Whitey was originally signed by the New York Yankees immediately following his graduation from New Athens High School in Illinois. During his minor-league career, he earned the nickname "Whitey" due to his light-colored hair. He logged eight years in the majors as a player, including stints with Washington, Kansas City, Baltimore and Detroit as an outfielder and first baseman.

After retiring from his playing career in 1963, Herzog began his baseball management career, which included coaching and scouting. He was the Director of Player Development for the New York Mets from 1967-1972, where he groomed players for the major league level. This was where his prowess of evaluating talent and his excellent baseball mind were discovered.

His first season as Manager was in 1973 with the Texas Rangers, and over 18 seasons he also guided the California Angels, the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. As a manager, he compiled a lifetime record of 1281-1125.

Whitey is considered by many to have been one of the best managers in the game. Herzog's brand of baseball, known as "Whiteyball", featured speed on the base paths, sparkling defense and unconventional roster moves. In his five years with Kansas City, he won three division titles and two second-place finishes. In his 11 years as Cardinals manager, the ‘‘White Rat’’ (for which Herzog is affectionately known) won the 1982 World Series title and National League pennants in 1985 and 1987. His Cardinals also had the best overall divisional record in 1981, when the players’ strike split the season and the Redbirds finished second in each half.

Whitey was named Manager of the Year in 1976 and again in 1982 and was also named Executive of the Year in 1982. In 1985, he was voted Manager of the Year for taking a club generally picked to finish last and winding up in the seventh game of the World Series. Herzog was named Sports Illustrated’s Manager of the Decade for the 1980s and was recently voted Manager of the Century in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reader poll. In 2000 he was enshrined in the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame.

During his term as manager and coach, Whitey helped shape the careers of some of baseball's greatest players including George Brett, Ozzie Smith, Frank White, Darrell Porter, Jack Clark and Willie McGee. After his retirement in 1995, Whitey filled the role of entertaining motivational speaker with enthusiasm to the delight of audiences all across the country. Herzog has stayed active in the spotlight with product endorsements, television commercials and personal appearances.

Always a great storyteller and student of the game, Whitey Herzog has authored two books, his autobiography, The White Rat: A Life in Baseball in 1987 and You’re Missing a Great Game: From Casey to Ozzie, the Magic of Baseball and How to Get It Back in 1999.