Whitey Herzog
Nov 9, 1931 (New Athens, IL) – Apr 15, 2024 (St. Louis, MO) · died at 92
General manager for the Cardinals and Angels (1981–1994).
Across the full 1-season sample, the measured profile stands out most for net WAR per trade (99th percentile). The clearest contrast is roster depth (5th percentile): the measured rosters have produced fewer two-win regulars than most peers. Because the sample covers fewer than five seasons, those comparisons are descriptive rather than stable.
1 seasons with salary-era data across 2 stints. All figures are franchise-level outcomes during the tenure, not solely attributable to one executive.
0 pennants · 0 playoff appearances · 47–68 (0.409)
Overview
| Team | Role | Year | Pay $M |
Rel Pay |
Surp $M |
Surp WAR |
Dead % |
Cheap $M |
Draft $M |
Trd $M |
Int'l $M |
$ / WAR |
WAR | Depth | Dead WAR |
HG | Trade | Net/ Trd |
FA | R5 | RFA | PPA | CPA | WAB | TAB | W-L% | PO | Pen | WS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Angels |
GM | 1994 47–68 | $22 | 68 | -6 | -4.9 | 36% | -0 | +2 | -2 | +0 | $1.0M | 14.8 | 3.0 | -6.5 | +3.6 | -0.9 | -0.29 | +0.2 | +0.0 | 0.15 | 0.05 | -7.7 | -8.8 | 0.409 | ||||
| Career total (1985+ data) | $22 | 68 | -6 | -4.9 | 36% | -0 | +2 | -2 | +0 | $1.0M | 14.8 | 3.0 | -6.5 | +42.4 | +53.7 | +3.83 | +0.1 | -0.2 | – | 0.15 | 0.05 | -7.7 | -8.8 | 0.409 | – | – | – | ||
Roster Construction
Build channels — net fWAR
Acquired minus surrendered / signed minus walked.
Trades
Trades made — 4 deals credited to Whitey Herzog, best expected value first; surplus is realized value in $M
SDP · Randy Smith
+$7.2M
ANA · Whitey Herzog
−$7.2M
SFG · Bob Quinn
+$0.0M
ANA · Whitey Herzog
+$0.0M
ANA · Whitey Herzog
+$1.6M
CHW · Ron Schueler
−$1.6M
ANA · Whitey Herzog
+$2.4M
BAL · Roland Hemond
−$2.4M
Players acquired — 34 players, by realized fWAR for the franchise (scroll for more)
| Player | Pos | Team | How | Year | Szns | fWAR | WAR/yr | RFA | PPA | CPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozzie Smith | SS |  STL |
Trade | 1981 | 11 | +48.0 | +4.4 | – | – | – |
| Terry Pendleton | 3B | STL |
Draft | 1982 | 6 | +12.2 | +2.0 | – | – | – |
| Vince Coleman | OF | STL |
Draft | 1982 | 6 | +11.9 | +2.0 | – | – | – |
| Willie McGee | OF | STL |
Trade | 1981 | 7 | +10.0 | +1.4 | – | – | – |
| Danny Cox | P | STL |
Draft | 1981 | 4 | +8.9 | +2.2 | – | – | – |
| Rex Hudler | 2B/OF | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | 3 | +4.8 | +1.6 | – | 0.2% | 0.08% |
| Todd Worrell | P | STL |
Draft | 1982 | 6 | +3.9 | +0.7 | – | – | – |
| Jason Dickson | P | ANA |
Draft | 1994 | 4 | +3.0 | +0.8 | – | – | – |
| Joaquín Andújar | P | STL |
Trade | 1981 | 1 | +2.9 | +2.9 | – | – | – |
| Curt Ford | OF | STL |
Draft | 1981 | 3 | +2.7 | +0.9 | – | – | – |
| Mike Holtz | P | ANA |
Draft | 1994 | 5 | +2.2 | +0.4 | – | – | – |
| Lee Smith | P | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | 2 | +1.0 | +0.5 | – | 6.8% | 0.57% |
| Spike Owen | SS | ANA |
Trade | 1994 | 1 | +1.0 | +1.0 | – | 0.4% | 0.14% |
| Bob Patterson | P | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | 2 | +0.9 | +0.4 | – | 0.0% | 0.01% |
| Greg Myers | C | ANA |
Trade | 1994 | 2 | +0.8 | +0.4 | – | 0.1% | 0.03% |
| Mark Leiter | P | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | 1 | +0.7 | +0.7 | – | 0.1% | 0.05% |
| Jeff Lahti | P | STL |
Trade | 1982 | 2 | +0.7 | +0.3 | – | – | – |
| John Dopson | P | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | 1 | +0.4 | +0.4 | – | 0.1% | 0.03% |
| Bo Jackson | OF | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | 1 | +0.3 | +0.3 | – | 0.1% | 0.02% |
| Jeff Schwarz | P | ANA |
Trade | 1994 | 1 | +0.0 | +0.0 | – | 0.0% | 0.00% |
| Bret Hemphill | C | ANA |
Draft | 1994 | – | -0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Craig Lefferts | P | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | – | -0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Bill Sampen | P | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | – | -0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Joe Boever | P | STL |
Intl FA | 1982 | 1 | -0.1 | -0.1 | – | – | – |
| Carlos Martínez | 1B/3B | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | – | -0.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Randy Hunt | C | STL |
Draft | 1981 | – | -0.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Kurt Kepshire | P | STL |
Rule 5 | 1982 | – | -0.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Ken Patterson | P | ANA |
Trade | 1994 | 1 | -0.2 | -0.2 | – | 0.0% | 0.00% |
| Tom Nieto | C | STL |
Draft | 1981 | – | -0.4 | – | – | – | – |
| Mitch Williams | P | ANA |
Free agency | 1994 | – | -0.5 | – | – | – | – |
| Russ Springer | P | ANA |
Trade | 1994 | 1 | -0.5 | -0.5 | – | 0.0% | 0.01% |
| John Farrell | P | ANA |
Trade | 1994 | 1 | -1.0 | -1.0 | – | 0.0% | 0.00% |
| Harold Reynolds | 2B | ANA |
Trade | 1994 | – | -1.1 | – | – | – | – |
| Trent Durrington | 2B | ANA |
Intl FA | 1994 | – | -1.6 | – | – | – | – |
Trade-side columns: RFA is playoff-readiness percentage points added to the future roster foundation. It grades the franchise's entire side of a trade, so the same score repeats for every player acquired in that package. PPA/CPA remain player-level arrival-year probability points.
WAB = wins above what the team's payroll predicted (resource-controlled). WAR surplus = era-neutral value (WAR minus payroll in win-equivalents). Roster surplus $M = dollar value of WAR over cost. Build channels (realized fWAR): HG = home-grown via amateur draft / international signing; Trade = acquired minus surrendered (incl. purchases/waivers); FA = signed minus walked; R5 = Rule-5 / minor-league-draft pickups. Credit follows the acquisition year — home-grown to the regime at the player's draft/signing (not whoever was in the chair when he peaked), trade/FA/R5 to the GM who made the move. Players acquired as prospects before debuting (e.g. Smoltz, Bagwell; Rule-5 picks like Uggla) are counted as trade/R5, not home-grown. All are franchise-level outcomes during the stint, not solely attributable to one executive.