Whitey Herzog
From BR Bullpen
Dorrel Norman Elvert Herzog
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 11", Weight 182 lb.
- Debut April 17, 1956
- Final Game September 28, 1963
- Born November 9, 1931 in New Athens, IL USA
Baseball-Reference Player Page
Baseball-Reference Manager Page
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[edit] Biographical Information
"Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it." - Whitey Herzog
Although Whitey Herzog had an eight-year career as a major league player, he is much better known for the 19 years that he managed in the major leagues. He missed being elected to the Hall of Fame in 2007 by the Veterans Committee by only one vote.
While in the minors, Herzog missed the 1953-1954 seasons while serving in the military.
Herzog was an outfielder who broke in with the Washington Senators in 1956, hitting only .245 but getting 7 triples. He stole 8 bases, and undoubtedly could have stolen more but base-stealing was not then in fashion (the league leader Luis Aparicio had 21). He was eventually relegated to back-up duties, and then sold to another perennial doormat team, the Kansas City Athletics, in the days when Roger Maris was an outfielder there. Herzog hit a personal-best .293 in 1959. In 1960, he had a chance to compare notes with another future manager on the team, Dick Williams.
He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1961, and was able to get 323 at-bats, hitting .291 on a team that finished third in the league. Dick Williams also moved to the Orioles in a separate trade. Herzog was the third outfielder on the team, while Williams was the # 5 outfielder. In 1962, though, Herzog hit a bit lower, .266, and was relegated to being a back-up outfielder, while the Orioles finished 7th. He finished out his career in 1963 with the Detroit Tigers.
After retiring, Herzog moved to the Kansas City A's as a scout (1964) and coach (1965) and the New York Mets (1966-1972) as a coach, scout, and eventually as the farm director.
In addition to managing the Texas Rangers, California Angels, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis Cardinals, Whitey Herzog was General Manager of the Cardinals from 1980 to 1982 and GM of the Angels from 1993 to 1994.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2-time Manager of the Year Award (1982/ML & 1985/NL)
- Division Titles: 6 (1976-1978, 1982, 1985 & 1987)
- NL Pennants: 3 (1982, 1985 & 1987)
- Managed one World Series Champion with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982
- 100 Wins Seasons as Manager: 2 (1977 & 1985)
| Preceded by Ted Williams | Texas Rangers Manager 1973 | Succeeded by Billy Martin |
| Preceded by Jack McKeon | Kansas City Royals Manager 1975-1979 | Succeeded by Jim Frey |
| Preceded by Ken Boyer | St. Louis Cardinals Manager 1980 | Succeeded by Red Schoendienst |
| Preceded by John Claiborne | St. Louis Cardinals General Manager 1980-1982 | Succeeded by Joe McDonald |
| Preceded by Red Schoendienst | St. Louis Cardinals Manager 1981-1990 | Succeeded by Red Schoendienst |
| Preceded by Dan O'Brien, Sr | California Angels General Manager 1993-1994 | Succeeded by Bill Bavasi |
[edit] Further Reading
- Thomas Boswell: "Trader Jack, Whitey the Rat and Other Good Ideas", in Why Time Begins on Opening Day, Penguin Books, New York, 1984, pp. 61-76.
[edit] Related Sites
Department of Defense Article on Baseball Players who Served in the Korean War
