An era is coming to an end: The famous baseball manager Whitey Herzog, famous for his successes with the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1980s, has died at the age of 92 in his hometown of St. Louis. He was considered a veteran of the sport and was until recently the second oldest living Hall of Famer – after Willie Mays. His passing was announced by the Cardinals.
The world of baseball owes a lot to Herzog, and he himself often said, “Baseball has been kind to me since I stopped playing.” His professional career began in 1949 with the New York Yankees, but did not make it past their minor league system. Still, or perhaps because of it, he absorbed a wealth of knowledge about the game – especially from Casey Stengel, his coach in spring camps.
As a player, Herzog had modest success in his eight-season career in the American League with four different teams. However, Herzog found his true calling as a manager and creator of “Whiteyball” – a style of play that focused on speed, defense and pitching and was particularly well suited to fast-playing artificial turf and wide playing fields, such as those at Royals Stadium in Kansas City at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Whitey Herzog led the Kansas City Royals to three consecutive American League Division titles in the 1970s and won the 1982 World Series with the Cardinals – a team he also built as general manager. There were also further pennants in 1985 and 1987. An eye-catcher was his election to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 2009.
Ozzie Smith, legendary Cardinals shortstop and fellow Hall of Famer, particularly highlighted Herzog’s focus on the fundamentals of the game. According to Smith, he always prepared the team excellently for the game.
But Herzog’s understanding went beyond just the gameplay. He maintained a close personal relationship with his players. Cardinals relief pitcher and fellow Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter once put it this way: “How many managers can you lose a game to and go fishing with him the next morning?”
Herzog was born Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog on November 9, 1931 in New Athens, Illinois, just a half-hour drive from St. Louis. His father was an employee in a brewery. He got his nickname “Whitey” because of his blonde hair. As a boy, he skipped school to watch the Yankee games in St. Louis against the St. Louis Browns, who later became the Baltimore Orioles.
In addition to New York, his time in the major leagues took him to the Washington Senators, the Kansas City Athletics, the Orioles and the Detroit Tigers, with a lifetime average of .257 in 634 MLB games. After his active career and a scouting and coaching interlude with the Athletics, he joined the New York Mets as third base coach in 1966 and took on additional tasks there in the following years.
He started as a manager in 1973 with the Texas Rangers, where he led a young team, but was fired early. He then worked briefly as a coach for the California Angels and in 1975 replaced Jack McKeon as manager of the Royals, whom he led to several titles. After being fired in 1979, he took over management of the Cardinals in 1980 and also served as general manager for a time, a dual role he held until the start of the 1982 season.
Herzog is survived by his wife of 71 years, Mary Lou Herzog, their three children, Debra, David and Jim, nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, the Cardinals said.
The lessons he learned from his time as a Yankee hopeful, especially the wisdom of Casey Stengel, had a lasting impact on Herzog. “Casey broke it down into a hundred little things that would make the difference,” Herzog recalled in his book “You’re Missin’ a Great Game.” He passed on these little things throughout his career as a coach and manager.
Herzog’s advice went beyond pure game tactics. One of his favorite stories: “Casey told me: Let them ask you a question and you just keep talking so they don’t ask another question.” (eulerpool AFX)
2024-04-16 20:11:37
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