The World of Baseball

There have been quite a few characters who have managed in Major League Baseball. From Connie Mack to John McGraw to Earl Weaver, the manager plays an integral part of a baseball game. Few did it better than Sparky Anderson. He managed for 26 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds (1970-1978) and the Detroit Tigers (1979-1995).

Anderson led the Reds to the World Series in his first season at the helm in 1970. The Reds lost to the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series. Anderson had stars like Pete Rose, Johnny Bench and Tony Perez. Joe Morgan would join the Reds in 1972, forming what is known as the “Big Red Machine.”

Anderson led the Reds to two straight championships in 1975 and 1976. They won over 100 games in the regular season both years. Anderson was fired by the Reds after the 1978 season. He became the Tigers manager during the 1979 season. They had homegrown players such as Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, Lance Parrish, and Jack Morris. These players would help Anderson win another championship in 1984. He became the first manager to win a championship in the American and National League.

Anderson retired after the 1995 season. He finished with 2,194 wins, which is 7th all time among managers. Anderson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. He passed away at the age of 76 in 2010. Anderson is one of the greatest managers in the history of Major League Baseball.