I spent a lot of time in the '80s at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. I mean a LOT of time. One of the reasons was the St. Louis Cardinals were always competitive and won three National League championships and a World Series in 1982.
The man who ran those teams, White Herzog, has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown by the so called "Old Timers Committee". And it certainly has been a long time in coming. The "White Rat" as he is still affectionately referred to by Cardinal fans, tailored his team for the cavernous Busch Stadium I. (Well, Busch Stadium as it was know while he ran the Red Birds).
Herzog used speed, defense and timely hitting to win ball games and that style of ball came to be known as "Whitey Ball" a term used for a team that manufactured many of it's runs. I can remember seeing Vince Coleman reach on an infield hit, steal second and then get moved over to third base on a ground ball to the right side of the infield. That would bring up the third spot hitter who would then hit a sacrifice fly and put the Cardinals on the board. With the team's pitching and tight defense the Cards won numerous one run games that led to those three pennants.
So here's to you Whitey Herzog. Congratulations on becoming the newest member of the Hall of Fame!
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