Sparky Anderson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sparky Anderson
Anderson at Tiger Stadium
Second baseman / Manager
Born: (1934-02-22)February 22, 1934 Bridgewater, South Dakota, U.S.
Died: November 4, 2010(2010-11-04) (aged 76) Thousand Oaks, California, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 10, 1959, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last appearance
September 27, 1959, for the Philadelphia Phillies
MLB statistics
Batting average	.218
Runs batted in	34
Managerial record	2,194–1,834
Winning %	.545
Teams
As player Philadelphia Phillies (1959) As manager Cincinnati Reds (1970–1978) Detroit Tigers (1979–1995) As coach San Diego Padres (1969)
Career highlights and awards
3× World Series champion (1975, 1976, 1984) 2× AL Manager of the Year (1984, 1987) Cincinnati Reds No. 10 retired Detroit Tigers No. 11 retired Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2000
Election Method	Veterans Committee

George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (born February 22, 1934 – died November 4, 2010) was a famous American baseball player, coach, and manager. He led the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series in 1975 and 1976. Later, he won a third World Series title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers. Sparky was the first manager ever to win the World Series in both the National League and the American League. He won 2,194 games in his career, which is one of the highest totals for a manager in baseball history. In 2000, he was chosen to join the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Sparky Anderson's Early Life

Sparky Anderson was born in Bridgewater, South Dakota, on February 22, 1934. When he was eight years old, his family moved to Los Angeles, California. As a kid, he was a batboy for the USC Trojans college baseball team. He went to Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles. After high school, the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him to play baseball in 1953.

Sparky's American Legion team won the national championship in 1951. This big game was played in Briggs Stadium, which is now known as Tiger Stadium, in Detroit.

Anderson married Carol Valle on October 3, 1953. They had known each other since they were in fifth grade.

Playing Baseball

Sparky Anderson started his baseball career playing for minor league teams. He played as a shortstop and later as a second baseman. In 1955, a radio announcer gave him the nickname "Sparky" because of his energetic way of playing.

After playing for several minor league teams, he finally got to play in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1958. In 1959, Sparky played his only full season in the major leagues as the Phillies' starting second baseman. He batted .218, which means he got a hit about 21.8% of the time. He did not hit any home runs. After this season, he went back to playing in the minor leagues.

He played for the Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs for four more seasons. The team's owner, Jack Kent Cooke, noticed that Sparky was a great leader. He also saw that Sparky was good at teaching younger players. Cooke encouraged him to become a manager.

Becoming a Manager

Starting in the Minor Leagues

In 1964, when he was 30 years old, Sparky Anderson accepted the offer to manage the Toronto Maple Leafs. He then managed several other minor league teams. He led four different teams to win their league championships in four years in a row!

In 1966, one of Sparky's teams played in the longest professional baseball game ever. It lasted 29 innings without stopping. His team lost that game 4–3.

In 1969, Sparky returned to the major leagues as the third-base coach for the San Diego Padres. This was their first season in the National League.

Leading the Cincinnati Reds

In October 1969, Sparky Anderson was offered the job to manage the Cincinnati Reds. He was only 35 years old, making him the youngest manager in baseball at the time. Many people didn't know who he was, so headlines read "Sparky Who?"

Despite being new, Sparky led the Reds to win 102 games in 1970. They won the National League championship but lost the 1970 World Series to the Baltimore Orioles. During this time, the Reds became known as the "Big Red Machine" because they were so powerful.

Anderson (right) with Gerald Ford and Red Sox manager Darrell Johnson at the 1976 All-Star Game.

The Reds won another championship in 1972, but they lost the 1972 World Series in seven games. In 1973, they won their division again but lost in the playoffs.

In 1975, the Reds had an amazing season, winning 108 games. They swept the National League playoffs and then won a thrilling seven-game 1975 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. They won again in 1976, winning 102 games. They swept both the playoffs and the 1976 World Series, beating the New York Yankees. This was the first time a team had swept both the League Championship Series and the World Series since division play began.

Sparky was sometimes called "Captain Hook" because he would often take out his starting pitcher early in a game. He would then use his relief pitchers to finish the game.

After two more good seasons where the Reds finished second, Sparky was fired in 1978. The team wanted to make changes to the coaching staff, and Sparky disagreed with them.

Managing the Detroit Tigers

Sparky Anderson became the manager of the young Detroit Tigers in June 1979. He famously told the press that his team would win a championship within five years. The Tigers quickly became a winning team.

In 1984, the Tigers started the season incredibly well, winning 35 of their first 40 games. They finished with 104 wins, a team record. They swept the playoffs and then beat the San Diego Padres in five games to win the 1984 World Series. This was Sparky's third World Series title. The 1984 Tigers were the first team since the 1927 New York Yankees to lead their league from the very first day of the season all the way through the World Series. After this amazing season, Sparky won his first Manager of the Year Award.

Sparky's Tigers finished third in 1985 and 1986. In 1986, he became the first manager to win 600 games in both the American and National Leagues.

In 1987, Sparky led the Tigers to the best record in Major League Baseball. However, they lost in the playoffs to the Minnesota Twins. He won his second Manager of the Year Award that year.

In 1993, Sparky won his 2,000th game as a manager. He was only the seventh manager in baseball history to reach this milestone. He holds the record for the most wins as a Tigers manager, with 1,331 victories.

Sparky was known for praising his players a lot. He once said that Kirk Gibson would be "the next Mickey Mantle."

Sparky Anderson was also the last American League manager to win a game by forfeit. This happened in 1979 during a game against the Chicago White Sox. A special event called "Disco Demolition Night" went wrong, and the field became unplayable. Sparky refused to let his team play because it was unsafe. The American League president agreed and gave the Tigers the win.

Managerial Record

Here's a quick look at Sparky Anderson's managing career:

Life After Baseball

George W. Bush chats with Anderson, left, and Yogi Berra.

Sparky Anderson retired from managing on October 2, 1995. He was reportedly unhappy with how baseball had changed after a player strike in 1994. He told his wife, "If this is what the game has become, it don't need me no more."

He finished his career with 2,194 wins and 1,834 losses. At the time, he had the third-most wins for a Major League manager. He spent more time managing the Tigers (17 seasons) than the Reds (9 seasons). He won two World Series with Cincinnati and one with Detroit.

Post-Managerial Work

After retiring, Sparky Anderson worked as a baseball commentator on TV and radio for a few years.

In 1987, while still managing the Tigers, Sparky started a charity called CATCH. This organization helps seriously ill children whose families cannot afford their medical care. Sparky continued to support this charity even after he retired. He said CATCH was "the single best thing I ever did in Detroit."

Honoring a Legend

Sparky Anderson's number 10 was retired by the Cincinnati Reds in 2005.

Sparky Anderson's number 11 was retired by the Detroit Tigers in 2011.

Sparky Anderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2000. Even though he managed the Tigers for longer, his Hall of Fame plaque shows him wearing a Cincinnati Reds uniform. He chose this to honor Bob Howsam, the Reds' general manager who gave him his first chance to manage in the major leagues. Sparky was very proud of this honor. He said, "I never wore a World Series ring ... I will wear this ring until I die."

He was also inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in the same year. In 2005, the Reds retired his jersey number, #10. The Detroit Tigers also honored him by retiring his number, #11, in 2011.

In 2007, Sparky Anderson was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Sparky Anderson's Legacy

Sparky Anderson was the first manager to win a World Series in both the National League and American League. This was a very special achievement.

He was also known for a unique habit: he would always step over the foul line when entering or leaving the field, never on it. Cameras often zoomed in to show him carefully avoiding the white chalk line.

A baseball field at California Lutheran University was named the "Sparky Anderson Baseball Field" in 2006. He had helped the university's baseball team.

Sparky Anderson passed away on November 4, 2010, at the age of 76, due to health issues. He was survived by his wife, Carol, their two sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren. His wife Carol passed away in 2013.

The Detroit Tigers honored Sparky throughout the 2011 season. They wore special patches on their uniforms and officially retired his number 11 at their home stadium, Comerica Park.

Media Appearances

• In 1979, Sparky Anderson appeared as himself on an episode of the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati.
• He also appeared as himself in a 1980 episode of The White Shadow.
• In 1983, Sparky appeared as himself in the Disney Channel movie Tiger Town.

See also

• List of Major League Baseball managers by wins