Former Cardinals, Reds GM Reds Walt Jocketty, one of the most respected front office figures in baseball for decades, died after a long illness.

Jocketty got his start in baseball when he was hired by Charlie Finley and assembled the Bash Brothers by drafting Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco for the A’s.

Walt Jocketty, who established an ambitious model that brought 3 million to Busch, was recently told he'll be inducted into Cardinals Hall of Fame. He had started writing his speech.