Reds hire Jocketty

The Reds have hired Walt Jocketty as a special advisor to President and CEO Bob Castellini. Wayne Krivsky stays as GM.

Krivsky and Jocketty will be on conference call at 3:30 p.m. More details then.

OK, here's some of what was said in the conference call:

Krivsky: "I'm still the GM. I still report to Bob. Everyone under me still reports to me. Nothing's changed in that regard."

"We're just adding another experienced baseball man. Walt and I have followed similar career paths. He's been a GM a lot longer and had more success than me. It's another set of eyes and ears. We believe in the same things: That you build a club through scouting and player development."

"Nobody has all the answers. I certainly don't. Walt will be part of the discussion. I'll be talking to Walt a lot. We'll work through things and take it to Bob."

Jocketty: "We should be fine. I report to Bob. Basically, I'll be involved in every aspect, working with Wayne. I think Wayne's done a great job in the two years."

"I know the pressure and the commitment of being a GM. Quite honestly, I didn't know if I was ready to step back into that job."

Jocketty said he had offers from other clubs. Three factors led him to take the job with the Red: His relationship with Castellini; the fact that he was reporting directly to the owner; and the St. Louis is close enough that he can keep his residence there (He has a son who's a junior in high school and daughter who's a junior in college).

"I like this role. It was important that I got back in the game because the longer you stay out the harder it is to get back in."

"This club should be in a position to be competitive and stay competitive for a number of years. . . the ultimate goal is get the Reds in World Series."


Here's the release from the Reds:

The Cincinnati Reds today announced that Walt Jocketty, former Senior Vice President and General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, has joined the organization as Special Advisor to President and Chief Executive Officer Bob Castellini.

Jocketty will advise and assist Castellini in every facet of baseball operations, including matters related to the front office, Major League field and support personnel, scouting and minor league and international operations along with training and medical services.

"We are fortunate to be able to add to our baseball department someone who has had as much success in the game as Walt. Clearly, he is a proven winner and his experience will be invaluable to me and to our entire organization," Castellini said. "He wants to keep his hand in baseball this season. When you have the chance to hire someone with his credentials, you have to take advantage of that opportunity. We're doing everything we can to improve our franchise."

A 33-year veteran of professional baseball, including the last 13 with St. Louis as general manager, Jocketty's Cardinals teams went to the playoffs seven times. He won the National League Central Division six times and the 2001 NL Wild Card while earning two National League championships and the 2006 World Series title. The Cardinals have produced winning seasons in seven of the last eight years.

While general manager in St. Louis, Jocketty was named Major League Baseball's Executive of the Year by The Sporting News in 2000 and 2004 and by Baseball America in 2000. In 2004, he also received the Rube Foster Legacy Award from the Negro Hall of Fame as National League Executive of the Year.

Jocketty said, "I look forward to the challenge of helping Bob and the entire Reds organization continue to develop a plan to build a consistent and winning baseball team in Cincinnati."