Dorrel Norman Elvert
"Whitey" Herzog is a former Major League Baseball manager. Born in
New Athens, Illinois, he made his debut as a player in 1956 with the Washington
Senators. After his playing career ended in 1963, Herzog went on to perform a variety
of roles in Major League Baseball, including scout, manager, general manager
and farm system director. Most noted for his success as a manager, he led the
Kansas City Royals to three consecutive playoff appearances from 1976 to 1978.
Hired by Gussie Busch in 1980 to helm the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cardinals
won the 1982 World Series and made two other World Series appearances in 1985
and 1987 under Herzog's direction. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of
Fame on July 25, 2010, and was inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of
Fame Museum on August 16, 2014.
With his
extensive background in player development, Herzog also was a general manager
with both the Cardinals (1980–82) and the California Angels. He succeeded Jack
Krol as manager of the Redbirds in 1980,managed for 73 games, then moved into
the club's front office as GM on August 26, turning the team over to Red
Schoendienst. During the offseason, Herzog reclaimed the manager job, then held
both the GM and field manager posts with St. Louis for almost two full seasons,
during which he acquired or promoted many players who would star on the Cards'
three World Series teams of the 1980s. Herzog's style of play, based on the
strategy of attrition, was nicknamed "Whiteyball" and concentrated on
pitching, speed, and defense to win games rather than on home runs.
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