When Bill DeWitt & Friends purchased the Cardinals in 1995, the team's payroll was in the bottom third of the league, and the results had been likewise middling. The new regime made some high-profile acquisitions, most notably TLR and Mark McGwire. But aside from a 1996 Division Title, the team remained well out of the playoff race and many fans complained the new ownership was still unwilling to spend the money needed to build a contender.
That changed after the 1999 season.
The Cardinals finished the '99 campaign with just 75 wins, in 4th place in the NL Central.