View source for Sparky Anderson

{{Short description|American baseball player and manager (1934–2010)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Sparky Anderson
|image=Sparky Anderson.jpg
|caption=Anderson with the Detroit Tigers, {{c.|1980s}}
|position=[[Second baseman]] / [[Manager (baseball)|Manager]]
|birth_date={{birth date|1934|2|22}}
|birth_place=[[Bridgewater, South Dakota]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|2010|11|4|1934|2|22}}
|death_place=[[Thousand Oaks, California]], U.S.
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|debutleague=MLB
|debutdate=April 10
|debutyear=1959
|debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
|finalleague=MLB
|finaldate=September 27
|finalyear=1959
|finalteam=Philadelphia Phillies
|statleague=MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.218
|stat2label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat2value=34
|stat3label=Managerial record
|stat3value=2,194–1,834–2
|stat4label=Winning %
|stat4value={{Winning percentage|2194|1834}}
|teams=
;As player
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]] ({{mlby|1959}})
;As manager
* [[Cincinnati Reds]] ({{mlby|1970}}–{{mlby|1978}})
* [[Detroit Tigers]] ({{mlby|1979}}–{{mlby|1995}})
;As coach
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|1969}})
|highlights=
* 3× [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1975}}, {{wsy|1976}}, {{wsy|1984}})
* 2× [[AL Manager of the Year]] (1984, 1987)
*[[Cincinnati Reds#Retired numbers|Cincinnati Reds No. 10]] retired
*[[Detroit Tigers#Retired numbers and honorees|Detroit Tigers No. 11]] retired
* [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum|Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[2000 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2000]]
|hofmethod=Veterans Committee
}}
'''George Lee''' "'''Sparky'''" '''Anderson''' (February 22, 1934 – November 4, 2010) was an American [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) player, [[Coach (baseball)|coach]], and [[Manager (baseball)|manager]]. He managed the [[National League (baseball)|National League]]'s [[Cincinnati Reds]] from [[1970 Cincinnati Reds season|1970]] to [[1978 Cincinnati Reds season|1978]] and the [[American League]]'s [[Detroit Tigers]] from [[1979 Detroit Tigers season|1979]] to [[1995 Detroit Tigers season|1995]]. Anderson managed the Reds to two [[World Series]] championships in [[1975 World Series|1975]] and [[1976 World Series|1976]], then added a third title in [[1984 World Series|1984]] with the Tigers. Anderson was the first manager to win the World Series in both leagues. His 2,194 career wins are the [[List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins|seventh-most]] for a manager in Major League history. In his 26-year career, Anderson had only five losing seasons as manager. His 1,331 wins with the Tigers are the most for any manager in team history. Anderson was named American League [[Major League Baseball Manager of the Year Award|Manager of the Year]] in {{baseball year|1984}} and {{baseball year|1987}}. He was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] in 2000.

==Early life==
Anderson was born in [[Bridgewater, South Dakota]], on February 22, 1934. He moved to [[Los Angeles, California]], at the age of eight. He was a batboy for the [[USC Trojans baseball|USC Trojans]].<ref name="NYTimes bio">{{cite news |author=Goldstein |first=Richard |date=November 4, 2010 |title=Sparky Anderson, Hall of Fame Manager, Dies at 76 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/sports/baseball/05anderson.html |access-date=November 6, 2010 |newspaper=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> He attended [[Susan Miller Dorsey High School]] in [[Los Angeles]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=andersp01|title=Sparky Anderson Stats|publisher= Baseball Almanac|access-date= October 19, 2012}}</ref> Upon graduating, he was signed by the [[Los Angeles Dodgers|Brooklyn Dodgers]] as an amateur free agent in {{baseball year|1953}}.<ref name=br>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/andersp01.shtml|title=Sparky Anderson Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref>

Anderson's [[American Legion Baseball|American Legion]] team won the 1951 national championship, which was played in Briggs Stadium ([[Tiger Stadium (Detroit)|Tiger Stadium]]) in Detroit.

Anderson married Carol Valle on October 3, 1953. They had first met when each was in the fifth grade.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://sports.rightpundits.com/?p=5399 | title=Carol Valle Anderson: Sparky Anderson's Wife (Photos, Video) | publisher=Sports.rightpundits.com | date=November 5, 2010 | access-date=July 5, 2016 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815090827/http://sports.rightpundits.com/?p=5399 | archive-date=August 15, 2016 }}</ref>

==Playing career==
Anderson began his playing career with the [[Santa Barbara Dodgers]] of the Class-C [[California League]], where he was primarily used as a [[shortstop]].<ref name=brm>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=anders005geo|title=Sparky Anderson Minor League Statistics and History|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref> In {{baseball year|1954}}, he was moved up to the class-A [[Pueblo Dodgers]] of the [[Western League (1900–1958)|Western League]] and was moved to second base, where he played the rest of his career.<ref name=brm/>

In {{baseball year|1955}}, Anderson was moved another step up the minor league ladder, playing for the Double-A [[Fort Worth Cats]] of the [[Texas League]]. A radio announcer gave him the nickname "Sparky" in 1955 for his feisty play.<ref name="ESPN AP bio">{{cite news |url = https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5764168 |title = Sparky Anderson dies at 76 |publisher = ESPN |agency = Associated Press |date = November 4, 2010 |access-date = November 6, 2010}}</ref> Although his friends and family continued to call him ''George'', Anderson's baseball moniker would remain ''Sparky'' for the rest of his days.

In {{baseball year|1956}}, he moved up once more, this time to the Triple-A [[Montreal Royals]] of the [[International League]]. In {{baseball year|1957}}, he was assigned to the [[Los Angeles Angels (PCL)|Los Angeles Angels]] of the open-classification [[Pacific Coast League]]. The next season, after the Dodgers' move to Los Angeles, he returned to Montreal.<ref name=brm/>

After five minor league seasons without appearing in a Dodger uniform at the MLB level, he was traded to the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] on December 23, 1958, for three players, including [[outfielder]] [[Rip Repulski]].<ref name=br/> The Phillies gave Anderson their starting second base job, and he spent what would be his one full season in the major leagues in [[1959 Philadelphia Phillies season|1959]]. However, he [[batting average (baseball)|batted]] only .218 in 152 games, with no [[home run]]s and 34 [[runs batted in]], and returned to the [[Minor League Baseball|minor leagues]] for the remainder of his playing career.

He played the next four seasons with the [[Toronto Maple Leafs (International League)|Triple-A Toronto Maple Leafs]] in the International League.<ref name=brm/> After watching several practices, Leafs owner [[Jack Kent Cooke]] observed Anderson's leadership qualities and ability to teach younger players from all backgrounds. Cooke immediately encouraged him to pursue a career in managing, offering Anderson the post for the Leafs.

==Managerial career==

===Minor leagues===
In 1964, at the age of 30, Anderson accepted Cooke's offer to manage the Leafs. He later handled minor league clubs at the Class-A and Double-A levels, including a season (1968) in the Reds' minor league system.

During this period, he managed four pennant winners in four consecutive seasons: 1965 with the [[Rock Hill Cardinals]] of the [[Western Carolinas League]], 1966 with the [[St. Petersburg Cardinals]] of the [[Florida State League]], 1967 with the [[Modesto Reds]] of the [[California League]], and 1968 with the [[Asheville Tourists]] of the [[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A]] [[Southern League (1964–2020)|Southern League]]. It was during the 1966 season that Anderson's club lost to Miami 4–3 in 29 innings, which remains the longest pro game played (by innings) without interruption.<ref name=blchron>{{cite news |url=https://baseballbiography.com/sparky-anderson-1934 |title=Sparky Anderson Biography |publisher=Baseball Biography |access-date=2011-10-05 }}</ref>

Anderson also briefly managed in [[Venezuelan Professional Baseball League|Venezuela]], piloting the 1964–65 [[Navegantes del Magallanes]]; he was fired and after a 3–14 start, and replaced by [[Chico Carrasquel]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Alfonso “Chico” Carrasquel, Genio del Campo Corto |publisher=Fondo Editorial Ipasme |pages=166–67 |url=http://repositorio.uac.edu.co/bitstream/handle/11619/1765/El%20Baby%20Pe%C3%B1aloza%20espera%20un%20hit%20que%20lo%20remolque.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}</ref>

He made his way back to the majors in 1969 as the [[coach (baseball)|third-base coach]] of the [[San Diego Padres]] during their maiden season in the National League.

===Cincinnati Reds===
Just after the 1969 season ended, [[California Angels]] manager [[Lefty Phillips]], who as a Dodger scout had signed the teenager Anderson to his first professional contract,<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-05-la-me-sparky-anderson-20101105-story.html Obituary], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 5, 2010</ref> named Anderson to his 1970 coaching staff.

[[File:Darrell Johnson Gerald Ford and Sparky Anderson in 1976 (cropped).jpg|thumb|175px|Anderson (right) with [[Gerald Ford]] and Red Sox manager [[Darrell Johnson]] at the [[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976 All-Star Game]]]]
Within a day of being hired in Anaheim, he was offered the opportunity to succeed [[Dave Bristol]] as manager of the Cincinnati Reds. His appointment reunited Anderson with Reds' [[general manager (baseball)|general manager]] [[Bob Howsam]] and player development director [[Sheldon "Chief" Bender]], for whom he'd worked as a skipper in the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] and Cincinnati minor-league organizations between 1965 and 1968. Anderson was named the Reds manager on October 8, 1969. Since he was a relative unknown in the sports world, headlines on the day after his hiring read "Sparky Who?" At the time of his hiring, Anderson was, at 35, the youngest skipper in baseball.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indystar.com/article/20101104/SPORTS/101104016/Former-Cincinnati-Reds-manager-Sparky-Anderson-dies|work=[[Indianapolis Star]]|title=Former Cincinnati Reds manager Sparky Anderson dies|date=November 4, 2010|access-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref> Nonetheless, Anderson would become the third manager to lead a team to 100 wins as a rookie manager, doing so by leading the Reds to 102 wins and the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[pennant (sports)|pennant]] in {{baseball year|1970}},<ref name=brmgr>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/andersp01.shtml|title=Sparky Anderson Managerial Record|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=November 4, 2010}}</ref> where they lost the [[1970 World Series]] in five games to the [[1970 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]]. During this season, the Reds came to be widely known as the [[Big Red Machine]], a nickname they carried throughout Anderson's tenure.

After an injury-plagued [[1971 Cincinnati Reds season|1971 season]] in which the team finished fourth,<ref name=brmgr/> the Reds came back and won another pennant under Anderson in 1972, beating the [[1972 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]] in five games in the [[1972 National League Championship Series|NLCS]], but losing to the [[1972 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland Athletics]] in seven games in the [[1972 World Series|World Series]]. They took the [[National League West]] division title again in {{baseball year|1973}}, but lost to the [[1973 New York Mets season|New York Mets]] in the [[1973 National League Championship Series|NLCS]], a hard-fought series that went the full five games.

After finishing a close second to the [[1974 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in {{baseball year|1974}}, in {{baseball year|1975}} the Reds blew the division open by winning 108 games. They swept the [[1975 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]] and then edged the [[1975 Boston Red Sox season|Boston Red Sox]] in a drama-filled, seven-game [[1975 World Series|World Series]]. They repeated in {{baseball year|1976}} by winning 102 games, sweeping the Phillies in three games in the [[1976 National League Championship Series|National League Championship Series]], then going on to sweep the [[1976 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] in the [[1976 World Series|Series]]; the only time that a team swept the League Championship Series and World Series since the start of division play. Over the course of these two seasons, Anderson's Reds compiled an astounding 14–3 record in postseason play against the Pirates, Phillies, Red Sox and Yankees, winning their last eight in a row in the postseason after beating the Red Sox in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series, and then winning seven straight games in the 1976 postseason. They remain the only team to sweep the entire post-season since the inception of the league championship series in 1969.

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,<ref name="ESPN AP bio"/><ref name=blbio>{{cite web |url=https://baseballbiography.com/sparky-anderson-1934 |title=Sparky Anderson biography at Baseball Biography |publisher=baseballbiography.com |access-date=2011-10-05 }}</ref> 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 on November 27, 1978<ref name=blbio/> by general manager [[Dick Wagner (baseball)|Dick Wagner]], who had taken over for Howsam a year earlier.<ref name="NYTimes bio"/> Wagner wanted to "shake up" the Reds' coaching staff, to which Anderson objected, leading to his dismissal.<ref name=blbio/>

===Detroit Tigers===
The [[Detroit Tigers]] hired Anderson as their new manager on June 14, {{baseball year|1979}}. Upon seeing the team's young talent, he boldly proclaimed to the press that his team would be a pennant winner within five years.<ref>"One of a Kind." Retrospective article about Anderson in ''Sports Illustrated'', June 28, 1993.</ref> The Tigers became a winning club almost immediately, finishing above .500 in each of Anderson's first three full seasons, but did not get into contention until {{baseball year|1983}}, when they won 92 games and finished second to the [[1983 Baltimore Orioles season|Baltimore Orioles]] in the [[American League East]].

In {{baseball year|1984}}, Detroit opened the season 9–0, was 35–5 after 40 games (a major league record), and breezed to a 104–58 record (a franchise record for wins). On September 23, Anderson became the first manager to win 100 games in a season with two different teams.<ref name=blchron/> They swept the [[1984 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] in the [[1984 American League Championship Series|American League Championship Series]] (ALCS) and then beat the [[San Diego Padres]] in five games in the [[1984 World Series|World Series]] for Anderson's third [[World Series Trophy|world title]]. The 1984 Tigers became the first team since the [[1927 New York Yankees season|1927 New York Yankees]] to lead a league wire-to-wire, from opening day to the end of the World Series. After the season, Anderson won the first of his two [[Manager of the Year Award]]s with the Tigers.<ref name="ESPN AP bio"/>

After the Tigers clinched the AL East division title in 1984, Anderson wrote in his journal: "I have to be honest. I’ve waited for this day since they fired me in Cincinnati. I think they made a big mistake when they did that. Now no one will ever question me again."<ref>Sparky Anderson, "Bless You Boys" (1984), p. 214</ref>

Anderson's Tigers finished in third place in both 1985 and 1986. With a 9–5 win over the [[Milwaukee Brewers]] on July 29, 1986, Anderson became the first to achieve 600 career wins as a manager in both the American and National Leagues.<ref name=blchron/>

Anderson led the Tigers to the Major Leagues' best record in 1987, but the team was upset in the [[1987 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] by the [[Minnesota Twins]]. He won his second Manager of the Year Award that year.<ref name="ESPN AP bio"/> After contending again in 1988, finishing second to [[Boston Red Sox|Boston]] by one game in the AL East, the team collapsed [[1989 in baseball|the following year]], losing a startling 103 games in 1989. During that season, Anderson took a month-long leave of absence from the team as the stress of losing wore on him. First base coach [[Dick Tracewski]] managed the team in the interim.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/20/sports/sports-people-baseball-exhaustion-sidelines-sparky-anderson.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|title='Exhaustion' Sidelines Sparky Anderson|date=May 20, 1989|access-date=November 5, 2010}}</ref>

In 1991, the Tigers finished last in batting average, first in strikeouts 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 behind the rival [[1991 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1991 American League Team Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1991.shtml |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref>

On September 27, 1992, the Tigers beat the [[Cleveland Indians]] 13–3 for Anderson's 1,132nd win with the team, passing [[Hughie Jennings]] as the all-time leader in wins by a Tiger manager. Anderson continues to hold this distinction with 1,331 victories with the Tigers. On April 15, 1993, he won his 2,000th game as manager with a 3–2 victory over the [[Oakland Athletics]], becoming the seventh manager to do so.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/16/sports/baseball-2000-for-sparky-in-april-of-1993.html|title = BASEBALL; 2,000 for Sparky in April of 1993|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 16 April 1993}}</ref>

During his managerial career, Anderson was known to heap lavish praise on his ballplayers when talking to the media. He declared [[Kirk Gibson]] "the next [[Mickey Mantle]]," which he later acknowledged may have put too much pressure on Gibson early in his career. He said [[Mike Laga]], who played for him in 1984, would "make us forget every power hitter who ever lived."<ref>{{cite news |author=Steve Wulf |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1988/08/15/118189/too-hot-not-to-cool-down-with-sharp-pitching-and-an-uncharacteristic-hitting-barrage-detroit-stopped-the-streaking-red-sox-four-games-to-one |title="Too Hot Not To Cool Down" (''Sports Illustrated'', August 15, 1988, from SIVault) |publisher=Sports Illustrated |date=1988-08-15 |access-date=2017-12-03 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> He also said [[Johnny Bench]], who played for him in Cincinnati, "will never throw a baseball as hard as [[Mike Heath (baseball)|Mike Heath]]," a catcher who played for him in Detroit.

Anderson is the last American League manager to date to win a game by [[forfeit (baseball)|forfeit]]. This came a month after being hired in Detroit when, as a result of [[Disco Demolition Night]] in Chicago, the second half of a doubleheader with the [[Chicago White Sox]] had to be called off after an anti-disco demonstration went awry and severely damaged the playing surface at [[Comiskey Park]]. Even after White Sox groundskeepers removed debris from the field, Anderson refused to let the Tigers take the field. He was not only concerned for the safety of his players, but believed the field was unplayable. When American League officials initially made plans to postpone the game until the next afternoon, Anderson demanded that the game be forfeited to the Tigers. He argued that the White Sox, as the home team, were obligated to provide acceptable playing conditions. The next day, American League President [[Lee MacPhail]] largely upheld Anderson's argument and forfeited the second game to the Tigers, 9–0.<ref name = "Youngstown">{{cite news|title=Disco riot rocks, rolls Chisox park|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QkBKAAAAIBAJ&dq=disco%20demolition%20night%20act%20of%20god%20postponement&pg=1397%2C4873831|date=July 13, 1979|access-date=February 14, 2013|newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator|page=18}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Phister ousts Tim Gullikson|page=3, Part 2|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IXVQAAAAIBAJ&dq=disco%20demolition&pg=6661%2C2429259|newspaper=The Milwaukee Sentinel|date=July 14, 1979|access-date=February 14, 2013}}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

===Managerial record===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason
|-
!Games!!Won!!Lost!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
|-
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1970 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1970}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|102|60}}|| '''1st in NL West''' || {{WinLossPct|4|4}} || Lost [[1970 World Series|World Series]] ([[1970 Baltimore Orioles season|BAL]])
|-
![[1971 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1971}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|79|83}}|| 5th in NL West || – || – || – || 
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1972 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1972}}
||154||{{WinLossPct|95|59}}|| '''1st in NL West''' || {{WinLossPct|6|6}} || Lost [[1972 World Series|World Series]] ([[1972 Oakland Athletics season|OAK]])
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1973 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1973}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|99|63}}|| '''1st in NL West''' || {{WinLossPct|2|3}} || Lost [[1973 National League Championship Series|NLCS]] ([[1973 New York Mets season|NYM]])
|-
![[1974 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1974}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|98|64}}|| 2nd in NL West || – || – || – || 
|-style="background:#fde910"
![[1975 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1975}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|108|54}}|| '''1st in NL West''' || {{WinLossPct|7|3}} || '''Won [[1975 World Series|World Series]] ([[1975 Boston Red Sox season|BOS]])'''
|-style="background:#fde910"
![[1976 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1976}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|102|60}}|| '''1st in NL West''' || {{WinLossPct|7|0}} || '''Won [[1976 World Series|World Series]] ([[1976 New York Yankees season|NYY]])'''
|-
![[1977 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1977}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|88|74}}|| 2nd in NL West || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1978 Cincinnati Reds season|CIN]]|| {{mlby|1978}}
||161||{{WinLossPct|92|69}}|| 2nd in NL West || – || – || – || 
|-
! colspan="2"|CIN total ||1449||{{WinLossPct|863|586}}|| || {{WinLossPct|26|16}} ||
|-
![[1979 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1979}}
||106||{{WinLossPct|56|50}}|| Interim || – || – || – ||
|-
![[1980 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1980}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|84|78}}|| 5th in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
!rowspan=2| [[1981 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| rowspan=2| {{mlby|1981}}
||52||{{WinLossPct|29|23}}|| 2nd in AL East || rowspan=2| – || rowspan=2| – || rowspan=2| – || rowspan=2| 
|-
||57||{{WinLossPct|31|26}}|| 4th in AL East
|-
![[1982 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1982}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|83|79}}|| 4th in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1983 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1983}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|92|70}}|| 2nd in AL East || – || – || – ||
|-style="background:#fde910"
![[1984 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1984}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|104|58}}|| '''1st in AL East''' || 7 || 1 || – || '''Won [[1984 World Series|World Series]] ([[1984 San Diego Padres season|SD]])'''
|-
![[1985 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1985}}
||161||{{WinLossPct|84|77}}|| 3rd in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1986 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1986}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|87|75}}|| 3rd in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-style="background:#fdd"
![[1987 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1987}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|98|64}}|| '''1st in AL East''' || 1 || 4 || – || Lost [[1987 American League Championship Series|ALCS]] ([[1987 Minnesota Twins season|MIN]])
|-
![[1988 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1988}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|88|74}}|| 2nd in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1989 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1989}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|59|103}}|| 7th in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1990 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1990}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|79|83}}|| 3rd in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1991 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1991}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|84|78}}|| 2nd in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1992 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1992}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|75|87}}|| 6th in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1993 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1993}}
||162||{{WinLossPct|85|77}}|| 4th in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1994 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1994}}
||115||{{WinLossPct|53|62}}|| 5th in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
![[1995 Detroit Tigers season|DET]]|| {{mlby|1995}}
||144||{{WinLossPct|60|84}}|| 4th in AL East || – || – || – || 
|-
! colspan="2"|DET total ||2579||{{WinLossPct|1331|1248}}|| || {{WinLossPct|8|5}} ||
|-
! colspan="2"|Total<ref name="managerial record">{{cite web|title=Sparky Anderson|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/andersp01.shtml|website=Baseball Reference|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=December 5, 2014}}</ref> ||4028||{{WinLossPct|2194|1834}}|| || {{WinLossPct|34|21}} || 
|}

==Retirement==
[[Image:Sparky Anderson George W. Bush Yogi Berra.jpg|thumb|[[George W. Bush]] chats with Anderson, left, and [[Yogi Berra]].]]

Anderson retired from managing on October 2, 1995,<ref name=blchron/> reportedly disillusioned with the state of the league following the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|1994 strike]] that had also delayed the start of the 1995 season. It is widely believed that Anderson was pushed into retirement by the Tigers, who were unhappy that Anderson refused to manage [[strikebreaker|replacement players]] during [[spring training]] in 1995. Speaking on Detroit's [[WJR]] radio after his retirement, Anderson said he had told his wife that season, "If this is what the game has become, it don't need me no more."<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacLennan |first=Ashley |date=2018-02-08 |title=Sparky Anderson snubbed replacement team in 1995 |url=https://www.blessyouboys.com/2018/2/8/16990850/detroit-tigers-history-sparky-anderson-refused-replacement-players |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Bless You Boys |language=en}}</ref>

He finished with a lifetime record of 2,194–1,834,<ref name="managerial record"/> for a .545 percentage<ref name="managerial record"/> and the third-most wins for a Major League manager at the time, behind only [[Connie Mack]] and [[John McGraw]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5764168 |title=Sparky Anderson dies at 76 |date=November 4, 2010 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> His win total has since been surpassed by [[Tony La Russa]], [[Bobby Cox]], and [[Joe Torre]], placing him sixth on the all-time list.<ref>{{Cite web |title=List of all baseball managers in the major leagues |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/index.shtml |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> Anderson spent the largest portion of his career managing the Tigers, winning the World Series twice with Cincinnati and once with Detroit.<ref name="NYTimes bio"/>

===Post-managerial work===
Both during his tenure with the Tigers, and for a time afterward, Anderson was a commentator and analyst on baseball broadcasts. From [[1979 World Series|1979]] to [[1986 World Series|1986]] (with the exception of [[1984 World Series|1984]]), Anderson was often paired with [[Vin Scully]] and later [[Jack Buck]] on [[Major League Baseball on CBS Radio|CBS Radio]]'s coverage of the World Series. From [[1996 California Angels season|1996]] to [[1998 Anaheim Angels season|1998]], he became a [[color commentator]] for the [[Anaheim Angels]]' cable television broadcasts.

While still in Detroit, Anderson founded the charitable organization CATCH (Caring Athletes Teamed for Children's and Henry Ford hospitals) in 1987, which helped to provide care for seriously ill children whose parents do not have health insurance or the means to otherwise pay for the care. He continued to support and participate in the charity well into his retirement.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catchcharity.org/about.html |title="About CATCH" at www.catchcharity.org |publisher=Catchcharity.org |access-date=2011-10-05 |archive-date=November 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106193254/http://www.catchcharity.org/about.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> When interviewed in 2008, Anderson said that CATCH was "the single best thing I ever did in Detroit."<ref>[http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/06/24/sparkys-final-words/ "Sparky's Last Words" at detroit.cbslocal.com]</ref>

===Honors===
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = CincinnatiReds10.png
|Name   = Sparky Anderson 
|Number = 10
|Team   = Cincinnati Reds
|Year   = 2005
|}}
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = Anderson_DET.png
|Name   = Sparky Anderson 
|Number = 11
|Team   = Detroit Tigers
|Year   = 2011
|}}
Anderson was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] as a manager in 2000. Although he managed 17 seasons in Detroit and just 9 seasons in Cincinnati, his Hall of Fame plaque has him wearing a Cincinnati Reds uniform. He chose to wear the Reds cap at his induction in honor of former GM [[Bob Howsam]], who gave Anderson his first chance at a major-league managing job.<ref name="NYTimes bio"/> Before his induction, Anderson had refused to go inside the Hall because he felt unworthy, saying "I didn't ever want to go into the most precious place in the world unless I belonged."<ref name="ESPN AP bio"/> In his acceptance speech he gave a lot of credit to his players, saying there were two kinds of managers, "One, it ain't very smart. He gets bad players, loses games and gets fired. There was somebody like me that was a genius. I got good players, stayed out of the way, let 'em win a lot, and then just hung around for 26 years."<ref name="NYTimes bio"/> He was very proud of his Hall induction, "I never wore a [[World Series ring]]&nbsp;... I will wear this ring until I die."<ref name="NYTimes bio"/>

Anderson was also inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame the same year. On May 28, 2005, during pre-game ceremonies in [[Cincinnati, Ohio|Cincinnati]], Anderson's [[Jersey (clothing)|jersey]] number, #10, was retired by the [[Cincinnati Reds|Reds]]. A day in Anderson's honor was also held at Detroit's [[Comerica Park]] during the 2000 season.

On June 17, 2006, Anderson's number was retired by the Fort Worth Cats, for whom Anderson had played in 1955.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fwcats.com/info/143 |title=Fort Worth Rock Cats 2006 Season in Review |publisher=Fwcats.com |access-date=2011-10-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928133604/http://www.fwcats.com/info/143 |archive-date=2011-09-28 }}</ref> In 2007, Anderson was elected to the [[Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame]].

During the 2011 season, the Tigers honored Anderson with a patch on their right sleeves. They officially retired his No. 11 on the brick wall at [[Comerica Park]] on June 26, 2011.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2011-06-26 |title=Sparky Anderson's No. 11 retired in emotional ceremony |url=http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110626&content_id=21026394&vkey=news_det&c_id=det |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628153943/http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110626&content_id=21026394&vkey=news_det&c_id=det |archive-date=2011-06-28 |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=MLB.com}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Anderson was the first manager to win a World Series for both a [[National League (baseball)|National League]] and [[American League]] team. 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 won the series with the [[Oakland Athletics]] (AL) in [[1972 World Series|1972]] and [[1973 World Series|1973]]. Williams' 1972 club had defeated Anderson's Reds club.

Anderson's accomplishment was equaled in the [[2006 World Series]], when [[St. Louis Cardinals]] manager [[Tony La Russa]]{{snd}}who had previously won the World Series with the [[Oakland Athletics]] in [[1989 World Series|1989]], and who considers Anderson his mentor{{snd}}led his team to the title over the [[Detroit Tigers]]. Coincidentally, having won a championship while managing the [[Florida Marlins]] in [[1997 World Series|1997]], Tigers manager [[Jim Leyland]] could have achieved this same feat had the Tigers defeated La Russa's Cardinals in the 2006 World Series. During that series, Anderson threw out the [[ceremonial first pitch]] of Game 2 at [[Comerica Park]], the Tigers' home park.

In 2006, construction was completed on the "Sparky Anderson Baseball Field" at [[California Lutheran University]]'s new athletic complex.<ref>{{Cite web |title=George "Sparky" Anderson Field & Ullman Stadium |url=http://www.clusports.com/recruits/facilities/george-anderson/index |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171008153915/http://www.clusports.com/recruits/facilities/george-anderson/index |archive-date=2017-10-08 |website=[[Cal Lutheran Kingsmen and Regals|California Lutheran University Sports]]}}</ref> Anderson had used his influence to attract notable players to the university baseball team,<ref>Hekhuis, Mary (1984). ''California Lutheran College: The First Quarter-Century''. Thousand Oaks, CA: California Lutheran College Press. Page 96.</ref> and he was also awarded the Laundry Medal by the university for being "an inspiration to youth."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlisle |first=Jim |date=August 12, 2013 |title=Carlisle: Back in a simpler time, Cowboys made Cal Lutheran their home |url=http://archive.vcstar.com/news/carlisle-back-in-a-simpler-time-cowboys-made-cal-lutheran-their-home-ep-292455311-351642611.html/ |website=[[Ventura County Star]]}}</ref>

On November 3, 2010, it was announced that Anderson had been placed in [[hospice]] care at his [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]] home because of his deteriorating condition due to progressing [[dementia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=5759008 |title=Sparky Anderson placed in hospice care |publisher=ESPN |date=2010-11-03 |access-date=2011-10-05}}</ref> Anderson died the next day at the age of 76 in Thousand Oaks.<ref name="ESPN AP bio"/> He was survived by his wife of 57 years, Carol, sons Lee and Albert, daughter Shirlee Engelbrecht, and eight grandchildren.<ref name="ESPN AP bio"/> Carol died at age 79 on May 7, 2013, at home in Thousand Oaks.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23197962/carol-anderson-widow-sparky-anderson-dies | title=Carol Anderson, widow of Sparky Anderson, dies | publisher=[[Associated Press]] | work=[[San Jose Mercury News]] | date=May 8, 2013 | access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref>

On June 26, 2011, the Detroit Tigers retired Anderson's number 11. Tiger players also wore commemorative patches on their uniform sleeves all season.<ref>{{cite web |author=Mayo |first=David |date=25 June 2011 |title=Lessons from Sparky Anderson still resonate with Diamondbacks' Kirk Gibson, Alan Trammell |url=http://www.mlive.com/tigers/index.ssf/2011/06/lessons_from_sparky_anderson_s.html |access-date=2011-10-05 |work=The Grand Rapids Press |publisher=MLive.com}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

==Media appearances==
* In 1979, Anderson guest-starred as himself on an episode of ''[[WKRP in Cincinnati]]''. The episode (titled "Sparky"), features Anderson as a talk-show host on the fictional station. Eventually Anderson is let go, prompting him to say, "I must be nuts. Every time I come into this town, I get fired!"
* Anderson appeared as himself in ''[[The White Shadow (TV series)|The White Shadow]]'' season 3 episode "If Your Number's Up, Get it Down" in 1980. Falahey introduces him to Coolidge, but Coolidge replies with "Sorry you lost, but I voted for you." Coolidge mistakenly thought he was 1980 independent presidential candidate [[John B. Anderson|John Anderson]].
* Anderson appeared as himself in the 1983 [[Disney Channel]] movie ''[[Tiger Town]]''.

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball managerial wins and winning percentage leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball managers with most career ejections]]
* ''[[Bless You Boys: Diary of the Detroit Tigers' 1984 Season]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}} 
{{wikiquote}}
*{{Baseball Hall of Fame profile|anderson-sparky}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=110238|espn=17674|br=a/andersp01|fangraphs=1000243|brm=anders005geo|retro=A/Pandes101}}
*{{baseball-reference manager|andersp01}}
*{{Sabrbio|8762afda}}
*[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=andersp01 Sparky Anderson] at Baseball Almanac
*{{IMDb name|1117332}}

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-sports}}}}
{{Succession box| title=[[Toronto Maple Leafs (International League)|Toronto Maple Leafs Manager]] | before=[[Bill Adair]] | years=1964| after= [[Dick Williams]]}}
{{Succession box| title=[[Rock Hill Cardinals|Rock Hill Cardinals Manager]] | before=[[Hal Smith (catcher)|Hal Smith]] | years=1965| after= [[Jack Krol]]}}
{{Succession box| title=[[St. Petersburg Cardinals|St. Petersburg Cardinals Manager]] | before=First manager | years=1966| after= [[Ron Plaza]]}}
{{Succession box| title=[[Modesto Reds|Modesto Reds Manager]] | before=[[Gus Niarhos]] | years=1967| after= [[Joe Cunningham (baseball)|Joe Cunningham]]}}
{{Succession box| title=[[Asheville Tourists|Asheville Tourists Manager]] | before=[[Chuck Churn]] | years=1968| after= [[Alex Cosmidis]]}}
{{Succession box| title=[[San Diego Padres]] [[coach (baseball)|third base coach]] | before=Franchise established | years=1969| after= [[Dave Garcia]]}}
{{S-end}}

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{{Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame}}
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{{Sporting News Manager of the Year Award}}
{{Cincinnati Reds retired numbers}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Sparky}}
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