Whitey Herzog

Whitey Herzog managed three different major league teams and in the process set a record with an unbelievable number of seven Manager of the Year Awards. His 2029 wins and 23 years of managing are second-most in league history to Sparky Anderson.

Herzog logged eight years in the majors as a player, including stints with the Washington Senators, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Denver Bears, as an outfielder-first baseman.

San Francisco Seals manager Danny Murtaugh gave Herzog his first break. Herzog was a bench player for Murtaugh in Denver in 1962. Herzog was now Murtaugh's third base coach, a position he held from 1967 to 1969. After the '69 season, Murtaugh left the Seals to manage his hometown team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Herzog was named manager and thus started a long and successful career.

In eight full seasons in San Francisco, Herzog managed the Seals to six division titles (four consecutive from 1970-1973), three World Series championships, 761 wins, and a .588 winning percentage. Herzog was awarded five consecutive Manager of the Year awards from 1971-75, shattering the previous record of two. One year after winning the World Series, Herzog was fired by the Seals.

Tom Yawkey, the Boston Stallions' General Manager, died during the 1976 season. Looking for a successor, Boston hired Herzog as the first official manager and general manager in 1977. Herzog's first act as GM was to fire Roy Hartsfield, the interim manager after Ted Williams resigned. In his first season in Boston, Herzog guided the Stallions, whom only a year before were 67-95, to 90-72 and the FLCS. The next year, 1979, the Stallions won a team record 103 games. In right full seasons at Boston, Whitey led the Stallions to five division titles, 688 wins, a .549 winning percentage, and won another two Manager of the Year awards (1978, '82), but there were no World Series appearances. Herzog was fired the day after the 1985 season ended.

Shortly thereafter Whitey was hired by the Phillies to be their sixth manager. Herzog was once again also tabbed the GM. In his seven seasons, the Phillies won 588 games and two division titles. Herzog resigned on October 9, 1992, handing over the keys to the man he hired only less than a year before--Bobby Valentine.

The Sporting News made Herzog Man of the Year in 1982. Sports Illustrated named Herzog as the manager of the decade for the 1970s. From 1994 to 1996 Herzog served as GM for the San Francisco Seals. He currently is their bench coach.