Hall of Famer, Sparky Anderson, former manager of Cincinnati's Big Red Machine when they won back-to-back World Series Championships and then won another World Series with the Detroit Tigers, died today at 76.
Anderson was the first manager to win World Series titles in both leagues and the only manager to lead two franchises in career wins.
His total of 2,194 wins as a manager were the third highest when he retired after the 1995 season, trailing only Connie Mack and John McGraw.
Will Pete Rose, the best baseball player not in the Hall of Fame, come to the funeral?
Paul in PA
R.I.P. Sparky. from a kid who grew up going to your games in old Tiger Stadium. Thanx for the memories.
I really liked Sparky and the team he put together in Detroit.
Are you sure about the age, maybe 96? At 76, that would make hime 3 years younger than my dad, and Sparky looked to be nearly 70 when he was managing the Tigers back in the late 70s and 80s.
I had to check. Several sources put him at 76, born 2/22/1934. Wow, he must have had a rough life his first 40 or so.
Sparky Anderson was a great manager who wasn't afraid to move his players around (he had Pete Rose move to third base after eight years in the outfield, to make room for long ball hitter George Foster in the outfield). He managed five pennant winners, and his teams won three World Series.
Anderson was also a principled man, who refused to manage a team made up of replacement players during 1994-1995 labor dispute. Although he managed the Reds for nine years and the Tigers for eighteen, he had a Reds cap on his head for his plaque at Cooperstown, in memory of Bob Howsam, his first GM.
Although they did not speak for many years, Anderson and Rose were not on bad terms lately.
Anderson saw Rose at the Hall of Fame in July 2009, when at the urging of his wife, he went into one of the shops where Rose was doing his annual autograph signing session. The two spoke briefly.
Then, this past summer, Rose was a guest at Anderson's home for an afternoon/evening.
Aww man that sucks. RIP Sparky!!
My favorite manager of all time is Whitey Herzog. He's gotta be up there in age now too. 🙁
Terrible loss for the baseball community!!!
He probably is my favorite coach of all time.
George Lee Anderson, Dead At 76
definitely one of the best managers and from the era when ballplayers had great 'nicks' like Sparky.
