CN Approval Ratings (Last One!): Bill DeWitt
by Cardinal70 on Mar 20, 2009 9:10 AM EDT
39 comments
I want to express my appreciation to everyone that has participated in these the last couple of weeks. It's been very interesting to see the differing opinions on people. I was a little surprised at some, if not the overall results then some of the individual responses.
I had planned to do another player today, Ryan Ludwick, but I figured he would probably wind up in the 80% range without a lot of interest. So instead I figured I'd go with someone sure to spark a conversation or, at the least, provide some feedback.
Bill DeWitt has been the face of Cardinal ownership since they bought the team back in '95. Do you give him points for rescuing the team from the Brewery? Do you knock him down for the apparent unwillingness to spend?
As always, 0-100. Again, thanks to all!
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85
He may have his flaws, but the team has been pretty damn successful during his run here.
And… I demand a Ludwick one!
* sarcasm might be involved in this comment
and....BEN SHEETS!!! **
**not that BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment, just BEN SHEETS!!!
(BEN SHEETS might be involved in this comment)
by mattyfrommo on Mar 20, 2009 9:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
50%
There has been success in Cardinals land during his tenure as owner so he gets some points. I think the success has been more due to the coaching staff than the roster Dewitt pays for, but then again Tony and crew came after Dewitt took over, so he gets points by default. So the 50% I give him is totally due to the relative success we have had since he took ownership. The 50% I am docking him is simply because I just don’t like the guy. I might have given him 60% until I read about the latest Ballpark Village plan (this is where my rant starts). SERIOUSLY….a FREAKIN SOFTBALL FIELD?!?!?!? This is some of (if not THE) most prime real estate in the city and it has sat as a hole in the ground for 3 yrs now. Come on Dewitt. I would have rather them fill it with dirt and plant some grass 3 years ago. That would have fitted people’s “cheap” view of him AND taken care of the eye sore. The only good thing we have gotten from BV was the guy that stomped out “Cub’s Suck” in the snow on it over the winter. Anybody on here know who that was?…..I laughed at that pick for hours!!
by Cardsray on Mar 20, 2009 9:55 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
OH yeah
And a parking lot!! They couldn’t have made it a parking lot 3 years ago until more final plans were finalized?? I always park down by the Dome and I always remember walking by it on the way to the game thinking….“Damn sure would be nice if I could park here”.
by Cardsray on Mar 20, 2009 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
they probably made a deal
that they wouldn’t build new parking structures when they sold off the old parking structures after buying the team. But that is just speculation. It definitely would have been a good idea.
"i have a feeling the answers are bigger than the questions" -Dr Heyward Floyd
by SleepyCA on Mar 20, 2009 1:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
You are aware that
the current ownership has dramatically increased payroll relative to the rest of MLB aren’t you? Don’t you think that might have a lot more to do with the team’s success than “Tony and crew”? After all, the only reason TLR is here is because the ownership group in Oakland refused to meet his payroll demands. Of course, they have won more games without him than we have won with him in spite of the fact that we have outspent them by over $300,000,000.
The four years previous to the current ownership Cardinals payroll was in the bottom third of MLB with rankings of 18, 26, 24, and 22 (out of 28 teams). Every year of the current ownership they have been in the top half and most years in the top third of MLB teams in payroll outlay.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
by giveml on Mar 20, 2009 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I didn't say
he was cheap. I meant most people’s view is that he’s cheap. I don’t think he’s cheap….I think he makes dumb decisions.
by Cardsray on Mar 20, 2009 10:36 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Dumb decisions
Like?
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
by giveml on Mar 20, 2009 11:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
80
Living near Baltimore, my viewpoint of DeWitt might be skewed higher based on ~15 years of Angelos. The pre McPhail days of the Orioles should be required studying on how not to run a sports franchise. But Angelos did make money the entire time.
by ubeddie on Mar 20, 2009 9:56 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
75
Runs a business and runs it well.
hecanthithecanthithecanthithecanthit
by Alxfritz on Mar 20, 2009 10:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
90
I don’t know how the ownership could have done significantly better over the past 15 years.
Those Pilgrims ain't lookin' so proud now...
by giveml on Mar 20, 2009 10:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
80%
Ballpark Village (or lack there of) kind of annoys me, but there’s no doubt the team has been successful since his tenure began.
Patiently awaiting the day Colby Rasmus does this: .275/.381/.551/.932, 29HR, in St. Louis...
by RunninRedbird on Mar 20, 2009 11:01 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
81.81818181818181818181818181818181818181818181818181818181818181818%
Chuck Norris hit a Home Run
with his beard
by bearcatcardfan on Mar 20, 2009 12:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
49%
You can yell at me if you like, not saying he has been a bad owner. But I’m a relatively new fan… if he wants to do something for me he has to show me that now. Regaurdless of what he has brought to the team in the past, to squander the situation we have now, with a group of talented young ball players (including the prime years of the best player in baseball) would be a big let down.
I have no qualms with the way you fans who have been watching baseball for 10+ years view him, but for the youngsters out there I feel he needs to show us now that he believes in this teams ability to win to earn my devoted support.
by mr banana grabber on Mar 20, 2009 12:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
you're entitled to your opinion
but you should take some time to familiarize yourself with the behavior of other owners before you are too harsh on the guy.
"i have a feeling the answers are bigger than the questions" -Dr Heyward Floyd
by SleepyCA on Mar 20, 2009 1:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
wow
Is it weird that I would rather the payroll be more like the Marlins than the Yankees?
by ForesterShane on Mar 23, 2009 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
85
We’re really lucky, as it seems like dewitt is really a fan as well as an owner. but the ballpark village was just a stupid idea.
"i have a feeling the answers are bigger than the questions" -Dr Heyward Floyd
by SleepyCA on Mar 20, 2009 1:23 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
95
He owns a winning club, a consistent club, a respectable club, a fiscally sound club, and a strategically relevant one. Good work, dude.
by abothecardinal on Mar 20, 2009 2:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
88%
BEN MOTHERHUSHYOURMOUTH SHEETS
I'm going to go try to find a puppy and kick it. - Brad Thompson AND THAT'S A WINNER!
by gdm426 on Mar 20, 2009 3:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
75
He has kept payroll at a competitive level and has presided over one of the most successful periods of Cardinal history.
That said, I do think that the bottom line is more important to him than winning, if only slightly. There’s nothing wrong with that; he is a business man, baseball is a business.
I really like the new direction of the organization, i.e. the focus on player development, but I hope it doesn’t lead to the team never signing any big names; a mid-market team such as the Cardinals, with very good attendance and revenue, should supplement their home-growns with free agents.
It will be telling next year, when even more young guys are promoted and payroll goes down further. Will the Cardinals be willing to go after a top-flight starter to replace Piniero? They will certainly have the funds.
by ViperLjs on Mar 20, 2009 3:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
85
Some faults with the business end, but this ownership clearly cares about Cardinals baseball.
by spants on Mar 20, 2009 3:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
75%
Counting the days 'till the first pitch.
by IL and StL Fan on Mar 20, 2009 4:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
80
It’s easy to dislike owners but we’ve been winning a lot of games since he took over and he made the tough decision to beef up the farm system as opposed to paying for veteran talent. It provoked a confrontation with a very successful GM but it was the right thing to do.
by easy on Mar 20, 2009 5:54 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
"Do you knock him down for the apparent unwillingness to spend?"
Yes. He’s trying to ride the accomplishments of the early-mid 2000s. He couldn’t adapt (or find someone who could) to Post Revenue Sharing, Moneyball, and then Moneyball 2.0.
The attendance was going up every year but the quality team was going down and for some reason he seems shocked attendance is starting to follow.
Keep buying ivory back-scratchers with my money, buddy. I’m sure the Romans kept saying “hey, it’s not as bad as it seems…can’t get any worse!”
55%
"How depressing is it being you? Would you equate it to being a lifelong Cubs fan?"
by rocKStark5 on Mar 20, 2009 11:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
85%
would have been higher if their wasn’t a lake next to the stadium for the last three years.
by Evilfrog on Mar 21, 2009 11:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
82
There are three things in my life which I really love: God, my family, and baseball. The only problem - once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit. ~Al Gallagher, 1971
by wizardofozzie on Mar 21, 2009 4:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
30
Basically if the Cardinals hadn’t lucked into Pujols, they would be the Pirates with a higher salary. Seriously, subject 7-8 wins per year and see how many post seasons they would have made.
As to spending money, since we don’t know how much they bring in, we can’t really comment on whether or not he’s spending enough or simply pocketing it. I personally suspect the latter.
I also would contest he “rescued” the team from the brewery, they essentially just gave the team to him. One of the biggest robberies in terms of team sales.
Finally, he really gets bad marks for his short-sighted way of running the team. Taking the Cardinals off KMOX in favor of a more money producing station that only a few people can actually listen to (not even everyone in the St. Louis area, much less beyond).
Felipe Lopez - next year's Joel Pineiro (on another team, thank you Mo!)
by DiscoJer on Mar 22, 2009 1:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
I seriously wonder what kind of antennas
people who can’t get 550 in Saint Louis are using. I get it outside of Peoria frequently.
hecanthithecanthithecanthithecanthit
by Alxfritz on Mar 23, 2009 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think it
depends on where you live. All signals tend to suffer if you are too close to a major signal. (When I lived in Affton this was a MAJOR problem, at home and in the car, FM and AM.)
by spants on Mar 23, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Another strike against Affton
like it needed any more.
hecanthithecanthithecanthithecanthit
by Alxfritz on Mar 24, 2009 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
90
I agree w/ ubeddie, about comparing Dewitt to other team owners. If that’s the case, I would put him in the top group of owners. But it seems like we Card’s fans have higher expectations for our team than the average team. We’ve grown accustomed to winning and the post-season, and I think there is nothing wrong with expecting excellence.
born Dodger blue, now dyed Cardinals red
by totalloser on Mar 22, 2009 12:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
90
Is it weird that I would rather the payroll be more like the Marlins than the Yankees?
by ForesterShane on Mar 23, 2009 12:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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