Walt Jocketty/John Mozeliak Best/Worst # 3

Best # 3: Trading for Mark McGwire

McGwire hit an amazing 70 home runs in 1998.

St. Louis traded for McGwire on the Trade Deadline day (July 31). Big Mac was in the final year of his contract when the Cards traded for him, and he ended up signing a long-term deal to stay in St. Lou. The 1998 season was when he really broke out, hitting a then-record 70 home runs and being half of the Home Run Chase with Sammy Sosa (the record was broken in 2001, when Barry Bonds hit 73 dingers). Big Mac followed up that amazing ‘98 season with yet another one in ‘99, hitting 65 while Sosa hit 63. In his final two years, he played fewer games (hitting 32 homers in 89 games and 29 homers in 97 games respectively), and he retired after the 2001 season because of injury issues. When Big Mac retired, he had made a name for himself in St. Louis. Of course, his retirement paved the way for an unknown named Albert Pujols – and the rest is history.

Worst # 3: Signing Tino Martinez

Before Albert Pujols, there was Tino Martinez. Tino was an accomplished 1st baseman before he signed with St. Louis. He was a member of the Yankees’ dynasty in the late ’90s and early 2000s. Having lost his job to Jason Giambi (who the Yanks signed in the 2001 offseason), Tino elected to sign with the Cardinals in the ‘02 offseason. His production significantly declined during the two years he called St. Louis home. In 2002, he played 150 games, hit .262, hit 24 home runs and had 75 RBIs (a significant decline from the year before, when he hit .280, had 34 home runs and knocked in 113). In 2003, he hit .273, smashed 15 long balls (the fewest in a season for his career), and had just 69 RBIs. Tino was traded to Tampa Bay in 2004 to make way for Albert Pujols. While I have great respect for Tino Martinez, the two years he played in St. Louis were not the greatest.

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