Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 7, 1990 TAG: 9007070239
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: SAN DIEGO LENGTH: Medium
Whitey Herzog, who guided the Cardinals to three National League pennants in the 1980s, couldn't stomach losing in the 1990s. He resigned Friday as manager.
"I made up my mind in San Francisco," said Herzog, who is known as the "White Rat." "I was totally embarrassed by the way our team played. I just feel very badly for the ballclub, the organization and the fans."
The Cardinals were swept in a three-game series this week in San Francisco by scores of 3-2, 4-0 and 9-2. St. Louis, in San Diego for a game Friday night, is 33-47 and in last place in the NL East, 14 1/2 games behind first-place Pittsburgh.
Coach Red Schoendienst, the only man who has won more games than Herzog as the Cardinals' manager, took over on an interim basis. Herzog, in his 11th year as manager, has 822 victories; Schoendienst won 1,028 games in 12 years in the 1960s, '70s and briefly in 1980.
"I don't think that I have done a good job as a manager this year," Herzog said. "I just can't get the guys to play, and I think anybody could do a better job than me.
"I'm not going to single out any players. My players are all trying. The effort is there, but sometimes I don't know if the minds are there."
First baseman Pedro Guerrero said he and his teammates were partly to blame for Herzog's resignation.
"I'm kind of shocked about it," said Guerrero, who attended the news conference. "I feel kind of responsible. I know that I haven't done the job that I did last year at this point."
Guerrero is under contract through next year, but several St. Louis stars are eligible for free agency at the end of the season. Vince Coleman, Willie McGee and Terry Pendleton are among the players who will cost the Cardinals a lot of money to keep.
"When Whitey brought up the subject of resigning several weeks ago, we said no," said Cardinals president Fred Kuhlmann, speaking at the news conference. "But everybody feels it's in the best interests of the team to make a change now."
The Cardinals won the World Series under Herzog in 1982 and were NL champions in 1985 and 1987.
"I guess in his heart he felt it was time to step down, and maybe somebody else could light a fire under the team," said Philadelphia manager Nick Leyva, a former coach under Herzog.
"To me, he's a baseball genius. I've never seen a man who could adjust so quickly. His concentration is unbelievable. His memory is unbelievable. He never forgets a thing. Whitey will be back," he said.
Among active managers, only Tommy Lasorda, who has guided Los Angeles since 1977, has been with the same team longer than Herzog was with St. Louis.
The team's top officials - Kuhlmann, general manager Dal Maxvill and executive vice president Mark Sauer - flew to California for the announcement.
They gave no indication when they would choose a permanent replacement.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB