First Willie McGee came in October, then Lonnie Smith came in November, and finally, Ozzie Smith came in December. St. Louis Cardinals fans didn’t know it then, but the final pieces of the table had been set for the 1982 World Series Championship.
When Whitey Herzog was hired as the St. Louis Cardinals General Manager/Field Manager in 1980, the emphasis of the organization turned to speed and defense. Herzog immediately started turning the roster to reflect this new organizational philosophy.
With this turnover, some familiar faces to Cardinal fans departed in 1981.