MLB world reflects on Whitey Herzog
Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith: “He made me a better player and he made me a better person.”
Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter: “He was a manager, a general manager, a farm director, a player personnel director, a scout, a coach. That tells you about his smarts right there.”
Former MLB general manager Hank Peters:
“Whitey Herzog is the best judge of talent I ever saw.”
However, Herzog saved his greatest success for St. Louis. He managed the Cardinals for 73 games in 1980 before being promoted to general manager. But he returned to the dugout for the 1981 season while still retaining his duties as GM.
Under Herzog, the Cardinals returned to the playoffs in 1982, winning the National League pennant and defeating the
Milwaukee Brewers in seven games in the World Series.
He also piloted the Cardinals to World Series appearances in 1985 – when he was named NL Manager of the Year – and in 1987, but the Cardinals lost in seven games both times.
Herzog returned to the front office one last time, serving as the Angels general manager in 1992 and 1993. When he stepped down, it ended his 45-year association with baseball as a player, coach, manager and executive.
“Whitey Herzog was one of the most accomplished managers of his generation and a consistent winner with both ‘I-70’ franchises. He made a significant impact on the St. Louis Cardinals as both a manager and a general manager, with the Kansas City Royals as a manager, and with the New York Mets in player development,” Manfred said in a statement.
Herzog was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as a manager, entering Cooperstown as part of the Class of 2010.