Yahoo Sports Whitey Herzog: Texas Lt. Gov would say 'Just let the (old) SOB die' in COVID-19 pandemic
Hall of Fame manager Whitey Herzog is glad he’s not living out the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas.
The former St. Louis Cardinals manager is watching TV and movies, reading books and staying inside just as the rest of the nation is doing during quarantine to try and flatten the curve. He’s also opining on where he wouldn’t want to be doing it and a baseball moment worse than the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal.
Herzog: ‘Glad I don’t live in Texas’
Herzog detailed his limited comings and goings these days for Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The novel coronavirus seems to most severely impact older people and those with underlying conditions, though young people are also dying of the disease. Herzog is at high risk.
Via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
“I’m tired of eating the same stuff. But I feel good. I sleep good and take my medicine. So, what the hell ... I’ve just got to hope I don’t get the damned thing at my age.
“I’m 88. I’m a diabetic. I’ve had heart surgery. I’ve had a stroke. But I’m glad I don’t live in Texas or the [lieutenant] governor would say, ‘Just let the SOB die. He’s worth more dead.’”
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, 70, said late last month he was in favor of lifting social distancing guidelines to get people back to work even if it meant older Americans might die. Via CNN:
"No one reached out to me and said, 'As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that all America loves for your children and grandchildren?' And if that is the exchange, I'm all in," Patrick told Fox News.
He added, "My messages is that let's get back to work, let's get back to living. Let's be smart about it and those of us who are 70+, we'll take care of ourselves. But don't sacrifice the country."
Texas is still one of the least aggressive states in fighting the spread of the pandemic, per a WalletHub report.
Herzog calls out scandal worse than sign stealing
Herzog was the Cardinals manager during the two-month players’ strike that lasted from June 12 to July 31, 1981. That time was quite different since players had the ability to go to some sort of facility whereas now everything is shut down.
When the Cardinals came out of the break, they were given 32 road games and 22 at home to finish the schedule. St. Louis (29-23) finished a half-game behind Montreal (30-23) in the second-half standings since they played one less game.
“We got [robbed],” Herzog said, per the Post-Dispatch. “That was a lot worse than the Houston cheating [sign stealing] scandal.”
The first-half winners played the second-half winners in the playoffs. The Cardinals were 1 1/2 games out of first place in the first half and never made it to the postseason that year. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series that year.
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