http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/sports/baseball/05anderson.html Sparky Anderson, the first manager to win World Series championships with teams from both the National and American leagues, died on Thursday in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He was 76. His death was announced by Dan Ewald, a family spokesman, The Associated Press reported. Anderson had been placed in hospice care in Thousand Oaks because of complications of dementia, his family said in a statement on Wednesday. Anderson managed the Cincinnati Reds to four pennants and two World Series titles in the 1970s, a memorable seven-game victory over the Boston Red Sox in 1975 and a sweep of the Yankees in 1976. Called the Big Red Machine, they had one of the most talented lineups in baseball history. After nine years in Cincinnati, he managed Detroit for 16 ½ seasons, capturing his third World Series championship in 1984, when the Tigers defeated the San Diego Padres in five games.
RIP Sparky, dementia and all, im sure you could have been a better manager than Jerry Manuel was this past season.
Speaking of which, I'm hoping we can get Earl Weaver to come in and manage this team, if only for the salty language, but mostly because he fits the Alderson strategy to a tee. -X-
