Herzog built Cardinals champions as general manager

Whitey Herzog had been the Cardinals manager for a little more than two months when he realized what needed to be done.

So on Aug. 29, 1980, Herzog stepped aside as the team’s field manager and became the team’s general manager.

“I feel I’m the right guy for the job,” Herzog told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I don’t know how anybody can be better qualified for it than me.”

Herzog had guided the Cardinals to a 38-35 record since taking over for Ken Boyer in June. Herzog quickly identified the changes he wanted but was in no position to do so until team owner August A. Busch dismissed general manager John Claiborne on Aug. 18.

Less than two weeks later, Busch contacted Herzog and offered him the job. After taking time to consider the opportunity, Herzog accepted – and Busch named Red Schoendienst, who had guided the Cardinals to two straight National League pennants and a World Series title from 1967-68, as interim manager.

“As soon as the position of general manager became open,” Busch said in a statement, “we began to consider (Herzog) immediately as an obvious candidate.”

Herzog had managed the Kansas City Royals to three straight American League West titles from 1976-78 but was dismissed following the 1979 season. He had previously worked in the front office for the Mets and Angels and was often a candidate for general manager positions.

So when Busch approached Herzog with the chance to build his own team, Herzog couldn’t resist.

“I didn’t know if I could (rebuild the Cardinals) as a field manager,” Herzog told the Post-Dispatch. “It concerned me because I didn’t know who the GM was gonna be. If a new man came here, I’d have had him stuck for two years as his manager and maybe he wouldn’t have wanted me. I decided this is one time I can control my own destiny.”

Herzog quickly set about evaluating the entire St. Louis system as Schoendienst piloted the team to an 18-19 record to end the season, leaving the Cardinals at 74-88 and in fourth place in the National League East. Then at the Winter Meetings, Herzog began dealing, first acquiring Rollie Fingers and Gene Tenace from the Padres in an 11-player trade on Dec. 8. The next day, Herzog acquired another topnotch closer – Bruce Sutter – from the Cubs for Leon Durham, Ken Reitz and Ty Waller. Three days after that, Herzog packaged Fingers, Ted Simmons and Pete Vuckovich in a deal to the Brewers for David Green, Dave LaPoint, Sixto Lezcano and Lary Sorensen.

In one dizzying week, Herzog had become the talk of baseball and appeared to be set as general manager for years to come. In fact, when Herzog became general manager, there was no expectation that he would return to the dugout – and rumors swirled that Herzog was considering Gene Mauch, who had recently been dismissed by the Twins, as the Cardinals’ new manager.

But by the start of the 1981 campaign, Herzog was back in the dugout with a revamped team that won 59 games during that strike-shortened season, the most in the NL East. And though the Cardinals did not advance to the postseason due to the split-season format, Busch would not have to wait much longer to see his late-summer 1980 decision bear fruit.

In 1982, the Cardinals and Herzog won the World Series title.

“He’s come to know our players as well as any field manager ever has,” Busch said. “And he has the experience to relate player ability and player performance to the responsibilities of front office administration.

“Decisions made this season can have a very great effect on the team’s performance in 1981 and beyond.”

Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum