HOF manager Herzog dies
Whitey Herzog, the Hall of Fame manager of the 1982 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals, died Tuesday at the age of 92.
“On behalf of the entire St. Louis Cardinals organization, I would like to offer our condolences to the family and many friends of Whitey Herzog,” team chairman and chief executive officer Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a news release. “Whitey and his teams played a big part in changing the direction of the Cardinals franchise in the early 1980s with an exciting style of play that would become known as ‘Whitey Ball’ throughout baseball. Whitey loved the Cardinals, their fans, and St. Louis. He will be sorely missed.”
Herzog is survived by Mary Lou, his wife of 71 years, along with three children, nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The Herzog family also issued a statement.
Herzog compiled an overall record of 1,281-1,125-3 (.532) across 18 seasons as manager of the Texas Rangers (1973), California Angels (1974), Kansas City Royals (1975-79) and Cardinals (1980-90).
He guided the Cardinals to a seven-game triumph against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series and led St. Louis to two more National League pennants in 1985 and 1987. His 822 wins with St. Louis rank third in franchise history behind fellow Hall of Famers Tony La Russa (1,408) and Red Schoendienst (1,041).
Herzog was the NL Manager of the Year in 1985 and was inducted into Cooperstown in 2010.
HOCKEY
The United States capped a 12-day run at the women’s hockey world championships Sunday with a silver medal. Laila Edwards, meanwhile, further established herself as one of the top young players in the game.
The sophomore forward for Wisconsin was named the most valuable player of the tournament after Team USA lost, 6-5, to Canada in the championship game at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, New York.
Edwards finished with six goals on 10 shots in seven games.
OLYMPICS
The torch for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games was lit in ancient Olympia in a traditional ceremony on Tuesday in Greece, marking the final stretch of the seven-year preparations for the Games’ start on July 26.
Greek actress Mary Mina, playing the role of high priestess, lit the torch using a backup flame instead of a parabolic mirror due to cloudy skies for the start of a relay in Greece and France.
WNBA
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark – the superstar who shattered collegiate scoring records this past season – was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft on Monday in New York.
With the Fever, Clark will be paired with last year’s No. 1 overall pick, South Carolina product Aliyah Boston. Together, the two former consensus national players of the year in college will attempt to lead a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016.
Clark’s Hawkeyes fell in this year’s national title game to the South Carolina Gamecocks, whose 6foot-7 center, Kamilla Cardoso, was taken No. 3 overall by the Chicago Sky.
Stanford’s Cameron Brink was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the second overall pick. The Sparks then drafted Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson with the fourth overall pick.
GOLF
Rory McIlroy denied a published report Tuesday linking him to an $850 million move to LIV Golf, saying he plans to remain with the PGA Tour “the rest of my career.”
McIlroy’s agent, Sean O’Flaherty, called the story in the London newspaper City AM “fake news.”
McIlroy addressed the report with Golf Channel from the practice range in Hilton Head, S.C., site of this week’s RBC Heritage tournament.
NBA
Former Oklahoma star and No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Blake Griffin retired after 14 seasons on Tuesday.
Griffin announced his retirement on social media, expressing how appreciative he was despite the ups and downs throughout his career.
Griffin, 35, was a six-time all-star forward who won the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year Award with the Los Angeles Clippers, who selected him first overall in the 2009 draft. Griffin missed the 2009-10 season due to a knee injury.
Griffin also made the first of five straight all-star appearances in 2010-11.
Despite the addition of Chris Paul in 2011-12, the Clippers never got past the Western Conference semifinals during the Griffin era.
– Staff and wire reports