COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. • One of the staples of Whitey Herzog's managerial career —and of his life, really — was that he was always in control, or wanted you to think that way anyhow.
But when Cardinals Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. surprised Herzog on Friday night with the announcement that Herzog's No. 24 would be retired officially next Saturday night at Busch Stadium when the Cardinals play Pittsburgh, Herzog, speaking at a party in his honor, barely could get the words out he was so overcome.
"Getting into the Hall of Fame is great," said Herzog, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. "But getting your number retired alongside Stan Musial, Red Schoendienst, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith. ..."
And here, Herzog's voice broke as he admitted, "I'm choked up."
Herzog later spoke of his having been invited back by Cardinals ownership to appear at special events, like opening day this year, and the ground-breaking for the new stadium. But Herzog said he didn't think he fit into that group of aforementioned Hall of Fame players, including reliever Bruce Sutter.
"A lot of times I felt embarrassed," Herzog said, "because I didn't think I belonged there.
"But those five or six guys who are Hall of Famers took me in like I was one of their brothers and that took a little of the heat off me. They were so good to me, they kind of made me feel at home.
"If the Cardinals want me to be there," Herzog said, his voice cracking again while he was at the podium, "I'll be there."
Then, during his enjoyment of this moment, Herzog had a stark thought. "If I'm going to break up here tonight, hell, I'll never make it through Sunday."
Mary Lou Herzog said she could recall her husband choking up like this only one other time — when his son, Jim, was married over the July 4 weekend.
Gibson, a regular at these ceremonies since his induction in 1981, said his advice to Herzog would be "to take a deep breath and turn around and look at (the other Hall of Famers who will be sitting behind him) and there will be 10 or 12 guys crying, also."
When center fielder Rick Ankiel moved on to Kansas City last offseason, the Cardinals did not re-issue his No. 24 this spring. The reason became obvious Friday. No Cardinal ever will wear that number again as Herzog's Hall of Fame honor is commemorated in the outfield.
In his 15-year stewardship of the club, DeWitt has hired only one Cardinals manager, Tony La Russa, yet he long has been appreciative of Herzog's contributions to Cardinals history.
In his remarks, DeWitt noted not only Herzog's one world championship and three National League pennants but the fact that the Cardinals exceeded three million in attendance for the first time, and for several years afterward, in the Herzog era.
"We are proud of Whitey and honored that he will be joining an elite and distinguished group of Cardinals in Baseball's Hall of Fame," DeWitt said. "He was such an important part of the franchise for so many years."
Herzog actually wore No. 3 when he assumed control of the Cardinals in June 1980. But he said he wanted to give that number to coach Dave Ricketts, who had worn it before. And then Ken Oberkfell, who had been wearing No. 24, offered Herzog that number, which Herzog had worn while managing in Kansas City.
"Obie said, 'Rat (Herzog was nicknamed "the White Rat,"), if you want 24, you can have it,'" Herzog recalled.
Herzog's number will be the 11th retired by the Cardinals. In numerical order, the others are No. 1, Smith; No. 2, Schoendienst; No. 6, Musial, No. 9, Enos Slaughter; No. 14, Ken Boyer; No. 17, Dizzy Dean; No. 20, Brock; No. 42, Sutter (Jackie Robinson); No. 45, Gibson; and No. 85, former owner Gussie Busch when he turned 85 years old.
In addition, Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby, who did not have a particular number, is honored in the Busch Stadium outfield, as is broadcaster Jack Buck.
The retirement of Herzog's jersey will be on Whitey Herzog Bobblehead Night, one of a series of special events during next weekend's series, which will also pay tribute to the 1985 league champions on the 25th anniversary of that title.
Four of the Cardinals' living Hall of Fame members were on hand for Friday's announcement, including shortstop Smith, who played nine seasons for Herzog from 1982-90.
Smith came to the Cardinals from San Diego in one of the most significant trades made by Herzog, who also was the general manager of the Cardinals during the first half of his tenure with the club. Then only a defensive wizard before he became a productive offensive player, too, Smith had to be lured into coming to St. Louis because he had a no-trade option in his contract.
Herzog's imminent induction into the Hall of Fame "means everything to me," Smith said. "He was the guy who actually got on the plane and came and recruited me.
"I don't know if things would have been the same had he not gotten on that plane and come out to San Diego to recruit me to come to St. Louis to play.
"It's been a life changer."
Sutter, who pitched the final out of the 1982 World Series for the Cardinals, said, "I thought (Herzog) deserved to be in the Hall of Fame a long time ago.
"I'm glad come Sunday we're going to see him get the respect he deserves. He's done just about everything in baseball you can do. This is just a little exclamation mark on his career."
