Sparky Anderson
From BR Bullpen
George Lee Anderson (Captain Hook)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 170 lb.
- High School Dorsey High School
- Debut April 10, 1959
- Final Game September 27, 1959
- Born February 22, 1934 in Bridgewater, SD USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2000
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[edit] Introduction
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (born February 22, 1934 in Bridgewater, SD) is ranked fourth all-time for career managerial wins (behind Connie Mack, John McGraw and Tony LaRussa) and is one of only two managers in the history of Major League Baseball to win the World Series while leading clubs in both leagues (Tony LaRussa, 1989 Athletics and 2006 Cardinals, is the other). He piloted the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. It is interesting to note that either manager in the 1984 Series would have been the first to win in both leagues, since San Diego Padres (NL) manager Dick Williams had previously won the series with the Oakland Athletics (AL).
[edit] Playing career
Anderson was a "good field, no-hit" middle infielder as a player. He played one full season in the major leagues, as the regular second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1959. However, a .218 average with no power ended his big-league career at that point. His first baseball card appearance was in the 1959 Topps set.
He played the next four seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the International League, but never got a second chance in the majors. Finally, in 1964, Anderson moved into the manager's job in Toronto. He won four pennants as a minor league manager between 1964 and 1968, then spent 1969 as a coach for the San Diego Padres. Finally, in 1970, Anderson was named manager of the Reds.
[edit] Manager
"Talent is one thing. Being able to go from spring to October is another." - Sparky Anderson
He won 102 games and the pennant in his first season, but then lost the World Series in five games to the Baltimore Orioles. After an injury-plagued 1971, the Reds came back and won another pennant in 1972, losing to the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. They took the National League West division title in 1973, then finished a close second to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974.
Finally, in 1975, the Reds blew the division open by winning 108 games, swept the National League Championship Series and then edged the Boston Red Sox in a drama-filled, seven-game World Series. They repeated in 1976 by winning 102 games and ultimately sweeping the New York Yankees in the Series. During this time, Anderson became known as Captain Hook for his penchant for taking out a starting pitcher at the first sign of weakness and going to his bullpen, relying heavily on closers Will McEnaney and Rawly Eastwick.
When the aging Reds finished second to the Dodgers in each of the next two seasons, Anderson was fired. The Reds won the division title again in 1979 with John McNamara at the helm but lost three straight to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the League Championship Series. They would not make the playoffs again until 1990.
Anderson moved on to the young Detroit Tigers after being hired as their new manager on June 14, 1979. The Tigers became a winning club almost immediately, but didn't get into contention until 1983, when they finished second.
In 1984, Detroit opened the season 35-5 (a major league record) and breezed to an American League East Division title. The Tigers' 104-58 record made Anderson the first manager ever to win 100 games in a season in both leagues. They swept the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series and then beat the San Diego Padres in the World Series for Anderson's third title. After the season, Anderson won the first of his two Manager of the Year Awards with the Tigers.
Anderson led the Tigers to the majors' best record in 1987, although they needed last-week heroics to finish ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays, but the team was upset in the ALCS by the Minnesota Twins. He won his second Manager of the Year Award that year. After contending again in 1988, the team collapsed in 1989.
He probably did his best managerial job in 1991, when the Tigers finished last in batting average, first in batting strike outs and near the bottom of the league in most pitching categories, but still led their division in late August before settling for a second-place finish. The secret was a power-packed lineup led by sluggers Cecil Fielder, Mickey Tettleton and Rob Deer which led the league in home runs and walks that season.
He retired from managing after the 1995 season with a lifetime record of 2194-1834, for a .545 winning percentage. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager in 2000. He was also inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame the same year.
On May 28, 2005, during pre-game ceremonies in Cincinnati, Anderson's jersey number, 10, was retired by the Reds. In 2006, construction was completed on George "Sparky" Anderson Field at Ullman Stadium at California Lutheran University's new athletic complex.
[edit] Trivia
- In 1979, Sparky guest-starred as himself on an episode of (appropriately enough) WKRP in Cincinnati. The episode was titled Sparky.
- Sparky earned the nickname "Captain Hook" because of his tendency to pull underperforming pitchers early in the game.
"I refuse to call a 52 year old man Sparky." - Umpire Al Clark about Sparky Anderson
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 2-time AL Manager of the Year Award (1984 & 1987)
- Division Titles: 7 (1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1984 & 1987)
- NL Pennants: 4 (1970, 1972, 1975 & 1976)
- AL Pennants: 1 (1984)
- Managed three World Series Champions with the Cincinnati Reds (1975 & 1976) and the Detroit Tigers (1984)
- 100 Wins Seasons as Manager: 4 (1970, 1975, 1976 & 1984)
- Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 2000
| Preceded by Dave Bristol | Cincinnati Reds Manager 1970-1978 | Succeeded by John McNamara |
| Preceded by Dick Tracewski | Detroit Tigers Manager 1979-1995 | Succeeded by Buddy Bell |
[edit] Year-by-Year Managerial Record
[edit] Related Sites
Some or all content from this article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Sparky Anderson".
