Former Reds/Tigers manager Sparky Anderson placed in hospice care

[CubanMustGo]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5759008

Former Detroit Tigers (http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/det/detroit-tigers) and Cincinnati Reds (http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/_/name/cin/cincinnati-reds) manager Sparky Anderson has been placed in hospice care at his Thousands Oaks, Calif., home for complications resulting from dementia.


Anderson family's said in a statement Wednesday they appreciate the support and kindness that friends and fans have shown throughout the Hall of Famer's career and retirement.

No further details were released.

Anderson guided the Tigers to a World Series title in 1984 and led them for 17 seasons. He won four National League pennants with the Reds, including back-to-back World Series titles with the "Big Red Machine" in 1975-'76.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a veterans committee selection in 2000.

Anderson was the first manager to win more than 100 games in a season in the American and National leagues. He has 2,194 career wins.

Anderson, a regular visitor to Detroit-area events supporting a charitable foundation he established in 1987, appeared at a reunion of the 1984 Tigers in 2009.

"Think about this now, there will be four or five of these guys together again, maybe, but never all together again," he said at the time, according to the Detroit News. "I'm 75. I know I ain't going to make it."

[JamStone]

Great manager. Unbelievable human being.

God bless you, Sparky.

[desflood]

:(

[monosylab1k]

mw8MTSYxf4c

[JamStone]

RIP Sparky.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5764168


Sparky Anderson dies at 76

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson has died, his family announced Wednesday. He was 76.

Anderson, who managed the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers to World Series titles, died as a result of complications from dementia, family spokesman Dan Ewald said in a statement.

His death came a day after the family announced he had been placed in hospice care at his home.

Anderson won 2,194 games as a manager, which was the third-highest total in major league history when he retired, trailing Connie Mack and John McGraw. He now stands sixth, also trailing Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre.

Anderson was the first manager to win World Series titles in both leagues and the only manager to lead two franchises in career wins.

He led Cincinnati's Big Red Machine to World Series wins in 1975-76. He won four National League pennants in Cincinnati from 1970-78 and then was fired after consecutive second-place finishes.

Anderson went to the American League and won there, too, directing the Tigers to a World Series title in 1984 and a division title in 1987. He retired after the 1995 season and was added to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

Ewald knew Anderson for about 35 years as a former Tigers spokesman and baseball writer for the Detroit News.

"Sparky Anderson will always be measured by his number of victories and his place in baseball's Hall of Fame. But all of that is overshadowed by the type of person he was. Sparky not only spiked life into baseball, he gave life in general something to smile about. Never in my lifetime have I met a man as gentle, kind and courageous as Sparky," he said.

The white-haired Anderson was a flop as a player, batting .218 during his only season in the majors. He learned to control a temper that nearly scuttled his fledgling career as a manager, and went on to become one of baseball's best at running a team.

And he did it with a humility that couldn't obscure his unique ability to manage people.

"I got good players, stayed out of their way, let them win a lot and then just hung around for 26 years," he said during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech in 2000.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda said Wednesday that when he saw Anderson at the annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony in August, it was obvious something was wrong.

"He looked bad,'' Lasorda said. "He was really down. He was very sickly, and we had to take him off the stage. And then I called him about 10 days ago because I was thinking about him. We spoke, but I didn't want to speak too long because he sounded exhausted, you know? We talked for maybe eight or 10 minutes, and he thanked me for thinking of him, and that was it.''

Anderson is survived by his wife, Carol; three children and nine grandchildren.

[CubanMustGo]

RIP Sparky. You were a classic original.

[sa_butta]

RIP Sparky.

[tlongII]

I grew up outside of Cincinatti and went to Reds games as a kid. I was a HUGE fan of the Big Red Machine. R.I.P. Sparky. It's been a tough week losing Luke and now Sparky. :depressed

[ducks]

sparky best manager

[Fpoonsie]

mw8MTSYxf4c

:lmao

Sturm's come a looooooooong way. Jesus.

[samikeyp]

Sparky was class on and off the field. His biggest lesson to his players was respect of the game. Something we could use more of.

RIP

[desflood]

Goodbye to one of the greats. RIP Sparky.

[buhog]

Sparky was the engine in the big Red machine!

RIP Sparky

[A.Alan]

he is really a faithful manager .