Anderson, Sparky

Anderson, Sparky (George Lee Anderson), 1934–, American baseball manager, b. Bridgewater, S.Dak. A one-season (1959) infielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, he became the manager of the Cincinnati Reds, also of the National League, in 1970. He guided the “Big Red Machine” to four pennants (1970, 1972, 1975–76) and won two World Series (1975–76) before moving (1979) to the helm of the American League's Detroit Tigers. In 1984 he led the Tigers to more than 100 wins and victory in the World Series, becoming the first manager to achieve those feats in both leagues. When he left Detroit after the 1995 season, Anderson had won 2,194 games, third in baseball history to Connie Mack and John J. McGraw.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

• • Cite
  • Print