ST. LOUIS -- If Cardinals fans of the 1980s think they were entertained by the product that was on the field, the players putting that product out there were just as entertained, if not more.

That was the theme of Saturday night at Ballpark Village, which held a public screening of MLB Network’s new documentary, “Birds of a Different Game: The ‘80s Cardinals.” The film, which highlights the success of the entertaining Cardinals in the 1980s, will make its nationwide debut on MLB Network on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. CT.

After the screening, Whitey Herzog, Ozzie Smith, John Tudor and Tom Herr held an on-stage Q&A before meeting with the media. What kept coming up during the film, the Q&A and the media session was just how much fun those teams were -- for fans and for the players.

“I had a front-row seat,” Smith said. “It was fun coming to the ballpark every day because we knew we had a chance to win and we didn’t necessarily have to hit the ball out of the ballpark.”

One of Smith’s favorite highlights was in 1985, when Vince Coleman and Willie McGee turned a double-steal attempt into a successful quadruple steal against the Cubs.

“Vince and Willy stole four bases on one pitch,” Smith said. “It was things like that people became accustomed to see when they came to the ballpark. It was exciting for us as players, and I’m sure it was exciting for a lot of people who were probably out there tonight.”

The film looks back on all those crazy plays and features interviews with Herzog, Smith, five-time All-Star Keith Hernandez and other former Cardinals from those teams. Broadcasters Bob Costas and Al Michaels, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Hall of Fame writer Rick Hummel, author Doug Feldmann and even actor Jon Hamm speak to the impact that the 1980s Cardinals had in St. Louis.

The documentary showcases how the Cardinals built the team, which started by hiring Herzog in 1980. The new manager changed the roster dramatically, and he put together a team that maximized its speed, pitching and defense -- the style that would become known as Whiteyball. Under Herzog in the ‘80s, the Cardinals won the National League pennant three times and the World Series once. They led the National League in stolen bases for seven consecutive seasons from 1982-87, finished first in the NL in team fielding percentage in eight different seasons and finished top five in the league in team ERA in five different seasons.

Herzog explains in the documentary how, in 1982, he was able to win over Smith, who had a no-trade clause with the Padres at the time. That key trade propelled the Cardinals to the World Series, where they beat the Brewers in seven games. The film also highlights Smith’s famous walk-off home run to win Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series against the Dodgers and Don Denkinger’s infamous blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series against the Royals.

Watching the documentary brought back all those memories and more for Herzog, Smith, Tudor and Herr. Talking about one play sparked stories of many other moments they experienced.

“It was fun to manage,” Herzog said. “These guys were ballplayers. They amaze me. What about the day in Montreal? The game started, and Coleman walked, and [Expos pitcher David] Palmer threw 17 times to first base to pick off Coleman before he ever delivered a pitch. And on the first pitch to home plate, he pitched out and Coleman stole second. Seventeen pitches he threw to first base. And the first gosh dang pitch, he pitched out.”

Tudor added: “How many team meetings do you think [opponents would] say, ‘Don’t walk Coleman’? And they’d walk him first time up half the time. He’d be standing on third base and you’d drive him in with a ground ball to second base.”

Even after all this time, they wonder about what could have been with those teams.

“My only regret watching it was if we would have won all three of those World Series, I think those teams would have been looked upon differently -- as one of the greatest teams in the game,” Herr said. “When you look at how we lost, it makes it even more frustrating. An umpire’s call -- could that have kept us from winning in ‘85? In ‘87, the misfortune of having four games in Minnesota where nobody could beat them up there. And to have Jack [Clark] injured, Terry Pendleton injured. It brings back great memories, but you also think about what might have been -- could it have been greater, really?”

Despite all that, Herzog and his former players look back on that decade with a lot of joy. The documentary allowed them and St. Louis fans to relive the 1980s -- Cardinals teams that had success because they played the game differently than anybody else at that time.

“When I look back, because of guys like this and the way we played, pulling for each other, it was the 10 best years of my life, the 10 years I was here in St. Louis,” Herzog said.