Sparky Anderson, though a former player, is world renowned for his managerial career. Being a middle infielder, Anderson played as an apprentice with the Texas League Fort Worth Cats of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1995. His only MLB career lasted with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1959 as a regular second baseman.
Having played 4 seasons in the Triple-A’s Toronto Maple Leafs’ team in the International League, Anderson retired from his playing career in 1964 and took up a manager’s job in Toronto to begin with.
| Position | Center Field |
| Born | 22 Feb 1934 |
| Nationality |
United States
|
Anderson returned to the MLB only as a manager 1969 as coach of San Diego Padres, only to be appointed as manager of the Cincinnati Reds 2 years later. He managed the Reds for eight years and earned them several titles before moving on to the Detroit Tigers to repeat the same.
Anderson retired as a manager in 1995 with a lifetime record of 2194-1834, for a .545 percentage. Anderson’s tendency to use the bullpen staff constantly earned him the nickname “Captain Hook,” which has now become the standard for MLB.
Career Highlights
Sparky Anderson was the first manager in history to win World Series championships in American as well as National Leagues.
He has won a total of 2194 games, the third highest in MLB history, and 2 Manager of the Year Awards and also 5 league pennants and 3 World Series crowns.
Anderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 2000, while in 2005 the Reds retired his number 10 jersey.
