Sparky Anderson Biography

1934-

American baseball manager

George "Sparky" Anderson became a big league manager at the age of thirty-five and left the game with 2,228 victories after twenty-six years running the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers. Although there are only two managers in baseball that have won more games, Connie Mack and John McGraw, Anderson is the last person to take credit for his success. His modesty is almost as astonishing as his record. Even with seven division titles, five pennants and three World Series' on his resume, Sparky Anderson has always insisted his success was due largely to luck and the players he had the honor of managing. His unusual manner of speech and penchant for exaggeration made Anderson a lovable throwback to the golden age of baseball. But what made the Hall of Fame skipper one of the games' great ambassadors, however, was his commitment to principle and his belief in treating everyone—from the ballpark's elevator operator to his star players—with the same generosity and respect.

SELECTED WRITINGS BY ANDERSON:

(With Dan Ewald) They Call Me Sparky, Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, MI, 1998.