Inductees

With all eyes on baseball’s player strike of 1994, one of the game’s few late-season transactions made headlines, centered in the heart of the Midwest.

The signing of an ace pitcher? A big bopper? No. But he became just as significant. Mark Lamping was hired as the President of the St. Louis Cardinals.

“I was absolutely the beneficiary of being in the right place at the right time,” Lamping said.

What began as then-owner August Busch III’s strategy to win back upset fans with a sales and marking pro turned into a 14-year run which helped fuel the next Golden Era of Cardinals baseball. And it’s one of the many reasons why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Lamping with the Class of 2021.

A St. Louis native who played soccer Vianney High School and at Rockhurst University, Lamping is now in his 28^th year as an executive in professional sports, with 2021 marking his ninth as President of the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

His career began with 13 years (1981 to 1994) as a marketing executive with Anheuser-Busch, followed by 14 seasons (1994 to 2008) as President of the Cardinals.  He then spent four years as CEO of New Meadowlands Stadium Company as he oversaw the construction and operation of MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets.

Yet that’s only the Cliff Notes version. The backstory is much more intriguing.

In January 1994, Lamping left Anhueser-Busch for the Continental Basketball Association, which hired him as commissioner.

However, Major League Baseball players went on strike that August and then-Cardinals President Stuart Meyer retired. And so Busch, seeking to revive baseball’s image across the Cardinals’ vast Midwest footprint, turned to Lamping.

The result? His hiring of Walt Jocketty (MSHOF 2007) as general manager led to the hiring of manager Tony La Russa (MSHOF Legend 2015) and then success.

Beginning in 1996, the Cardinals advanced to the playoffs in 13 of the next 20 seasons, winning two World Series, three National League pennants and eventually drew more than 3 million fans annually.

In 1999 and 2003, the organization was honored by United Sports Fans of America as Major League Baseball’s Fan Friendly Team, as Lamping emphasized new fan experiences annually. The on-field winning as well as talented and dedicated employees throughout the organization, he said, fueled the success.

So imagine October 2006 when Lamping held the World Series trophy. He had grown up a Cardinals fan at old Sportsman’s Park, and he had bolstered the organization’s future through the opening of the new Cardinals ballpark that April.

Additionally, his negotiation of the purchase of Double-A El Paso led to the Ozarks welcoming the Springfield Cardinals in 2005.

“Obviously the World Series clinching game at home in 2006 was a highlight — not so much because we won but because I was surrounded by my family when we secured the final out in that Series,” Lamping said.

Perhaps Lamping was destined to put the Cardinals in a position to enjoy success.

He had climbed the ladder at Anheuser-Busch, rising to Group Director of Sports Marketing, a role that led to sponsorship agreements with all professional sports leagues as well as the Atlanta Olympics.

“I was privileged to be part of a team that worked on literally thousands of sponsorship agreements,” Lamping said.

Notably, his entry into Anhueser-Busch was thanks to his youth soccer coach, Denny Long, a senior executive there. Long, along with Vianney soccer coach Mike Villa, have been among key mentors: Mike Roarty, Jerry Ritter, Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt, New York Giants owner John Mara and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and Jacksonville’s Shad Khan.

Lamping’s management style resonated into winning.

“I have always believed in providing people the opportunity, even if they don’t necessarily have a significant amount of experience” Lamping said. “I was the beneficiary of that philosophy early in my career and I have continued to try to provide that opportunity to others. I am a big believer in the appropriate balance between work and home life.”

Lamping thanks his wife of 40 years, Cheryl, for all of her support. They are parents to Brian, Lauren and Timothy as well as six grandchildren.

“I constantly have to pinch myself and ask, ‘How did all this happen,’” Lamping said. “There are so many people in this world that could have accomplished the same as I have and probably more that have never been given the opportunity. I am simply very blessed.”