William O. DeWitt, Jr.
Principal Owner & Chief Executive Officer
Bill DeWitt Jr. has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Cardinals since 1996, when he led the purchase of the team from Anheuser Busch, and he and his immediate family acquired controlling interest in the team. DeWitt oversees all baseball, operational, financial and league matters for the team. He is Chairman of the Major League Baseball Finance Committee, former Chairman of the Executive Council, a member of the Competition Committee and served on the Labor Policy Committee which reached agreement with the Players Association on the current five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. During 2014, he served as Chairman of the Commissioner’s Succession Committee. Mr. DeWitt is also a member of the board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
DeWitt, a native St. Louisan, is a graduate of St. Louis Country Day School, received his B.A. Degree in economics from Yale University in 1963, and M.B.A. Degree from Harvard Business School in 1965. As the son of former baseball executive and team owner William O. DeWitt and Margaret H. DeWitt, he has deep roots in baseball dating back to his childhood. Mr. DeWitt’s father began his career with the Cardinals in 1916 and worked in a variety of executive positions under Branch Rickey until the early 1940s when he joined the St. Louis Browns as General Manager. He was twice named Major League Baseball Executive of the Year, was sole owner of the Cincinnati Reds from 1961-67 and majority owner of the Browns from 1949-51 when Bill, Jr. served as the team’s bat boy. His uniform (number 1/8) was worn by Eddie Gaedel during his famous pinch hitting appearance on August 19, 1951.
DeWitt, Jr. has been a prior owner of the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers. He was also a shareholder of the Cincinnati Bengals Football Team and the Cincinnati Stingers Hockey Team, and has had a long career in private equity with Reynolds DeWitt & Co. and DeWitt Capital Group. He is married to the former Katharine Cramer of St. Louis, and they have four grown children: Katie, Bill, Andrew, and Margot, and 12 grandchildren.
Under his leadership, the Cardinals have had a number of significant achievements, including the following:
- Opened a new spring training facility in Jupiter, Fla., in 1998.
- Purchased the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League (A) in 1998.
- Purchased the Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League (AA) in 2005 and opened the new Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo.
- Privately financed, built, and opened the new Busch Stadium in April, 2006.
- Hosted Major League Baseball’s 2009 All-Star Game.
- Developed special events business highlighted by concerts by Dave Mathews Band, the Eagles, U2, Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Metallica, international soccer matches and the National Hockey League Winter Classic.
- Surpassed 3 million in attendance 21 times since 1996, including 16 consecutive seasons from 2004-19.
- Won 12 Division Titles (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019), three Wild Cards (2011, 2012, 2020), four National League Pennants (2004, 2006, 2011, 2013) and two World Championships (2006, 2011).
- Won 75 postseason games - most amongst all National League teams since 1996.
- In 2019, became the only team in Major League Baseball to reach the League Championship Series in 10 of the past 20 seasons.
- Opened Ballpark Village, March 2014, with Phase II of Ballpark Village in 2020.
- Purchased the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League (AAA), March 2014; and subsequently sold 75% of the team in April 2016, retaining a 25% interest.
- Signed a new 15-year rights agreement with FOX Sports Midwest that began in 2018 and includes an equity component as part of the overall transaction.