Joe McDonald, a veteran baseball executive whose career with the New York Mets included the controversial trade of star pitcher Tom Seaver, died Tuesday at the age of 97. The cause of death was not disclosed.
McDonald was the Mets' general manager from 1974 to 1979. During his tenure, he facilitated the 1977 trade of Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds, a move that remains one of the most criticized decisions in franchise history. The trade reportedly stemmed from a dispute between Seaver and then-chairman M. Donald Grant.
Despite the Seaver trade, McDonald's time with the Mets also coincided with the team's first championship in 1969, when he worked in the front office as director of minor league operations. He initially joined the Mets in 1965 and rose through the organization, holding positions in scouting and minor league operations before becoming general manager.
McDonald's career extended beyond the Mets. He won a second World Series championship as general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. He later worked for the Detroit Tigers as general manager from 1987 to 1992. In his later years, McDonald joined the Boston Red Sox organization in 2004, contributing to four championship teams in a scouting capacity before retiring in 2019 at the age of 90.
Throughout his extensive career, McDonald was involved in six World Series victories with the Mets, Cardinals, and Red Sox. He was a Fordham graduate from Staten Island who reportedly worked at Ebbets Field in his youth. Upon his retirement, Red Sox executive Gus Quattlebaum praised McDonald's dedication to the game, noting his willingness to work in challenging conditions within minor league baseball.