John Abbamondi Bids Cardinals Organization Adieu

Three Christmases ago, John Abbamondi gave the Cardinals his heart. The very next day, he began his demanding work as assistant general manager, putting his own time and effort into the betterment of the St. Louis Cardinals. And he didn’t stop for three years.

But now it is three years later, and Abbamondi is ready to move on. He has accepted a position as the vice president for strategy and business analysis with the San Diego Padres. This move would seem to tell us that he is simply ready to be back on the business (rather than the baseball) side of things.

The fact that Abbamondi is leaving the organization after three years seems like a side note during a successful off-season for the Redbirds. His exit is minor news, an afterthought. But Abbamondi and the rest of the front office are the ones that are primarily responsible for the great moves that have been made during this harsh winter of 2010. For this reason, I am under the impression that Abbamondi deserves to be lauded for his work in St. Louis.

During Abbamondi’s time with the Cardinals, the front office has made many great accomplishments, and Abbamondi’s tenure in St. Louis has really culminated in the last two seasons. I think it is safe to say that the staff from 2007 to present, with Abbamondi as assistant GM, has really done a great job of successfully turning this slumping post-World Series Champion team into being strong playoff contenders once again.

Perhaps the biggest acquisition that Abbamondi was involved with for the Redbirds in his three years was the Matt Holliday trade. Although this trade sent three prospects to Oakland, Holliday’s impact with the Cards was immediate. His famous four hit game in his redbird’s debut offered great signs for the future. In the past two seasons, Matt has effectively protected Pujols, batting .315 with 52 homeruns and 212 RBI’s. This brilliant maneuver by the front office even involved a negotiated $1.5 million sent to the Cardinals to help pay off Holliday’s contract. And now, at the age of 30, Matt certainly has a lot of mileage left, and we hope to see him in a Cards uniform for many years to come.

And then there’s this off-season. Before winter meetings closed for the Cardinals, Abbamondi and the rest of the front office had a great impact in Major League Baseball. From acquiring Berkman and Theriot to finalizing the Pujols contract, Abbamondi definitely made sure that everything was positioned correctly before vacating his position.

And so to John: Thank you sir, for your service to this baseball association. We have appreciated all of your work over the past three years, and you will be missed in St. Louis. Good Luck.