JUPITER, Fla. • John Mozeliak's fifth spring training as Cardinals general manager officially opened on an unseasonably warm Sunday. Mozeliak wasn't sweating.
As his rookie manager spent part of the morning offering a clubhouse introduction to the defending World Series champions, Mozeliak offered his perspective on a team that returns many players but is missing several of its touchstones.
A three-time National League MVP, the most prolific manager in franchise history and a pitching coach regarded as the industry standard are nowhere on campus.
Albert Pujols, Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan, men who provided much of the organization's identity for more than a decade, are gone. Mozeliak, promoted to head of baseball operations on Halloween 2007, now provides its most readily identified fingerprints.
Emerging from what he described as a 'stressful and active offseason" that altered the face of the franchise, Mozeliak chafes at any characterization of his enhanced visibility.
"I just never look at an organization as any one person. How people identify with the Cardinals is up to them." Mozeliak said. "I look at my responsibility as to put the right pieces in place and hope that allows us to be successful. In terms of being higher up on the decision tree today than five years ago, I don't think that's changed very much."
Second in tenure among NL Central general managers to Milwaukee's Doug Melvin, Mozeliak admits to a shift in organizational philosophy during his 52-month term. However, he objects to any suggestion that naming first-time manager Mike Matheny to take over a defending World Series champion smacks of greater front-office control.
"I think a lot of people are trying to make a big deal about whether this club is more my club or not," Mozeliak said. "I never looked at this as mine or 'I.' I've looked at is as 'we,' and that's how we'll move forward."
Similar approach
The club has more enthusiastically embraced statistical analysis during Mozeliak's term but denies that the practice will be foisted on Matheny's regime.
"I really don't think it's going to be all that different. We've got a group of smart people upstairs and we've let Mike know whatever he and his staff want from that group, feel free to tap into it. We did that with Tony, too," Mozeliak said. "Not that much has changed. If you're asking whether we're going to force-feed it more, the answer is 'No.'"
Added Mozeliak: "I believe in the process that was created over the last five years, and that's what we're going to live and die by."
Catcher Yadier Molina, utility player Skip Schumaker and pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are the only players remaining from the 2007 team. Jose Oquendo is the only link to that coaching staff.
A front office that featured three vice presidents in baseball operations before the '07 season now counts Mozeliak as the only executive with such a tag. Significant change also has occurred during Mozeliak's term in player development, professional scouting and, most recently, the organization's international operations.
La Russa remains extremely close to Mozeliak's predecessor, current Reds GM Walt Jocketty, who was ousted in part because of his inability to be on board with chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.'s handpicked vice president of scouting and player development, Jeff Luhnow. Ownership that grew weary of political alliances in the front office credits Mozeliak with changing a toxic culture.
"I feel really good about it," DeWitt said following Sunday's opening workout. "It was pretty well written that there was tension in the organization back when he started. One of the first things 'Mo' did was try to get everyone on the same page. I think that explains where we are today."
Mozeliak outranked La Russa, the game's highest-paid manager the last two seasons, but operated within his shadow.
Before the '08 season La Russa famously pointed out that the front office could set the opening day roster but the manager ultimately would decide whom to play. La Russa publicly voiced exasperation with the club's inability to make a move later that season and last summer pressed ownership and Mozeliak to reconsider their public reluctance to trade center fielder Colby Rasmus.
La Russa and Mozeliak achieved a mutual respect but never forged a tight personal bond.
"I guess you could say there's a little bit of a reversal," DeWitt said. "Tony was an extremely experienced, accomplished manager when 'Mo' was promoted to general manager. Now you've got a GM who has been here five years and a first-year manager. Naturally, there's a dynamic in a relationship that will develop over time."
Added Mozeliak. "In fairness, I think there was public perception and there was reality. There's no doubt Tony's career warranted him to have a lot of say in how we made decisions. But we're not changing the process. Matheny and his staff will have input in how we move forward and how we make roster decisions."
Mozeliak quickly came to advocate Matheny's hiring. He had brought him into the organization as a special assistant in player development and grew to respect the former catcher's diligence, attention to detail and judgment. DeWitt referred to Matheny's hiring as a "collective" and "unanimous" decision.
Staying within
The Cardinals are a more insular organization under Mozeliak, who wanted to promote minor-league coaches to the major-league staff long before La Russa decided to retire.
Mozeliak promoted former Memphis Redbirds manager Chris Maloney and longtime minor-league pitching coordinator Dyar Miller to Matheny's staff and named former assistant hitting coach Mike Aldrete bench coach.
"Advancing from within is a theme," DeWitt noted. "It builds confidence that top management is the entire organization and not just in the big-league club. That's a positive. You can hire the best people throughout the organization, but it's difficult to retain them if you don't give them the opportunity to advance."
The theme extends to player movement as well. During Mozeliak's term the club has slimmed the practice of signing minor-league free agents for fear of blocking their own prospects. The system has concurrently enjoyed on-field success while advancing its standing in the eyes of baseball analysts.
"I believe we've developed as good a group of prospects as I've seen since I've been involved with the club," said DeWitt, whose ownership group purchased the club before the 1996 season. "Our objective has been to maintain the major-league club at the highest level without sacrificing that."
Various analysts this winter ranked the Cardinals' system anywhere from No. 4 to No. 14 within the industry.
Mozeliak emerged from failed negotiations with Pujols to rousing applause at the team's Winter Warm-Up. A team that came within one loss in September to Atlanta of missing the postseason now receives benefit of the doubt following a remarkable postseason run made possible by last summer's trade activity.
Now overseeing a clubhouse almost entirely of his own making, Mozeliak believes room to improve remains.
"When you look at the club as a whole, getting a healthy Wainwright, perhaps a more balanced offense and better defense would allow you to assume we could be stronger," Mozeliak said. "Obviously, you need a lot of things to go right, and part of that is good luck."
