They Call Him Sparky . . . and George

by Kelly Huffman and Chris Hansen

Here's the story of a man with two personalities. To those who knew him as a manager and a player, he was known as Sparky, a nickname given to him by a broadcaster in 1955 for his argumentative nature. To those fortunate enough to know him away from the diamond, he's simply known as George.

Anderson Career Highlights As a player With Phillies • One season (1959) as 2B - .218 BA (104-for-477), 0 HR, 34 RBI's in 152 games As a manager With Reds • Managed from 1970-1978, winning a club-record 863 games • Led Reds to World Series appearances in 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, winning it all in '75 and '76 • 1975 club won 108 games, fifth-highest total in history As a manager With Tigers • Managed from 1979-1995, winning a club-record 1,431 games • Led Tigers to World Series win in 1984 and LCS appearance in 1987 • 1984 club also won 104 games and drew 2,704,794 to Tiger Stadium, both totals are highest in team history

For 26 years, Sparky Anderson paced dugouts around the country, spouting fire and determination while his white hair sneaked out from under his cap. Along the way, he racked up a whopping 2,194 wins, the third-highest total in baseball history behind Connie Mack and John McGraw. In 1975 and '76 he won world championships with Cincinnati and then did the same thing with Detroit in 1984. No other manager has ever won World Series in both leagues. Heck, no other manager has won 100 games in the two circuits and lead two clubs in franchise wins.

But now, for the time being anyway, those days have passed.

Enter George Anderson.

For the past three seasons, George has lent his voice to Angels broadcasts on Fox Sports West as a color analyst. Broadcasting keeps him close to the game he loves and continues to sell to the public as a goodwill ambassador. Perhaps no man, outside of a certain Dodger blue-bleeder, has done more for promoting the game over the last 30-plus years.

Two sides, one man, one large heart. Even with all the victories and championships, Sparky never sought accolades for his accomplishments. All the credit went to his players. One of the many famous quotes attributed to Sparky goes like this: "No manager ever won no ball games." (Or graded high in grammar, apparently.)

One incident that speaks volumes about Sparky's dedication to his players and team occurred in 1995. With the strike threatening to wipe out the start of the season, team owners turned to replacement players to fill out rosters. Sparky, who for the first time that season was to make over $1 million, decided to go home rather than manage. His reasoning? He wasn't hired to manage replacement players. He was hired to manage the Detroit Tigers.

He lost $3,330 a day but stayed firm in his beliefs. And the support from players, fans and fellow managers was overwhelmingly positive.

Sparky's tenure as a manager ended in 1995, opening the door to the press box and broadcasting. In addition to his broadcasting duties, George spends his time giving speeches to businesses around the country through Dick Hall Promotions. Even though he could give speeches "25 days a month," the fiery 64-year old sticks to a light schedule, around six a month.

That's largely because George has a family to keep up with. He and his wife Carol have three children and grandchildren numbering in the teens. That doesn't even count his former players and their children who look up to George as a father figure. They number in the hundreds.

So does George want to become a father to a new batch of players? Sparky says maybe, if the situation were right. Last year, with the turmoil surrounding Ray Knight, a movement arose in Cincinnati for the return of the Big Red Machine's skipper. While Sparky remains on friendly terms with "Margie" Schott, he refused to speak about the job. Knight, after all, was one of his former players.

Did you know ... Baltimore Orioles' pitcher Scott Kamieniecki and White Sox hurler Jim Abbott attended the University of Michigan at the same time. In 1986 Abbott was a freshman and Kamieniecki was a senior when the team won the Big 10 and lost in the regionals...Anaheim Angels' outfielder Jim Edmonds' favorite players in high school were Fred Lynn and Nolan Ryan...The Kansas City Royals dedicate countless hours to civic and charitable endeavors each year, especially in their local community. These endeavors include youth baseball clinics, school assemblies, hospital visits, autograph sessions, speaking engagements, and numerous charity fund raisers. In 1997, the designated Royals Charities were: Reviving Baseball in the Inner City (RBI), The Harvesters-The Community Food Network, Children's Mercy Hospital, and The Kansas City Hospice.

George concedes that Sparky's days as manager are probably best left to the history books. He realizes that the days of the shoot-from-the-hip managers (ie: Lasorda, Durocher, Stengel) have passed on. As Tigers President John McHale told the Detroit News, "For a lot of reasons, good and bad, baseball is moving toward people who think and talk like me, rather than like Sparky. We're trained to measure our thoughts and moves. That was never Sparky. He never held back."

And perhaps for that reason, you will never see Sparky pacing a dugout again. But unless a travesty occurs, you will see him enshrined in the Hall of Fame some day soon.

But George will live on. He founded Caring Athletes Team for Children's & Henry Ford Hospitals (CATCH) to help sick and needy youngsters in Detroit. The money the foundation raises helps children in the two hospitals or gets put into an endowment for future use. These little ones are just an extension of George's enormous family.

He's also added published author to his resume. In March of 1998, They Call Me Sparky hit the bookshelves. George recounts his life as the son of a painter who went on to become one of the greatest managers in baseball history. He displays wit and unique word play that has made Sparky a legend among interviewers.

George and Sparky, the same great man with two unique personalities.