As an outfielder and left-handed batter, Herzog played for the Washington Senators (1956-58), Kansas City Athletics (1958-60), Baltimore Orioles (1961-62) and Detroit Tigers (1963). In eight seasons, Herzog batted .254 with 25 home runs, 172 RBIs, 213 runs, 60 doubles, 20 triples, and 13 stolen bases in 634 games. In reference to his success as a player versus his success as a manager, Herzog once said, "Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it."

Herzog started his managerial career with the Texas Rangers (1973), following with California Angels (1974), Kansas City Royals (1975-79) and St. Louis Cardinals (1980-90). He had his greatest success in Kansas City, where he won three straight division titles from 1976 to 1978, and in St. Louis, where he won the 1982 World Series and the National League Pennant in 1985 and 1987. Herzog was named the 1985 NL Manager of the Year by the BBWAA. In total, he led six division winners, three pennant winners, and one World Series winner in compiling a 1281-1125 career record for a .532 winning percentage. His 1,281 wins rank 32nd on the all-time list.

Baseball Hall of Fame,