The 2022 Baseball Season is not even 25 games old and already the John Mozeliak haters are out in full force.  Various Cardinals-themed Facebook groups are being inundated with “cries” of Mo Must Go and stupid juvenile memes that compare him to Bozo the Clown by superimposing a clown get up on pictures of his face.

There are some that think that signing a bunch of $30+ million/year players will be the cure for everything and will turn the Cardinals into a consistent winner.  It doesn’t work like that in the Cardinal organization and it hasn’t since…..1917!  Player development is the “Cardinal Way”.  Brining in a bunch of high priced talent is not.  That was the way Branch Rickey intended it when he developed the modern farm system in the 1930’s.  That was the way it was intended under George Kissel in the 70’s and 80’s and that IS the way it is intended under John Mozeliak in the present.

In 2007, the last year of Walt Jocketty’s tenure as Cardinal GM, the Cardinals were coming off a World Championship in 2006 and they stumbled to a record of 78-84, seven games of the pace.  To date, this was the club’s last sub-.500 season.

In 2008, the Cardinals decided to go in a different direction.  Walt Jocketty was let go and the club hired John Mozeliak to be the new General Manager.  Right away, the club showed improvement as they finished with a record of 86-76, though they finished fourth in the NL Central.

Let’s examine the facts…..shall we?

• In the previous fourteen season of Mo’s tenure as Cardinal GM/President of Baseball Operations, the team has been to the Postseason NINE times  and that INCLUDES the abbreviated 2020 Season – 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021
• The Cardinals have won the National League Central FIVE times on M’s watch – 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019.  If you go back to Mo’s tenures as Director of Scouting and Assistant GM, that jacks the total up to ELEVEN, adding – 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006.
• The Cardinals have won the National League Pennant twice – 2011, 2013.  If you add Mozeliak’s complete tenure with the Cardinal organization, they won the NL flag in 2004.
• They won the World Series in 2011 with Mozeliak as GM.  Add 2006 with Mo as Assistant GM.
• In 2007, the Cardinals finished with a record of 78-84 – the ONLY sub-.500 season during Mozeliak’s tenure as GM/President of Baseball Operations.  If you add in his stints as Director of Scouting, the team has finished under .500 only four times. 
• The Cardinals have NEVER lost 90+ games during John Mozeliak’s tenure as GM/President of Baseball Operations.  Nor did they do so while he Director of Scouting and Assistant GM.  During his stint as GM/President of Baseball Operations, the team won 90+ games in a season SEVEN times – 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021.  In 2015, they won 100.  Add in his tenure as Director of Scouting and Assistant GM and they won that many five more times – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and in 2004 and 2005, they won 100+.
• Despite his undeserved reputation for “picking low hanging fruit”, Mozeliak has demonstrated an ability to not only develop quality talent, but to bring talent in from the outside as well.  During his tenure as Director of Scouting, he drafted Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina and traded for Adam Wainwright.  As GM/President of Baseball Operations, he brought in Matt Holliday, Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
• During Mozeliak’s tenure as GM/President of Baseball Operations, the Cardinals have a record of 1196-968 for a winning percentage of. 553.  While he was Director of Scouting and Assistant GM, the Cards had a record of 1117-968 for a winning percentage of .536.  Combined, from 1995 to 2021, the Cards have a record of 2313-1936 for a winning percentage of .544.

The facts speak for themselves…..Mo Must Stay!