RIP, SParky

[dando]

Man I hated those Reds teams in the 70s, but I always respected the heck outta Sparky. Only a couple of the old school managers are left....Tommy Baseball, Jim Leyland, etc. :cry: :(

-Kevin

[Don Quixote]

Rest in peace Sparky. The man was a national treasure. They called him captain hook because he went to the bullpen early and often. When he trotted to the mound, he never stepped on the chalk baseline, due to superstition. During rainouts he would sometimes go up to the booth and chat with Joe Nuxhall and Marty B. Many great stories came out of those sessions. I think he is the only manager to ever record 100+ win seasons in each league. He was an easy man to respect and like. :(

[dando]

http://www.freep.com/article/20101104/SPORTS02/101104083/Flashback-Ernie-Harwell-on-Sparky-Anderson


When Sparky's Reds played the Orioles in the 1970 World Series, he had a second-string catcher named Pat Corrales. In his third year of backing up Johnny Bench, Corrales was finishing the sixth year of his nine-year, undistinguished career.

The Orioles were leading the series, three games to one. The final game at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium found the Birds ahead, 9-3, in the ninth. It was all over -- just a matter of three more outs.

Mike Cueller retired the first two Reds easily. One to go and the Orioles were champions.

Corrales was watching from the dugout. It was his first World Series and his last. Anderson looked down the bench toward Corrales.

“Pat,” he told him, “get up there and hit for Hal McRae. You deserve to be in a World Series, and this might be your only chance.”

Corrales grounded out to third baseman Brooks Robinson and the series was over. But he had batted in a World Series -- thanks to a thoughtful manager.


Ernie, Marty and the Old Lefthander (rounding 3rd and heading for home). :thumbup:

-Kevin

[devilmaster]

Thank You Sparky... :thumbup:

http://media.mlive.com/tigers_impact/photo/sparky-anderson-detroit-tigers-898896db81c4ab7d_large.jpg

[TravelGal]

To me Sparky will always be synonymous with the Big Red Machine. I can't tell you how many games I saw in Riverfront Stadium and around the league. Someone more eloquent than I just wrote online:

The passage of time, like the passage of youth, takes away the people we idolized in our time growing up.

RIP Sparky. You were the real deal.

[cameraman]

He really was a class act but he was also the leader of the enemy...

RIP Sparky

[stroker]

The only thing I know about Sparky is that he was fired by Arthur Carlson.

[BarillaGirl]

RIP Sparky.

Still a little stunned, as reading it here is the first I heard the news. :(

[JohnHKart]

I loved those old school team managers when I was a kid. Much respect. Sad to see him gone.

[Andrew Longman]

Dando, that's a great story. And shows why he was a good man and successful manager.

I hated (but respect) the Big Red Machine and still can't stomach Joe Morgan, but I liked his Tigers. That was a good and likable team.