The Chris Moeller Archives

My favorite Republican

Republicans have an obvious choice as their presidential nominee. I’m not usually in the business of offering them advice but the top man for the assignment, though he’s not one of the 35 petitioned GOP candidates, is St. Louis Cardinals majority owner Bill DeWitt Jr.

Forget Donald Trump. It’s DeWitt who knows how to run a business. A registered Republican active in party fundraising, he runs an unimpeachable baseball club that serves as the model for all other organizations, headed to the playoffs for the 12th time in 16 years (and not that one-game Wild Card crap either—the real thing, best-of-five or best-of-seven). He seems to have the admiration of his employees from the top rung to the bottom, famous and non-famous. They routinely express that they are treated like family by the DeWitt family. (Bill's son, Bill III, is the team president.) Each year the team outdraws in attendance the population of greater St. Louis, and it typically outdraws nearly all other MLB clubs despite playing in only the 21st largest U.S. television market.

DeWitt had the decency to offer jobs in uniform to Mark McGwire and Jhonny Peralta when they were considered league pariahs because of the use of "performance-enhancing drugs" (*There is no proven link between use of these substances and baseball achievement.) DeWitt presides over a business culture that would never produce a scene like the one seen in Washington D.C. this week between two star players (DeWitt is a true Washington outsider), or the similar scene that erupts at every Trump campaign rally.

DeWitt's skill in fiscal responsibility should be his main selling point to voters. Donald Trump promises a $10 trillion tax cut, but DeWitt, or DeWallet, as he’s known in this respect, has produced a club with the most wins in 2015, and the most wins in the last five years, without the club spending in the top 10 of the 30 clubs. He avoids the popular strategy of bidding for free agents when they are at auction prices, developing talent instead from within, and investing in scouting. DeWitt was a business partner of George W. Bush when Bush’s Texas Rangers hustled the Ballpark at Arlington from Texas taxpayers, but in St. Louis, DeWitt's Busch Stadium III is one of the few majority privately funded MLB stadiums. The deal with the city came with a lot of cushy tax breaks, but DeWitt invested his money again three years ago into the construction of “Ballpark Village,” a stadium-adjacent entertainment complex that has significantly grown the Cardinals’ footprint in an otherwise-thinning downtown St. Louis. DeWitt's group purchased the Cardinals for $150 million almost two decades ago. This year, Forbes appraised the Cardinals outright for $1.4 billion.

The national sports media is bored with DeWitt’s team, despite its 100-59 record this year and 11 division titles (and two Wild Card titles) since DeWitt and his partners bought the team following the 1995 season. All the baseball headlines this summer have been about the Cubs, the Yankees, the Mets, the Nationals, the Blue Jays, the Royals, and the Astros. DeWitt’s Cardinals are “same ole’, same ole’.” Passe. Not worth writing home about. The powerhouse you expected. You know, what the U.S. economy used to be.

Donald Trump inherited his fortune from his father. So did Bill DeWitt Jr., but his inheritance was a comparative pittance built on soda and beer sales at old Sportsman's Park in St. Louis (Browns) and Crosley Field in Cincinnati (Reds). Trump slaps his name on every product he sells. DeWitt prefers staying in the shadows and employs men much more famous than him. In his early business career, Trump settled with the Justice Department over accusations he violated the Fair Housing Act. In his early business career, DeWitt was the batboy for the St. Louis Browns and lent his uniform to the midget slugger Eddie Gaedel for his one and only career plate appearance. Four of Trump's businesses have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. DeWitt made a successful businessman even out of serial loser George W. Bush. Trump denigrates Mexicans. DeWitt has paid Reynosa-born Jaime Garcia over $27 million since 2008 to win 52 games against 31 losses. Trump would build a wall. DeWitt’s outfield wall at Busch Stadium is perfectly distanced from home plate to insure contests fair to both hitters and pitchers, and it features the images of 12 Cardinals greats that have had their uniform number retired by the team. Trump has questioned the birthplace and United States citizenship of President Obama. DeWitt invited President Obama to throw out the first pitch of the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis. Trump has ridiculous hair. DeWitt has the hairline that befits a 74-year-old man. Trump destroyed the United States Football League. DeWitt elevates Major League Baseball. Trump got his TV reality show and beauty pageant run off the air by NBC and Univision. DeWitt's team has the highest local TV ratings (7.7) in Major League Baseball. Trump is twice-divorced. DeWitt, despite public perceptions at the time that it would be his downfall, knew exactly when to part company with Albert Pujols.

posted by CM @ 7:55 AM