MLB News: Executive Who Won World Series in Oakland, St. Louis, Passes Away
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Walt Jocketty, a baseball executive who won World Series championships with the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals, died. He was 74. A friend of the family confirmed Jocketty's passing to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Jocketty was the Cardinals' general manager from Oct. 1994 to Oct. 2007. He built the team that won the World Series in 2006, and won six division titles along the way.
Originally hired by Oakland in 1980, he ascended the front office ranks to Director of Baseball Administration, the position he held as the A's reached the World Series in 1988, 1989 and 1990.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
31 minutes ago
- Newsweek
JJ Spaun Joins Only Ben Hogan in U.S. Open History with Fire Finish
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In an improbable turn of events on the back nine on Sunday, JJ Spaun conquered Oakmont to win the U.S. Open by two shots over Robert MacIntyre. For a while on Sunday, it looked like the lights were a little too bright for the American. He started his round with five bogeys on the first six holes to fall five shots off the lead, and all hope looked lost. The back nine was a different story. Spaun played the second nine in 3-under par, with four birdies and one bogey, to finish at 1-under for the tournament. He was the only player in the field to shoot even par or better for the week. Spaun made birdie on both Nos. 17 and 18 to get under par for the tournament, and his hot finish put him in very rare company. He joined Ben Hogan as the only players to birdie the final two holes at Oakmont to win the U.S. Open, according to Justin Ray. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates winning on the 18th green during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates winning on the 18th green during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. More Photo byBoth birdies will live forever in U.S. Open history as the cap to this epic second nine on Sunday in the rain and the mud at Oakmont. Spaun stepped up to the drivable par-4 17th and hit a beautiful drive that raced right by the flagstick, leaving him with a medium-range putt for eagle. He comfortably two-putted to take the solo lead in the championship with one hole to go. On No. 18, needing a par to win, he split the fairway off the tee before leaving his approach on the left side of the green. After getting a good read from Viktor Hovland, Spaun hit a perfect 64-footer for birdie right in the center of the cup to clinch the win. This is a life-changing win for Spaun, one that almost surely gets him into the Ryder Cup this fall as well as all of the majors for the foreseeable future. Any win at a major is fulfilling, but Spaun has an epic story to tell about his roller-coaster Sunday that finished with some of the highest highs in the sport. More Golf: U.S. Open: Justin Thomas Questions USGA Forcing Play at Oakmont
Newsweek
34 minutes ago
- Newsweek
U.S. Open: What happened between JJ Spaun and his wife, Melody
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. JJ Spaun is the 125th U.S. Open champion, but the fans' laser focus noticed something amiss as he began his celebrations. The camera was on his wife, Melody, and their two children. What appeared to be a special Father's Day moment quickly became speculation as the next few moments felt rather awkward between Spaun and his wife. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates with his wife and family after his winning putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates with his wife and family after his winning putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. More Photo byMultiple people took to social media after he did not even thank or mention his wife during the on-course interview, but Spaun did bring up his children. After winning, Spaun approached and hugged them, took one of the girls into his arms, and gave his wife a quick peck on the lips. However, he did not appear to show much affection toward Melody. JJ Spaun with his wife & little girl on Father's Day after making a 64 foot birdie putt to win the U.S. Open! — Steve (@spacecoastgolf) June 16, 2025 This video seems harmless, but was there a little tension between the two? From there, fans felt the now 2-time PGA Tour winner and his wife were in the middle of a fight. During the live broadcast, there was also a moment when he took his kids into the clubhouse with him and completely ignored her. Then she gave his caddie, Mark Carens, one of the most awkward hugs you will ever see. The video of the encounter has since been deleted. PGA Tour professional JJ Spaun, alongside his wife Melody and children, after winning the 2025 U.S. Open. Sunday June 15th, 2025 PGA Tour professional JJ Spaun, alongside his wife Melody and children, after winning the 2025 U.S. Open. Sunday June 15th, 2025 Kendall Capps/Twitter Those moments immediately had golf Twitter speculating whether he liked his wife. Not mentioning her after winning the biggest tournament of your career was weird, especially since he brought up their kids in that same interview. The reactions to watching this go down are what brought focus to the whole situation. JJ Spaun wife — Fire Mike EliASS (@ryrock23_) June 16, 2025 "No idea what's going on in JJ Spaun's personal life, but ignoring his wife after the biggest win of his career on Father's Day is worse than a triple bogey. Ouch," wrote one fan. "Hopefully JJ Spaun's wife doesn't use social media, bc nobody thinks her husband even likes her," chimed in another. "JJ Spaun completely shading his wife, so weird." These are just a few of the tweets related to this topic. There are countless more. It very well may be possible that Spaun was just caught up in the moment. But after all of the drama involving Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll, and seeing Meredith and Scottie Scheffler embrace after every win, it's become something fans look for. More Golf: 2025 U.S. Open: Full $21.5M Payout as JJ Spaun Wins First Major
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
U.S. Open: JJ Spaun Earns Heartwarming Father's Day Moment
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. One of the truly special things about the U.S. Open, of all tournaments, is that it concludes on Father's Day every year. That opens the door for potential heartwarming moments upon the tournament's conclusion. That was the case Sunday as JJ Spaun walked off the U.S. Open with a 64-foot birdie putt on 18. Yes, you read that right. He walked it off with the longest made putt of the tournament. It was quite the scene. J.J. Spaun signing his scorecard. Hugging his two daughters on Father's Day as the U.S. Open champion. What a scene. #USOpen — Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) June 16, 2025 Maybe the only thing more amazing were the images of Spaun with his daughters afterward. They have circulated all across the internet, with many of them going viral. Between the hugs and kisses on the course after his putt, to him being thankful they were there to see the pinnacle of his career, there is little doubt Spaun is a family man. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates with his wife and family and the trophy after his winning putt on the 18th green during the final round of the... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 15: J. J. Spaun of the United States celebrates with his wife and family and the trophy after his winning putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) MoreHis glorious moment happened in one of the biggest twists in U.S. Open history. When his round began, the Los Angeles, CA, native sat one back of Sam Burns for the lead. Just over an hour later, he was five back after bogeying five of his first six holes. That included one of the most unlucky moments in recent memory. Spaun's approach shot on the par-4 2nd struck the flat stick, rolling 49 yards away from the hole. Not 49 feet, but yards. But a 90-minute weather delay just after making the turn allowed Spaun to reset himself. He did so beautifully, draining a downhill 40-foot birdie putt on 12. He picked up another stroke a few holes later, setting the stage for his wild finish. Meanwhile, Burns plummeted on Sunday, shooting an 8-over 78. That prompted fans to roast Burns online for 'choking' away the title. But it was less Burns choking, and more Spaun outplaying everyone in the field. He drained an unbelievable 137 feet of putts of his final seven holes alone. Spaun earned every bit of this win, and with it, more than $2 million that will go a long way toward his daughters' futures. More Golf: Ryder Cup Captain 'Disappointed' in Rory McIlroy's U.S. Open Comments
