File 4 still makes me nervous, almost 24 hours after Whitey Herzog went ballistic on me.

It's a file on my digital voice recorder which I used for an interview with the former St. Louis Cardinals manager at a charity function Saturday night. The file should be rated "R."

See, Herzog went from speaking to about 300 people to speaking directly at me. Speaking, screaming, berating, demeaning, embarrassing, whatever you'd like to call it. He ignored that little voice inside of his head, the one that says, "Deep breath, Whitey. Maybe you shouldn't do that."

Strike one.

So he went ahead and gave me a taste of what major league umpires witnessed in the late 1970s and 1980s. Herzog had just finished speaking about steroid testing and how it must be improved for the integrity of the game. He all but accused Barry Bonds of cheating - "You don't play until you're 36 years old and never hit 40 home runs and then hit 73" - and said blood testing was the only way we can know who is cheating and who isn't.

My question to Herzog: "Out of all the things you could have talked about, why did you choose to talk about steroids?"

His response: a profanity-riddled tirade, complete with 11 expletives. At a children's charity function, mind you.

Strike two.

Herzog refused to answer the question and called me something we can't print in The Southern. But he wasn't finished.

Just as the leader of the 1982 World Series champions walked away, and into an interview with WSIL-TV Channel 3's Ricky Thein, Herzog spun around to face me again. He asked me if I had listened to his speech.

Yes, I told him.

For some reason, that seemed to infuriate him.

He pegged me with four more expletives inside Du Quoin's American Legion hall, where kids, parents and grandparents were still milling around. (Did I mention this was a fundraiser for children's charities?)

I turned for the door. I had seen a different meaning for Herzog's nickname, The White Rat. Dirty Rat, more like it.

Still, Herzog had something else to get off his chest. He delivered 38 syllables my recorder almost coughed back up. I had to change the batteries today, almost like a cleansing ritual.

Strike three. You're out, Whitey.

The story you read Sunday morning didn't include the tirade because I chose to keep it focused on the event. Herzog wasn't paid anything for speaking to the audience in Du Quoin. It was for a good cause.

Before the event, I was looking forward to meeting Herzog, a world champion manager.

Now I wonder what I was thinking. Perhaps you should never judge a person by one meeting. Or can you? I wasn't going to curse back at him. That's not my style. Herzog accused me of trying to stir up a story, which was not the case, because if I did I would have mentioned his tirade in the story in Sunday's editions.

I simply asked one question that was entirely relevant and got chewed out for it. But three times? In front of children? At a small-town fundraiser? At 74 years old?

If this is who the Cardinals want to represent them at speaking engagements, or fundraisers, or fan celebrations, I hope they realize they're hiring a man with a quick temper. Hopefully Herzog will grow up by his next public appearance.

My digital voice recorder can only hope.

TODD HEFFERMAN is a sports writer for The Southern. Contact him at todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com or call (618) 351-5087 or (800) 228-0429x15087.