Whitey Herzog (1931–2024), Hall of Fame MLB manager
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2 min readWhitey Herzog was a baseball player and manager best known for his time leading the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Died:20April 15, 2024 (Who else died on April 15?)
- Details of death:20Died at the age of 92.
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Whitey Herzogs legacy
Born Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog in New Athens, Illinois, Herzog served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War. He began his Major League Baseball career as an outfielder with the Washington Senators in 1956. He went on to play for the Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers before ending his playing career in 1963.
When he was released by the Tigers in 1963, Herzog assumed his baseball career was over, and he began working in construction. However, the following year, the owner of his former team, the A19s, offered him a spot as a scout. The next year, Herzog began coaching for the A19s, and in 1966, he joined the New York Mets as a coach and later as director of player development. The Mets won two World Series during his time with the team, in 1969 and 1973.
Herzog debuted as a manager in 1972 with the Texas Rangers, but it would be a few years before his greatest successes in the role. That period began when he joined the Royals as manager in 1975. He led the team to three consecutive playoff appearances in 1976, 1977 and 1978. He next joined the Cardinals in 1980, and his career is most associated with that teams winning years. He led them to victory at the 1982 World Series, as well as to World Series appearances in 1985 and 1987. With the Cardinals, Herzog became known for his style of play, called 1cWhiteyball,1d which focused on speed and defense rather than powerful hitting.
Herzog retired from the Cardinals and from baseball in 1990. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.
Notable quote
1cI want [the players] to be my friends, yet to respect me as a person, too.1d 14 from a 1992 interview for the Los Angeles Times
Tributes to Whitey Herzog
Full obituary: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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