innovations of
Kantrovitz’s personality and goals compared to
on leaving St. Louis Cardinals
Lowrie favored in model of
on Luhnow collaboration
on Mozeliak’s capabilities as general manager
on organizational conflict
organizational inefficiencies highlighted by
on press interactions
scout lists combined by
scouts evaluated by “shadow draft” of
St. Louis Cardinals hiring
on system transparency
2011 World Series victory validating
work enjoyed by
Mejia, Alex
Melvin, Bob
Mercado, Oscar
Miklasz, Bernie
Miller, Dyar
Miller, Shelby
Mize, Johnny
Molina, Yadier
Moneyball (Lewis)
Correa on boastful attitude of
draft assumptions based on
Luhnow reading
myths on scouts and misreading of
Moore, Terry
Morales, Andrew
Moran, Sean
Morris, Matt
Motte, Jason
Mozeliak, John
as assistant general manager
childhood baseball memories of
with Colorado Rockies
DeWitt, Bill, Jr., on general manager appointment of
DeWitt, Bill, Jr.’s, relationship strengthened with
draft day 2014 schedule and activities of
on draft of 2004 and 2005 comparisons
draft of 2004 mistakes and
draft of 2014 preparation of
on future of St. Louis Cardinals
general manager competition facing
grandfather influencing
hacking scandal and unwavering analytics approach of
on human element in system
Jocketty mentoring
Jocketty recommending, for general manager
Jocketty recruiting
on Jocketty’s firing
Kantrovitz hired by
La Russa’s style conflicting with
on Latin American player development changes
on Luhnow and office tensions
Luhnow supporting general manager bid of
on Luhnow’s hire and skepticism
on Luhnow’s new system
Luhnow’s views and responsibilities aligning with
Mejdal on general manager capabilities of
negotiation skills learned by
on organizational change and 2007 on-field results
organizational support for
political skills of
press supporting
on replacing employees
Roosevelt as uniter compared to
scouting and player development separated by
as scouting director
on shrinking advantage of analytics
St. Louis Cardinals unified under
on standards for players
on Taveras’ death
2011 World Series victory validating
Musial, Stan
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Nix, Jacob
Norris, Bud
Nyman, Paul
Oakland Athletics
Ocampo, Oz
O’Keefe, Brian
Oriole Way
Ortiz, Ramon (“Smoky”)
Pearce, Matt
Pendleton, Terry
Percival, Troy
Pérez, Audry
Pérez, Chris
personality-based scouting
Pham, Tommy
Philadelphia A’s
Piazza, Mike
Piscotty, Stephen
pitching mechanics
Strom on injury prevention and
Strom on Wainwright and
Strom’s philosophy shift on
Strom’s principles for
of Tuivailala
Witte assisting new system for
player development. See also Cardinals farm system; farm systems
Barrett’s tactics with
DeJohn’s observations on
DeJohn’s strategies for assistance and
DeWitt, Bill, Jr., on
international
Kissell’s belief in
LaRocque on league placement and
LaRocque’s benchmarks for
Leveque’s observation strategies with
Luhnow as director of
Luhnow’s challenges with
Mozeliak on new design for Latin American
Mozeliak separating scouting from
psychological considerations for
St. Louis Cardinals inventing
Vuch as assistant in
Poncedeleon, Daniel
Cardinals farm system expectations and goals of
confidence and competitiveness of
development and improvements of
Gonzalez evaluating
Kantrovitz’s confidence in
signing of
pre-draft combine
professionalism, St. Louis Cardinals and
psychological considerations, for draft
Pujols, Albert
analytics showing decline of
free agency departure of
Musial compared to
payoff in letting go of
success of
2013 struggles of
Ramsey, James
Rapp, Vernon
Rasmus, Colby
Redbirdog system
Rehm, Flint
religion, Kissell and importance of
Reynolds, DeWitt and Co.
Reynolds, Mercer
Richards, Paul
Rickey, Branch
Cardinals farm system created by
Cardinals Way importance of
DeWitt, Bill, Jr., and influence of
DeWitt, Bill, Sr., following model of
DeWitt, Bill, Sr.’s, education supported by
DeWitt, Bill, Sr.’s, relationship with
firing of
Kissell impressing
Kissell on presence and approach of
legacy of
organizational foundation built by
Schoendienst on system established by
Riggleman, Jim
Ritter,Jerry
Rivera, Chris
Rivera, Mariano
Robinson, Shane
Rodriguez, Moises
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano
Rose, Pete
Rosenthal, Trevor
sabermetrics
Saigh, Fred
salary arbitration
Salas, Fernando
Sandberg, Ryne
Scanio
Schied, Jeremy
Schlueter, Dick
Schmidt, Michael S.
Schoendienst, Red
Schott, Marge
Schweppe, Bill
scouts. See also international scouting
challenges and mistakes of
criteria for hiring
draft strategies with
farm systems and importance of
Gonzalez on any sport and
Gonzalez personally learning and training to be
Internet for finding
Kantrovitz on Gonzalez’s attributes for
Luhnow accommodating
Luhnow expanding lists of
Luhnow overhauling program of international
Luhnow’s philosophy in reviewing
Luhnow’s process for finding new
Mejdal combining lists from
Moneyball misreadings and myths on
Mozeliak separating player development from
personalities evaluated by
personality-based methods for
“shadow draft” evaluating
Slater on hybrid approach of
St. Louis Cardinals marrying analytics with
ST
OUT system incorporating reports from
talent and signing factors investigated by
Scully, Vin
Seferina, Darren
“shadow draft,” of Mejdal
Shandler, Ron
Shannon, Mike
Sheridan, John B.
Shields, James
Shildt, Mike
Siegrist, Kevin
signing bonuses, draft regulations for
Slater, Matt
Holliday evaluated by
hybrid scouting approach of
international scouting success of
Martínez, Carlos, evaluated by
on Martínez, Carlos, signing
St. Louis Cardinals supporting education of
Smith, Al
Smith, Bud
Smith, Roger
Society for American Baseball Research
Sohn, Andrew
Spence, Wally
St. Louis Browns
St. Louis Cardinals. See also Cardinals fans; Cardinals Way
analytics and scouts utilized together by
analytics gradually implemented by
analytics history of
analytics revamping
Baseball Prospectus ranking organization of
continued success of
DeWitt, Bill, Jr.’s, acquiring ownership of
DeWitt, Bill, Jr.’s, new direction despite success of
draft value system of
dual strategies of
Fox Sports Midwest television deal with
free agency and retention success of
future of
hacking scandal and
Houston Astros poaching personnel from
innovation of
intelligence in organization of
internal book created by
Kantrovitz on culture of
Kantrovitz on leaving
Kantrovitz return to
Kantrovitz’s childhood love of
Kissell’s loyalty to
Luhnow and early resentment of most in
Luhnow’s presentation to
Mejdal hired by
Mejdal on leaving
modesty of
Mozeliak on future of
Mozeliak unifying
opening day excitement for
ownership changes of
ownership succession plan for
player development created by
Slater’s education supported by
standards of
Strom hired by
Thompson on professionalism and
tradition and expectations for success of
State College Spikes
Steverson, Todd
Stewart, Dave
STOUT system
Strom, Brent
family responsibilities of
with Houston Astros
Luhnow supporting
Nyman influencing
as pitching coach and instructor
on pitching mechanics and injury prevention
pitching mechanics and training principles of
pitching mechanics philosophy shift of
resistance to methods of
St. Louis Cardinals hiring
Tommy John surgery of
on tradition in baseball
on Wainwright’s pitching mechanics
Strong, Jamal
Suppan, Jeff
Swanson, Matt
switch-hitter drill, of Kissell
Taveras, Oscar
batting practice audience of
big league call up of
confidence of
death of
expectations for
Kantrovitz’s expectations with
Matheny’s expectations for
memorials to
minor league success of
organization focusing on
rookie struggles of
work ethic and injuries of
television, baseball revenue from
Tendu analysis
Texas Rangers
Theriot, Ryan
Thomas, Darren
Thomas, Lee
Thompson, Nick
college career of
draft of
first at bat of
goals of
improvement and development of
re-tooling swing of
on St. Louis Cardinals and professionalism
on success at all levels
Tommy John surgery
Toronto Blue Jays
Torre, Joe
tradition
Tuivailala, Sam
Baker helping
Baker on promotion of
big league promotion of
on Double-A promotion
draft of
family excitement with promotion of
on getting comfortable pitching
improvements made by
LaRocque on benchmarks reached by
Luhnow on position choices with
minor league challenges of
pitch speeds of
on pitching in front of Double-A crowds
pitching mechanics of
Triple-A promotion of
Turco, Steve
career longevity of
coaching career of
coaching opportunity for
drafting of
Kissell instructing and supporting
Kissell’s impact on
Luhnow’s draft philosophy confusing
on player flaws
Winningham evaluated by
Valentine, Bobby
Van Slyke, Andy
Veeck, Bill
Verducci, Tom
Villa Mella academy
Viña, Fernando
Vuch, John
analytics expertise of
childhood baseball memories of
LaRocque paired with
Martinez, Tino, and free agency evaluation of
as player development assistant
Wacha, Michael
on Cardinals fans’ enthusiasm
Cardinals farm system ascension of
draft of
success in first season of
Wainwright, Adam
Warner, Ron (“Pop”)
Weaver, Earl
Weaver, Luke
Weiss, George
Whiten, Mark
Wick, Rowan
confidence gained by
hitting focus of
Kantrovitz on potential of
Marmol on development of
minor league success of
pitching transition of
struggles of
Williams, Ronnie
Williams, Ted
Winningham, Dash
Witte, Mike
World War II
Zeller, Bart
About the Author
HOWARD MEGDAL writes for Politico, New York, USA Today, VICE Sports, and many other publications. He lives in Rockland County, New York, with his wife, Rachel, and his two daughters, Mirabelle and Juliet. You can sign up for email updates here.
ALSO BY HOWARD MEGDAL
The Baseball Talmud
Taking the Field
Wilpon’s Folly
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Prologue
1 The Cardinal Idea
2 The Language of George Kissell
3 Bill DeWitt Jr.
4 Luhnow Enters
5 Happy Days Are Here Again
6 After He’s Gone
Epilogue: Transition and the Irreplaceable Ca
rdinal
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Author
Also by Howard Megdal
Copyright
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
THE CARDINALS WAY. Copyright © 2016 by Howard Megdal. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by James Iacobelli
Cover photographs: field © Blend Images / Almay Stock Photo; baseball © Ranplett / Getty Images; bird © Shutterstock
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-05831-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-6239-5 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466862395
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
First Edition: February 2016
The Cardinals Way Page 32