DREW BAUR

"You can't take anything for granted, and you must continually make something happen. You can't sit around and think that God will provide."

A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME

The terms ERA and RBI are now almost as important to Drew Baur as ROI and EPS. In fact, for this Robinson College 1970 MBA graduate, the two sets of numbers - earned run average and runs batted in, return on investment and earnings per share - gained nearly equal stature in 1996 when Baur became part owner of the legendary St. Louis Cardinals baseball franchise.

He continues to serve as chairman and CEO of Southwest Bank of St. Louis and its publicly held parent, Mississippi Valley Bancshares, Inc.

But the opportunity to acquire the Cardinals brought together both his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for baseball. "I have always loved the game," said Baur, who has followed the storied Cardinal franchise since childhood in the early I 950s. "But from a business standpoint, the acquisition provided a strategic opportunity to remarket the organization.''

It was not the first time the St. Louis native made a major move for the purpose of "creating something." His entire banking career has been predicated on reestablishing, refocusing and revitalizing existing organizations. He did so with County Bank of St. Louis after becoming its chairman and CEO in 1978, and he's done it again with Southwest Bank after acquiring that institution in 1984 and turning it public in 1993. Buying into a professional sports franchise may have been his greatest test and could become his greatest achievement.

"In any entrepreneurial endeavor," said Baur, "you need a long-term goal and a game plan. The fatal flaw in most acquisitions is that they are cost driven. But once you've cut costs, what do you do for an encore? If your strategic plan doesn't involve internal growth, it will mean certain death for the venture."

MORE THAN PEANUTS AND CRACKER JACKS

With the Cardinals, the challenge of internal growth seemed daunting - at least on the surface. The franchise, previously owned by marketing giant Anheuser-Busch, has been one of the most successful in Major League history, compiling nine World Series championships and some of the best attendance figures in baseball year after year.

But Baur saw an opportunity. "We were convinced there were possibilities for growth. The team was at the end of a good run. Players like Ozzie Smith, Rick Honeycutt and Dennis Eckersly were in the twilight of their careers. We brought in new players, a new general manager [Walt Jockety from Anheuser-Busch] and a new manager Tony LaRussa."

In addition to hiring the right personnel to run the organization, the new owners instituted a revised ticket-pricing structure. "We created a wider variety of pricing levels, and different amenities with different seats,'' said Baur who serves as the club's secretary/treasurer.

They also looked at the park itself, whose exterior, Baur said, reminds him of a "giant flying saucer" Although there was little that could be done with the overall look, the owners paid to have the interior redesigned, replacing artificial turf with grass and dramatically improving concessions.

Said Baur, "We're not only in the baseball business, we're in the food business as well. We needed to make sure the menu and service were top notch."

In addition, Mark McGwire emerged as a major draw for the Cardinals. "Big Mac" set the baseball world on fire in 1998 by breaking Roger Maris' single season home run record of 6 1. McGwire, in a battle with Chicago Cub Sammy Sosa, finished with 70 home runs. According to Baur "That season - and the following year when McGwire hit 65 home runs - saved our attendance even though the club struggled."