Walt Jocketty/John Mozeliak’s Best and Worst 5 – B&W # 5

I decided to combine Travis and Jeff’s ideas, just to add to the fun.

Since current Cardinals GM John Mozeliak has not been the team’s GM for very long, I will be having a bit of both Mo and former GM Walt Jocketty. Today…

Best # 5: Adam Kennedy and Kent Bottenfield traded for Jim Edmonds (2000)

One of the best center fielders the Cards have ever had

At the time Jim Edmonds was traded to the Cardinals in 2000, he was a great center fielder. By the time he was done being a Cardinal in 2008, Jim accomplished a lot. In 8 seasons with the team, he played 1,105 games, had 3,968 at bats, and hit 241 home runs. Jim had his best season with the Redbirds in 2004, in which he hit .301, had 42 home runs and knocked in 111. Jimmy Baseball also made one of his most memorable catches that season, in which he robbed Jason LaRue of a home run in center (I was at that game and had a great view of that catch, and it is still the best I’ve seen to this day).

Worst # 5: Signing Adam Kennedy and his second stint with the team (2007)

Not so good the 2nd time around.

Adam Kennedy had once been a good prospect for the Cardinals when they traded him for Jim Edmonds in 2000.  Adam spent 6 years in Anaheim, winning a World Series with the team in 2002. When Kennedy returned to St. Louis in 2007, fans were hoping that he would be what he had been in prior years. And oh boy, were they wrong! Kennedy had a miserable year in 2007, batting just .219 (hitting 61 times in 279 at bats) while hitting only 3 home runs and knocking in 18 (all in 87 games). It was arguably the worst year of his career. He was slightly better in 2008, hitting .280, hitting 2 long balls and 36 RBIs. Kennedy was good defensively, but he is arguably coming off the worst offensive years in his career. The Cardinals cut him just a short while ago, and he recently signed with Tampa Bay on a minor league deal.

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