William DeWitt Jr.
William DeWitt Jr. | |
---|---|
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. | |
Education | Yale University Harvard Business School |
Employer | St. Louis Cardinals |
Known for | Chairman of the St. Louis Cardinals |
Title | Managing partner and chairman |
Spouse | Katharine Cramer |
Children | 4 |
Parent(s) | William DeWitt Sr. and Margaret H. DeWitt |
William Orville DeWitt Jr. (born August 31, 1941) is an
Early life
DeWitt, the son of longtime
Early business ventures (1966–95)
DeWitt was part of an investment group led by Francis L. Dale that purchased the Cincinnati Reds for $8 million from his father, Bill Sr., on December 5, 1966.[3]
DeWitt joined Cincinnati investment firm
In 1984, one of DeWitt's business ventures, the
DeWitt has also held shares in the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals and the former Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association.[2]
DeWitt was part owner of the
St. Louis Cardinals (1995–present)
In 1995, DeWitt and Stephen F. Brauer purchased the St. Louis Cardinals from Anheuser-Busch for $150 million.[6] He oversees all league, financial, operational and baseball affairs for the club.[2] Since DeWitt bought the team, the Cardinals have won two World Series (2006 and 2011), four National League pennants, 11 division titles, and have made 15 total playoff appearances.[7] Forbes estimated that the team was worth $1.4 billion in 2014 and $2.1 billion in July 2019.[8] The Cardinals are one of the largest privately held firms in St. Louis, bringing in an estimated $233 million in revenue in 2012.[9]
In 1997, DeWitt established Cardinals Care, a nonprofit organization that builds baseball fields, helps youth baseball programs, and awards grants to children's boards. Through January 2017, Cardinals Care had distributed some $900,000 a year.[10] As of 2013, the organization has built 18 baseball fields in the Greater St. Louis area.[11] Since 2004, the organization has run Redbird Rookies, a network of 20 leagues for nearly 4,500 children around Greater St. Louis and in rural sections of Missouri and Illinois.[12] who would not otherwise have the opportunity. It provides equipment and other necessities to the players, training for coaches and organizers, and workshops for parents.
The Cardinals have purchased three of their minor league affiliates since the DeWitt group took over. In 1998, DeWitt purchased the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League (minor league A-ball) and, in 2005, the Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League (AA).[2] As of April 2013, the team had negotiated to purchase the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League (AAA) from the Memphis Redbirds Foundation (MRF), a local non-profit entity. However, talks went on hold due to defaulted bonds on the building of AutoZone Park.[13] On November 16, 2013, the Cardinals announced a resolution to purchase the team while the city purchased the stadium. The Cardinals agreed to lease the stadium from the city while Memphis will upgrade the park.[14] In 2013, Forbes listed the Redbirds as one of the ten most valuable minor league franchises.[15]
To expand the Cardinals' international presence, DeWitt opened baseball academies in the Dominican Republic and placed representatives in six foreign countries.[2][16]
In 2006, the Cardinals moved from their old home, Busch Memorial Stadium, to Busch Stadium in 2006. The $365 million stadium is one of the few majority-privately funded MLB stadiums, along with the San Francisco Giants' Oracle Park and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Dodger Stadium.[17] Busch Stadium cost $45 million (12%) in a long-term loan from St. Louis County, while, by comparison the Milwaukee Brewers' American Family Field ended up drawing 77.5% in public funding.[18]
In conjunction with opening the new Busch Stadium, a mixed-use retail, entertainment, hotel, residential and office space known as
In 2009, the Cardinals hosted the All-Star Game.
DeWitt began emphasizing developing talent as much as possible through the minor leagues, rather than relying mainly on free agents. Seventeen of the 25 players on the Cardinals' 2011 World Series roster were Cardinals' draftees.[citation needed]
In January 2014, the city of Memphis cleared the Cardinals to purchase the Memphis Redbirds from the MRF.[20] Ballpark Village construction was completed and it opened in March 2014.[21] The Cardinals also announced the rechristening of the team Hall of Fame Museum, with an annual selection process commencing in 2015. Twenty-two former Cardinals players and personnel were announced for induction into the Hall of Fame for the inaugural class of 2014. Closed since 2008, when the International Bowling Hall of Fame moved to Texas, this reincarnation of the museum is located in the newly constructed Ballpark Village within the same building as the Cardinal Nation Restaurant.[22]
The Cardinals' value exceeded $1 billion for the first time in 2015 when
Reports surfaced on June 16,
On September 19, 2015, the Cardinals became the first team in MLB to clinch a playoff spot that season. It also extended a franchise record of five consecutive seasons of reaching the postseason, a record which the club had set in 2014.[28]
Political activities
In 2003, President George W. Bush appointed DeWitt to be on the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and tapped his wife, Kathy, to serve on the National Endowment for the Arts.[29][30]
Personal life
DeWitt and his wife, Katharine "Kathy" Cramer DeWitt, live in Indian Hill, Ohio. They have four children, Katie, Bill, Andrew, and Margot and twelve grandchildren.[2] Bill DeWitt III is the president of the Cardinals.[31] Andrew E. DeWitt is the founder and CEO of Dewey's Pizza.[32]
See also
References
- ^ "Bush picks three for inaugural fundraising". Fox News. Associated Press. November 19, 2004. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "St. Louis Cardinals: Front office – William O. DeWitt Jr". www.mlb.com. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ "Cincy Reds Sold In $8 Million Deal," United Press International (UPI), Tuesday, December 6, 1966. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "William O. DeWitt Jr". ISB O2O Platinum Profiles. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ a b Wagman, Jake (October 18, 2011). "DeWitt has long, strong ties to Texas Rangers, Bush". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- ^ Holtzman, Jerome (December 26, 1995). "Baseball's sign of the times: Under new ownership". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals team history & encyclopedia". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Badenhausen, Kurt (July 22, 2019). "The World's 50 Valuable Sports Teams". Forbes. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ^ Liss, Samantha (June 7, 2013). "Check out updated photos of Ballpark Village". website=St. Louis Business Journal.
- ^ Faulk, Mike. "Vendors, fans make up for lost time after weather shortens Cardinals' Winter Warm-Up". stltoday.com. Retrieved 2018-03-02.
- ^ "Community: Youth baseball fields". www.stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Cardinals in the community: Redbird Rookies". www.stlouis.cardlinals.mlb.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Walton, Brian (July 17, 2013). "Forbes: Memphis Redbirds is eighth-most valuable franchise". The Cardinal Nation Blog.
- St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ Smith, Chris (July 17, 2013). "Minor League Baseball's Most Valuable teams 2013". Forbes. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
- ^ Goold, Derrick (September 2, 2012). "Cards on the move in the Dominican". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- ^ Adams, Bruce; Engel, Margaret (April 30, 2006). "St. Louis ballpark: Lucky Cards". The Washington Post.
- ^ Jannenne, Jeramy (May 28, 2009). "Miller Park vs Busch Stadium". www.urbanmilwaukee.com.
- ^ Logan, Tim (January 31, 2013). "Cardinals to Break Ground on Ballpark Village Next Week". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ Goold, Derrick (January 8, 2014). "Cards cleared to buy affiliate in Memphis". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
- ^ "Busch Stadium Ballpark Village information". stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- ^ Cardinals Press Release (January 18, 2014). "Cardinals establish Hall of Fame & detail induction process". www.stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c Ozanian, Mike (March 25, 2015). "St. Louis Cardinals #6". Forbes. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Badenhausen, Kurt (July 15, 2015). "The World's 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams 2015: 27. St. Louis Cardinals". Forbes. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals – in photos: MLB valuations". Forbes. March 26, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
- ^ Ozanian, Mike (March 2015). "MLB worth $36 billion as team values hit record $1.2 billion average". Forbes. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ^ Schmidt, Michael S. (June 16, 2015). "Cardinals face F.B.I. inquiry in hacking of Astros' database". The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ^ Langosch, Jenifer (September 19, 2015). "Cards become 1st team to clinch postseason spot". stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- Cincinnati Enquirer.
- ^ "Senate confirms appointments of Don V. Cogman, Katharine DeWitt, Maribeth Walton McGinley and Teresa Lozano Long to the National Council on the Arts". ArtScope.net. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals: Front office-William DeWitt III". www.mlb.com. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ Walker, (not given) (March 4, 2009). "Everything you need to know about Dewey's Pizza". www.columbusunderground.com.