In 1996, Bill DeWitt Jr. led the group that bought the St. Louis Cardinals from Anheuser-Busch. Under his leadership as chairman and chief executive officer, the team has won two World Championships, 12 division titles and 75 postseason games.
But after 30 years in charge, he is passing the legacy to his son, Bill DeWitt III.
The team announced on Wednesday that DeWitt III, 58, is stepping into the role after serving as the president of business operations since 2008. He will now "oversee all aspects of the team and its affiliates."
His father said the changes represent a clear vision for the Cardinals' future.
"We're fortunate to have an outstanding leadership team in place, and I could not be more confident in the future of Cardinals baseball," DeWitt Jr. said.
Despite the change, DeWitt Jr., 84, said he will continue as chairman and principal owner and will still be involved in large baseball and business decisions.
His son said the announcement is part of a planning process that's been in place for a few years.
"In some ways, it's not that big of a change," Dewitt III said. "All of us up here have been working together closely for a couple years now, but in formalizing these roles, we're just firming up the leadership structure that will lay the foundation for the next wave of organizational and team success."
Anuk Karunaratne is taking DeWitt III's former role as president of business operations and will manage ticketing, marketing and broadcasting, among other matters.
Previously, Karunaratne was senior vice president of business operations for the team.
Karunaratne said that with the change, there's an opportunity for leadership to get the Cardinals back to a championship standard.
"This season has felt different," Karunaratne said. "I think it's given us a glimpse into what the future can look like, but the expectation here has always been excellence both on the field and off the field, and our job is to live up to that standard, and it starts with how we operate as an organization."
The team's most recent World Series Championship came in 2011, and its most recent playoff appearance was in 2022. Chaim Bloom took over last fall as president of baseball operations from John Mozeliak, and the team is in second place in the National League Central division with a 42-35 record heading into Wednesday night's game at Busch Stadium against Arizona.
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