Page "Ozzie Smith" Paragraph 16

After more behind-the-scenes contract wrangling, Smith became a St. Louis Cardinal on February 11, 1982.

Herzog believed Smith could improve his offensive production by hitting more ground balls, and subsequently created a motivational tool designed to help Smith concentrate on that task.

Approaching Smith one day during spring training, Herzog said, " Every time you hit a fly ball, you owe me a buck.

Every time you hit a ground ball, I owe you a buck.

We'll keep that going all year.

" Smith agreed to the wager, and by the end of the season had won close to $ 300 from Herzog.

As the 1982 season got underway, Herzog's newly assembled team won 12 games in a row during the month of April, and finished the season atop the National League East division.

Herzog would later say of Smith's contributions that, " If he saved two runs a game on defense, which he did many a night, it seemed to me that was just as valuable to the team as a player who drove in two runs a game on offense.