Second Term As Cardinals' General Manager
In 1968, led by Gibson's all-time record 1.12 earned run average, the Cardinals repeated as NL champions and held a three games to one lead in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, but lost the final three contests to be denied back-to-back world titles. Suddenly, Devine was faced with retooling an aging roster. While Brock and Gibson would remain, the Cardinals traded Cepeda to the Atlanta Braves after the 1968 season while Flood and McCarver were sent to Philadelphia following the 1969 season. While Devine acquired Joe Torre, who would win the 1971 NL batting average championship, in the Cepeda trade, the Cardinals would suffer long-term damage when Busch ordered Devine to trade star left-handed pitcher Steve Carlton in 1972 after a salary dispute. Carlton, coming off of his first 20-win season, was sent to the Phillies for pitcher Rick Wise, an uneven swap that would help turn the last-place Phillies into contenders. Meanwhile, the Cardinals became NL East also-rans.
In 1978, Devine was again replaced as Cardinals' general manager (this time by John Claiborne) and again he departed the organization, working for the Montreal Expos as a player development official and the Phillies as a scout. From 1981-86, he was club president of the St. Louis football Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) of the National Football League. But eventually he returned to baseball and the baseball Cardinals, where he served as a special scout and advisor to the then-GM Walt Jocketty.
Devine died in St. Louis at the age of 90 .
Read more about this topic: Bing Devine
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