William Orville DeWitt Jr. (born August 31, 1941) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

businessman who is currently the managing partner and

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the St. Louis Cardinals, a professional baseball franchise which competes in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Cardinals have won two World Series — in

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and

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— during DeWitt's time as owner. In addition to the Cardinals, DeWitt has also owned or invested in the Cincinnati Stingers hockey club, Baltimore Orioles, the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

and the Texas Rangers. Business interests outside baseball include Reynolds, DeWitt & Co., which owns Arby's franchises and invests in

U.S. Playing Card Company The United States Playing Card Company (USPC, though also commonly known as USPCC) is a large American producer and distributor of playing cards. It was established in 1867 as Russell, Morgan & Co. and founded in its current incarnation in 1885 ...

, and the petroleum company Spectrum 7.

Early life

DeWitt, the son of longtime Major League Baseball executive

Bill DeWitt William Orville DeWitt Sr. (August 3, 1902 — March 4, 1982) was an American professional baseball executive and club owner whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned more than 60 years. His son William Jr. is currently the principal o ...

, and Margaret H. DeWitt, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, where he attended St. Louis Country Day School. He was around baseball constantly as a child; his father owned the St. Louis Browns and

, and DeWitt served as a Browns batboy. On August 19, 1951, the little person Eddie Gaedel served as a pinch hitter at a Browns game, wearing DeWitt's jersey to the plate. He earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University in economics in 1963, and an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1965.

Early business ventures (1974–95)

Dewitt joined Cincinnati investment firm Gradison & Co. in 1974. In 1979, along with Mercer Reynolds, he founded the investment firm Reynolds, DeWitt & Co. The firm owns 63 Arby's franchises whose value has been estimated at $50.4 million and is an investor in Cincinnati-based

, with an estimated value of about $120 million. It also holds a $40 million stake in Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky. DeWitt is also involved with DeWitt Capital Group, a private equity firm registered in 2012. DeWitt has been part owner of the

and the Baltimore Orioles. In 1984, one of DeWitt's business ventures, the oil company Spectrum 7, bought George W. Bush's Arbusto Energy, and in turn merged with

Harken Energy HKN, Inc. is a company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration headquartered in Southlake, Texas. It is notable for the Harken Energy scandal, which involved allegations of insider trading by George W. Bush in 1990. The company was known as Harken En ...

in 1986. When

Eddie Chiles Harrell Edmonds "Eddie" Chiles (May 11, 1910 – August 22, 1993) was the founder of the Western Company of North America and an owner of the Texas Rangers. He was also the paternal uncle of actress Lois Chiles. Eddie Chiles was born in Itas ...

prepared to sell the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989, DeWitt and Bush gathered investors to buy the team. DeWitt has also held shares in the National Football League's

Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...

and the former Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association. DeWitt was part owner of Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati on December 3, 1979, when 11 people were killed prior to a concert by The Who.

St. Louis Cardinals (1995–present)

In 1995, DeWitt, with

Stephen F. Brauer Stephen F. Brauer (born September 3, 1945) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and former U.S. Ambassador to Belgium (2001–2003). Brauer is currently chairman of Hunter Engineering Company, a manufacturer of automotive service equipment ...

, purchased the St. Louis Cardinals from Anheuser-Busch for $150 million. He oversees all league, financial, operational and baseball affairs for the club. Since DeWitt bought the team, the Cardinals have won two World Series (

and

), four National League pennants, and 11 division titles, and have made 15 total playoff appearances. '' Forbes'' estimated that the team was worth $1.4 billion in 2014 and $2.1 billion in July 2019. The Cardinals are one of the largest privately held firms in St. Louis, bringing in an estimated $233 million in revenue in 2012. Billdewitt3

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. As of 2013, the organization has built 18 baseball fields in the Greater St. Louis area. 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. 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 The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

(

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...

A-ball) and, in 2005, the Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League (AA). As of April 2013, the team negotiated to purchase the Memphis Redbirds of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

( 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. 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. In 2013, ''Forbes'' listed the Redbirds as one of the ten most valuable minor league franchises. To expand the Cardinals' international presence, DeWitt opened baseball academies in the Dominican Republic and placed representatives in six foreign countries. In 2006, the Cardinals moved from their old home, Busch Memorial Stadium, to Busch Stadium in

. The $365 million stadium is one of the few majority-privately funded MLB stadiums, along with the San Francisco Giants'

Oracle Park Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curre ...

and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Dodger Stadium. Busch Stadium cost $45 million (12%) in a long-term loan from St. Louis County, while, by comparison the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

' American Family Field ended up drawing 77.5% in public funding. In conjunction with opening the new Busch Stadium, a mixed-use retail, entertainment, hotel, residential and office space known as Ballpark Village was planned for development adjacent to Busch Stadium. However, several years of delays postponed the groundbreaking and construction until spring of 2013. In

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, 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. In January

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, the city of Memphis cleared the Cardinals to purchase the Memphis Redbirds from the MRF. Ballpark Village construction was completed and it opened in March 2014. The Cardinals also announced the rechristening of the team

Hall of Fame Museum In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the grea ...

with an annual selection process selection 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. The Cardinals' value exceeded $1 billion for the first time in 2015 when '' Forbes'' appraised the Cardinals outright at $1.4 billion, making them the 27th-most valuable sports franchise in the world, and sixth-principal franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB). It was an increase from an $800 million pricing and eighth in the echelon in

. Their revenue was $294 million while their operating income was $73.6 million, and their overall assessment was approximately $200 million higher than the MLB average of $1.2 billion. Mike Ozanian of ''Forbes'' remarked that the Cardinals were "baseball's biggest anomaly", with outsize value outpacing their status as one of baseball's "smallest

markets Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: * Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand * Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, a ...

", and Ballpark Village was a popular destination for dining and entertainment. The Cardinals' local television ratings (7.76) graded the highest among all major league teams. Reports surfaced on June 16,

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, that the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

(FBI) were reviewing an alleged incident involving Cardinals' front office officials hacking into the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

' database of players, scouting reports and proprietary statistics. It was regarded as the first known case of corporate espionage involving computer network hacking in professional sports. 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

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.

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. Bill DeWitt III is the president of the Cardinals. Andrew E. DeWitt is the founder and CEO of Dewey's Pizza.

References