. honors Whitey on Whitey Herzog Night at Busch Stadium tonight.
鈥 Bally 榴莲视频 Midwest (@Bally榴莲视频MW)
"I know what it's like to be managed by one of the greatest baseball minds of our time. ... On behalf of all the players who played for you, Whitey we love you and we miss you." 鉂わ笍
They鈥檙e in their 60s, but together, they鈥檙e forever kids.
Debbie, David and Jim.
Siblings.
And their dad recently died.
And so, the Herzog kids were reunited on Wednesday, as a community united to give them a virtual hug.
Before the Cardinals-Royals evening game, the Cards honored Whitey Herzog, the iconic manager who died in April at 92.
Debbie came in from Kansas City, David from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Jim lives here.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 get together as much as we鈥檇 like,鈥 David Herzog said.
Whitey鈥檚 kids sat in the bed of a white Ford truck and waved to fans while they drove around the Busch Stadium warning track. 榴莲视频 were greeted at home plate by members of the Cardinals Hall of Fame 鈥 Ozzie Smith, Willie McGee, Ted Simmons, Chris Carpenter and Jason Isringhausen, who grew up in Brighton, Illinois, about an hour from Herzog鈥檚 hometown of New Athens, Illinois.
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David wore a red Cardinals polo shirt. Jim wore a white polo with the logo of the Whitey Herzog Youth Foundation. And Debbie sported a navy Cardinals jersey. On the back, it was No. 24 with the words: THE WHITE RAT.
鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e worn it,鈥 she said. 鈥淢y dad, he gave this to me and that was why I wanted to wear it today.鈥
It was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming to watch the siblings on the field before the game, during the poignant presentations. Dad was gone. But it sure seemed like he was everywhere that night, at that moment, as his larger-than-life personality was displayed on the large videoboard ... as fans wore white Whitey T-shirts that were stadium giveaways ... and as former Cardinals waved down to the family from a suite, while surrounding Whitey鈥檚 wife and the kids鈥 mother, Mary Lou.
On the field, the legendary shortstop Smith said at the podium to all in attendance: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what it鈥檚 like to be a major league manager. But I know what it鈥檚 like to be managed by one of the greatest baseball minds of our time. I know what it鈥檚 like to be managed by a man whose plaque hangs in Cooperstown. I know what it鈥檚 like to be managed by Whitey Herzog.
鈥淲hat does a player want from his manager? It鈥檚 everything that Whitey gave us. The freedom to play the game with no interference, respect, honest communication and a high baseball IQ 鈥 and he was at a genius level.
鈥淲hitey, he believed in me and he brought me here to this storied franchise. And it changed my life. I鈥檓 honored to have had my name linked with his in Cardinal history. On behalf of all the players who played for you, Whitey, we love you and we miss you.鈥
As Debbie watched Ozzie, I could see her mouth quiver on occasion.
鈥淚t really touched my heart,鈥 she said afterward. 鈥淚t was emotional. I just thought he just blessed us with his words.鈥
Whitey, as former Cardinal Rick Horton said in a pregame speech, managed 鈥渨ith a style of baseball so exciting, they named it after him.鈥
Indeed, the Cardinals won the 1982 World Series while playing 鈥淲hiteyball,鈥 an aggressive, unafraid style that features singles slapped all over the big ballpark 鈥 and many singles that quickly turned into doubles due to the stolen base.
Herzog鈥檚 teams also went to the World Series and lost in 1985 and 1987.
He resuscitated St. Louis baseball. He defined St. Louis baseball for a generation. One of the greatest generations.
鈥淵ou talk about just changing 鈥 the way people think about the game,鈥 current Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淗ow even the city asks questions about game strategy comes from a lot of the ways he kind of held his postgame review and how he thought of things. 鈥 When you leave that type of stamp on a city, you鈥檝e done it well.鈥
After the ceremony, the Herzog kids stopped to chat in the VIP lobby of Busch Stadium. Jim held Herzog鈥檚 red jacket 鈥 the blazer from the team Hall of Fame, not the satin one from the dugout in the 鈥80s. Whitey was so often here at the ballpark, into his 90s. And he always looked sharp 鈥 and proud 鈥 in that red jacket.
鈥淵ou know,鈥 David said, 鈥渢he Cardinals have been so phenomenal that keeping dad involved with the team and bringing him out all these years for special events. And you know, you talk about 鈥榃hiteyball,鈥 it鈥檚 one of those iconic things that will live forever. And they鈥檝e done a good job of helping us keep that brand of baseball alive. And I鈥檓 very flattered by the way the team has kept dad involved.鈥