Cooperstown Crier - Your Source for Hometown News - Cooperstown, Baseball Hall of Fame

Local Sports

Discussion

COMMENTING ON STORIES:

Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.

Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.

Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.

For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.

RULES OF CONDUCT:

We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:

1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.

WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:

1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:

1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.

WE WELCOME:

1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.

MONITORING:

We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time will be sporadic.
comments powered by Disqus
December 10, 2009

Herzog and Harvey elected by Veterans

By ERIC AHLQVIST
Cooperstown Crier

Former Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog will join former players George Brett, Ozzie Smith and Bruce Sutter in the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.

Herzog and longtime umpire Doug Harvey were both elected by the Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee on Monday. Harvey managed in the major leagues for 31 seasons, including five World Series appearances and six All Stars Games.

Herzog has been on the ballot for many years, and said Monday he tried not to think about Monday’s announcement over the weekend.

``It certainly took a little while, but I’m very happy to be elected,’’ said Herzog, 78, during a press conference form St. Louis’s Busch Stadium on Monday morning.

``I’m happy I’m still on this side of the grass.’’

After short managing stints with the Texas Rangers and California Angels, Herzog was hired as the Royals manager in 1975, Brett’s rookie season.

Herzog guided Kansas City to three straight division titles from 1976-78, losing to the Yankees in the playoffs every season, including twice in five games.

After being fired by the Royals after the ’79 season, Herzog was hired by the Cardinals in 1980, and managed them to three World Series appearances during the next decade.

They defeated the Milwaukee Brewers in seven games in 1982, and then lost seven game Series to both the Royals (1985) and Minnesota Twins (1987).

Herzog became both the team’s manager and general manager beginning in the 1982 season, and tailored the team around the Cardinals spacious home field, Busch Stadium, with a premium on speed and defense.

Players like Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith, leadoff man Vince Coleman, centerfielder Willie McGee and outfielder Vince Coleman epitomized the types of players Herzog coveted.

Herzog received 14 of the 16 votes cast, while Harvey received 15 of 16 votes. Twelve votes were necessary for election.

Herzog was a four-time manager of the year and was named the manager of the decade by Sports Illustrated for the 1980s. Harvey and Herzog will be inducted on July 25 as part of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Herzog joked during a conference on Tuesday in Indianapolis that Harvey kicked him out of more games than any other umpire.

``It was never about balls and strikes or safe or out, it was always about weather,’’ Herzog said. ``If it’s sunny in Cooperstown, let’s not bring the tarp out.’’

To which Harvey replied, ``We’ll get it in Whitey, don’t worry.’’

Harvey added his thanks to the voters for their support. The two newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame will be joined by any electees who emerge from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting, with results announced on Jan. 6.

``We are proud and honored to welcome Doug Harvey and Whitey Herzog into the Hall of Fame family,’’ said Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark. ``Both Doug and Whitey demonstrated the quest for excellence that embodies each of our 291 Hall of Famers. We are thrilled to have them in Cooperstown.’’

Results of the 2009 Managers/ Umpires Ballot (12 votes needed for election): Doug Harvey (15 votes, 93.8 percent), Whitey Herzog (14 votes, 87.5 percent), Danny Murtaugh (8 votes, 50 percent), Hank O’Day (8 votes, 50 percent), Charlie Grimm (3 votes, 18.8%).

Davey Johnson, Tom Kelly, Billy Martin, Gene Mauch and Steve O’Neill each received less than 3 votes.

Text Only
Local Sports

New Today!