Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson dead at 76

[Faygo Kid]

Source: Associated Press

Sparky Anderson, the white-haired Hall of Fame manager who directed Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine to back-to-back World Series championships and won another one in Detroit, died Thursday. He was 76.

Anderson died from complications from dementia, family spokesman Dan Ewald said. A day earlier, Anderson’s family said he had been placed in hospice care.

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

His total of 2,194 wins as a manager were the third highest when he retired after the 1995 season, trailing only Connie Mack and John McGraw. . .

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-obit-anderson

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Goodbye, Sparky, and thanks.

[madrchsod]

1. i always thought he was a cool guy...

that`s quite a line-up he`s going to.

[smiley]

3. anybody with the name Sparky...

has to be cool.

R.I.P. Sparky

[FSogol]

2. Great, great coach. n/t

[Burma Jones]

4. RIP........

Sparky and Earl Weaver were my favorite Managers growing up.......

[elocs]

5. That didn't take long. Probably better that way. A great manager.

I was a huge Red's fan during the Big Red Machine years. It was quite a treat and Sparky was the heart of it.

[theHandpuppet]

6. RIP Sparky

We love ya, man.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. He just went into hospice care in the last couple of days

That was a fast, no-nonsense exit. Sad, merciful, somehow fitting.

R.I.P.

:hi:

[Psephos]

8. See you in that cornfield in Iowa, Sparky. RIP. n/t

[amandabeech]

9. A great manager and a great guy.

That world series win with Detroit was my very favorite sports moment.

I'm glad that he had peaceful and relatively quick exist.

He will be missed by so many.

[sufrommich]

10. Just saw this on the local news.Goodbye Sparky.

You'll be missed.

[Doctor_J]

11. The best MLB manager in my lifetime

I am a 54-yr-old baseball fan

[Faygo Kid]

12. And I'm 59, and agree. He was an even better person.

Like Ernie Harwell, he treated everyone with the dignity they deserve.

I think of my late former father in law, who was a huge Sparky and Tigers' fan, and the terrific moments we spent together watching them, particularly in 1984. I also think of Tiger Stadium, and my boyhood hero, Al Kaline (still with us and healthy, thankfully).

I got to meet Sparky a few times. He had such a good influence on his players; all of them speak about how he made them better persons, not just ballplayers.

I shall miss him.