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Sparky Anderson

George Lee “Sparky” Anderson was one of the great baseball men of all time in terms of success, integrity, and personality. He led the Cincinnati Reds to back-to-back championships in 1975 and 1976, and the Detroit Tigers to a World Series title in 1984, becoming the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues. Four times in his career, teams he managed won more than 100 games, and in six other seasons his teams won at least 90 games. In his 26 years managing in the majors Anderson amassed 2,194 victories, five pennants, and three World Series championships.

Born in Bridgewater, South Dakota, on February 22, 1934, to LeRoy and Shirley Anderson, George relocated with his family in 1942 to Southern California, where his father and grandparents found wartime work in the shipyards. LeRoy played some semipro baseball and passed his love of the game on his son. Young George became a batboy for the University of Southern California’s Trojans baseball team, coached by Raoul “Rod” Dedeaux, an early influence in Anderson’s baseball life.

During his childhood A

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Sparky Anderson Biography

Sometimes it's not a lengthy resume of past success that gets one a job, it can be intangible qualities the separates one candidate from another. Such was the case in 1970 when the Cincinnati Reds hired little known Sparky Anderson to become their manager, feeling his managerial style would best compliment their players and offset his lack of managerial experience. Their hunch proved correct as the Reds achieved immediate success and Anderson began a career that would make him one of the most successful managers in baseball history.

As is the case with many managers, Sparky Anderson had a brief and non-distinguished playing career. He toiled in the Dodger minor league system for six years before being traded to the Phillies in 1959. Philadelphia gave him the starting second baseman's job, but Anderson was hardly up to the task batting a lowly .218 and driving in just 34 runs without a home run for the last place Phils. That would turn out to be his only big league opportunity as he returned to the Minor Leagues and eventually gave up his playing aspira

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Sparky Anderson

George Lee Anderson was born February 22, 1934 in Bridgewater, South Dakota. The family had little money and moved to Los Angeles in 1942 in search of work in the shipyards. Anderson's interest in baseball was first sparked by his father, who played catcher on a semipro team and encouraged his son's interest in the sport. After hanging around the baseball field at the University of Southern California, Anderson was offered a job as the team's batboy and formed a lifelong relationship with their coach, Rod Dedeaux. The world revolved around baseball for Anderson and his friends. It was the only thing that caught his attention other than Carol Valle. Valle, a girl he met in the fifth grade, would become his wife in 1953.

Anderson took two buses to attend Dorsey High because the school he was supposed to attend didn't offer baseball. Playing shortstop for Dorsey, he was recognized for his enthusiasm for the game more than his talent.

Sparky Anderson

"There were some guys with much greater ability," remembered Dedaux in Anderson's book They Call Me Sparky. "But