support the Cardinals in good times and bad. Why, ask yourself, does everyone in this town still prefer Whitey to Tony? Honesty...Whitey shot straight with us and considered himself one of us. Tony does this sometimes, but at times comes off as patronizing and arrogant. Not all of us wanted Milton Bradley, or AROD, or Weaver. However, we don't want to be told we are going after 2 impact arms and an impact bat and have you come back with 2 DFA's and an IR casualty.

Fans want to see a winner, but fans love to see young farm players get their shot. The majority of fans don't want to see a no upside guy like Aaron Miles when there are guys like Ryan, Barden, Hoffpauir...etc. who can do the job as well.

Everybody knows this team does not have the talent to contend in 2008. However, I know management feels they owe it to the fans and the manager to win as much as possible to please those who have paid for tickets. As a guy with a partial season ticket package who already knows this team is an extreme long shot for a playoff spot and likely to be battling for 4th or 5th place in the division, I would rather see one of the young guys who can help the team in 09 or 10 get some experience after the team falls out of it. Players aren't born veterans, they have to get their experience somehow.

The baseball operation seems to be in pretty good hands with Moz running the show. My request of you is that you get that Ballpark village project running so that the All-Star Game won't be played next to a giant mosquito incubator. St. Louis does not need or deserve that kind of bad publicity.

Welcome to the job. Make us proud.

How about handin' me another helpin' of those mashed taters...thank you very much!

by Elvis on Mar 14, 2008 10:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

your racial tone is unfounded

i'm not sure if you're accusing ownership or fans of being racist. but playing the race card is a juvenile, mindless, response.

I'd rather my sister be a prostitute than my brother a Cub fan.

by _pistol_ on Mar 14, 2008 12:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

Like Buttermaker said to the underwear-clad Ahmad up in the tree in "Bad News Bears":

"Can we leave race out of this? We've got enough problems as it is."

youneverknow

by meat on Mar 14, 2008 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mr, DeWitt

My suggestion, from a purely business perspective:

Get Ballpark Village done.
Make sure you're putting a competitive team on the field to make the fans happy and put butts in the seats. It's too early, but probably more competitive in the future than the team in Jupiter right now.
Sell. Preferably back to A-B.

You've increased the value of the team, you've won a WS, and you'll have a lasting effect on downtown StL and the region in general. Not a bad day at the office.

Then you can buy the Royals.

"The Food Channel: Porn for fat people"

by bukowski on Mar 14, 2008 1:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I disagree

With 1 point specifically. Sell back to the brewery? Either you have forgotten or are too young to remember what brewery ownership was like after Augie II died. They stripped this team down to nothing and had no interest on putting money or effort into the product. Dewitt and the boys came in hear and immediately spent money and turned this thing around. If the brewery still owned it, this team would be still waiting for a post 87 playoff appearance and we would be bitching about a 50 million dollar payroll instead of 100 million. These owners have been good for this franchise. Don't Sell! (Or if you do, how about to Mark Cuban)

How about handin' me another helpin' of those mashed taters...thank you very much!

by Elvis on Mar 14, 2008 1:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I am too young

and I was living in Wisconsin. However, a number of years have passed, and I'm sure that people in AB have changed. It's possible it would be different.

But my pipedream: A fan owned baseball team, based on my first love, the Packers. That would be the shiznit...

"The Food Channel: Porn for fat people"

by bukowski on Mar 14, 2008 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey

Sorry I haven't commented all day. I have been away from a computer. Allow me to address some of these responses (as if my words matter at all):

The race issue: I figured that would stir the pot. It was probably unnecessary. But, its true. There is a major racial problem in St. Louis and it really isn't getting any better. It can be found both in the social fabric and baseball fanbase here in this town. In recent years, Cardinals fans have seemed to identify with scrappy white guys. It's a fact. And when was the last time a black guy was immediately fawned over by the Busch faithful? Willie McGee? Ozzie? Those guys had to win awards before they were accepted (MVP, Gold Glove) White guys though? Bo Hart, Stubby Clapp, So Taguchi (yea, i know), Aaron Miles, David Eckstein, etc. The list can go on further. I'm sure of it. It's an issue. A serious character flaw of the Redbird faithful. Why run away from it? Why not talk about it? How could talking about it offend anyone except ourselves; our own moral consciences?
University of Dallas: Nah. University of Dayton. Yeah.
Small market: The Cardinals are not a small market team!! They were 7th in revenue in '07. Our fan base extends throughout Missouri, into Illinois, down to Arkansas, over and up to Iowa, down and under into Oklahoma, across Tennessee... Cardinal Nation is everywhere! Stop buying that BS. You know how much DeWitt and Co. like to see Cardinals fans identify themselves as lovers of a "small-market" team? It means they don't have to compete for top players. They are allowed to back out of negotiations with top-tier free agents or top draft picks (see: the drafting of Peter "f-ing" Kozma) because they have Cardinals fans saying crap like "well, we aren't New York!" They love that shit. True, the Cardinals are not the Yankees or Mets. But, they're not far off. Busch sells out nearly every game. The ticket prices are among the highest in the league. So are beer and concession prices. Cardinals merchandise flies off the shelves. I swear to god the Cardinals are NOT a small market baseball team. Yes, St. Louis is relatively a small city. Sure, the Rams are small-market. The Blues are probably mid-market. But, the Cardinals? They're a force in the mid west. Stop believing the hype.
The A-Rod Issue: Who is to say A-Rod didn't want to leave New York? It seems like he really WANTED to leave New York. You know, that's why he opted out of his contract. He wanted to test the free agent waters. He wanted to see if another club had interest. Why couldn't the Cardinals match the Yankees' offer? Why didn't the Cards show interest?

(That was probably answered in item 3. We have fans that think the Cardinals are a small market team. Christ.)

Best Fans In Baseball: As much as DeWitt's antics make me want to drown myself in that watering hole under the never-to-be "Ballpark Village", I can't help but love the Cardinals. The Cardinals have great fans. There is no doubt about that. Some of the best, that's for sure. No team can claim to have the best fans in baseball. They all do (see: every team website). It's just a matter of perspective. So, who cares? We know we love our baseball. We'll always be there for the Cardinals. We don't have to buy into being called "the best" by an owner making a killer profit. We're better than that.
Thanks for engaging in this debate. Thanks for not shrugging me off for being a little vulgar. VEB is awesome and debates like this are good for the health of this fanbase. I love this website. I should probably post more often. Posting just takes a lot out of me. I am passionate about this team. I want them to do well all the time. Most importantly, I want them to make use of their resources.

by udcardinals on Mar 14, 2008 6:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I disagree

with 1. and 4.

1. 4 of the top 6 most popular Cardinals in history are Gibson, Ozzie, Brock, and McGee. (Musial and Pujols being the other 2) Nobody recent, eh? Reggie Sanders was a very popular player here. I see posts on this blog everyday pleading with management to find a way to keep Barton. The guys you mentioned were not even very good examples. Aaron Miles is trashed probably more than any player I can remember. Most people on these boards were clammoring to upgrade over Eckstein. You may want to do more homework before calling Redbird nation racist.

By the way, I was a fan back in 1982 when Willie and Ozzie were at the beginning of their Cardinal careers, and they were embraced immediately...as were guys like Pendleton, Hendrick, Coleman, Curt Ford...etc. We just happen to be in a cycle where most of our players the past few years have been white and hispanic.

4. Boras is the one who opted AROD out of his contract and AROD kicked him out of the negotiations for doing so. Once AROD handled them himself, he only talked to the Yankees. Besides, match 275 million dollars? I guess the Cards could do that if you want employ an all pre-arbitration pitching staff for the next 8 years or so. The price tag didn't make sense and the Yanks will find that out.

How about handin' me another helpin' of those mashed taters...thank you very much!

by Elvis on Mar 14, 2008 7:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re:

Reggie Sanders was a good ball player. That's why he was embraced. He had a career year with the Cardinals. My main point on the race issue is that no black player is ever called "scrappy" or "hard-working" by Cardinal Nation. This is not a matter of coincidence. If you don't think there is a race problem within the Cardinals fan base, you're either blind or naive.

by udcardinals on Mar 14, 2008 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Re

I think this racial debate here is not going to go anywhere and just get you old folk all upset. I don't want to belabor the racial point. It was a small part of my rant. My main point is the cheapness and PR crap (small market, best fans in baseball, etc.) that DeWitt and Co. put out to the fans and the ugly way in which the fans eat it up. I'd rather stay on that topic. Si?

by udcardinals on Mar 14, 2008 7:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

BD III

It was a shame to see Lamping go, but I'm glad to see that after an exhaustive interview process, they came up with what clearly appears to be the most qualified candidate for the job. After reading that BD III's major accomplishment so far has been the stellar job he has done spearheading the ballpark village project, all my doubts were put to rest. That Yale tuition was money well spent, pops. I hear that in his spare time, he has also been searching for the Loch Ness Monster and helping OJ find the real killers. But since he doesn't sign the checks and doesn't make personell decisions, and his major job which would be to hire the GM was just handled for him for, like the next 10-20 years, what could he really screw up?

In addition to Milton Bradley, the Cards also failed to sign Andrew Jones, Tori Hunter, or any of the 8 to 10 other remaining African Americans in major league baseball, so this is clearly a racist organization (and Jones is from Curacao, so he dosen't really count). I can totally see a Brian Barton back to Philly for Jamie Moyer deal comming down the pike. And I would actually prefer more BS- they should have followed the "impact arm and bat" sham with a story about a Rasmus for Santana deal that fell through at the last minute. It's all smoke and mirrors, BD III.

What does a mama bear on the pill have in common with the World Series? No cubs. ~Harry Caray

by Tupelo on Mar 14, 2008 7:22 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

RE: A-B, A-Rod, and BDIII

re: selling back to AB - you don't want a corporation running your team. Unless you have a figurehead like AB II or Ted Turner (or even Steinbrenner) who passionately wants to win, you're only going.

I'm not happy about all of the changes we've endured during the past 5 years, but compared to other owners, we've still got it pretty good. You don't win championships by signing A-Rod, or Torii Hunter, or whatever #2 starter Boras is marketing as an ace. You win by developing players from within your organization, and through savvy trades.

Things are different now than they were in 1996. Back then there weren't as many clubs willing to shell out money for big name free agents. The Cardinals were able to overhaul their rotation in a single offseason back in 1996 and 2000 (or even 2004) - but they can't do that anymore. The market for innings munching quality starters has gone through the roof.

Now every club is flush with cash - especially the clubs in the big media markets - it's just not practical for a middleweight club (small media market x intense fanbase = middleweight) club like the Cardinals to chase the top tier FAs. When you look at the returns the big market clubs get from their big signings, you'll notice that it's really just a matter of time before those monster contracts become albatross contracts (with a few exceptions).

A-Rod is the ultimate example of big money spending gone awry. Texas had won 3 division titles in 5 years when A-Rod game to town. They've never seen the postseason since. In the 03-04 offseason, there was much speculation that A-Rod would go to Boston. The deal fell through, and he went to the Yankees instead. At the time, the Yankees had won 6 AL Pennants and 4 World Series in the previous 8 seasons. Meanwhile the Red Sox had gone 17 seasons without a pennant and 85 seasons without a World Series.

In the 4 seasons since A-Rod's arrival in New York, the Yankees have failed to win any pennants while Boston has won 2 World Championships. Why would anyone want to tie the fate of their entire organization to A-Rod? He's like the anti-Babe Ruth.

As for BD III - I'm willing to give him a chance. Maybe BD III will have more freedom to do things his own way than even Lamping had. Lamping knew he was one bad year away from getting fired. BD III can pretty much do whatever he wants - he's the heir to the throne. They've been grooming him for this gig for years, it's not like they were going to hire someone from outside the organization to replace Lamping. My expectations for him aren't great, but let's at least let him crash the plane into the mountain before we burn him at the stake. There's a chance he won't be all that bad.

by musial6 on Mar 15, 2008 12:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs