RIP Sparky Anderson

[Matt Foley]

Ya know, this thread was supposed to be about Sparky Anderson

Not Sparky, but Reds related...

* Tom Seaver got hosed the year Valenzuela won his first Cy Young. Seaver was 14-2 that year. Valenzuela got it because he had that huge start and got all the press. I have hated individual awards since.

* The pitchers I remember from the Big Red Machine were Don Gullett, Jack Billingham, Freddy Norman, and Gary Nolan.

* As Reds manager, Sparky believed in picking out your best nine and playing them almost exclusively. He managed his pitching staff the opposite way.

[dimbee]

at this thread...

[charlotte49er]

Yep. I got the year and the series wrong

When I met Seaver, it was his first year in Cincy, so it would have been 77, and actually not the year of the World Series but the year after. Remembered them going to the series at the time just had the order wrong and had the opponents mixed up. I thought they beat the Yankees first, then the Red Sox. I had it flip-flopped.

The joy of age

Seaver and another guy (name escapes me, but he was a pitcher) were hanging around outside while Rose was doing an autograph session inside. Joe Morgan and Sparky Anderson came by later on, and Bench too at some point. I wouldn't have recognized Seaver but my buddy's parents (the people who took us on the trip) did.

I know I still have the autographs I got, but they're in a box somewhere.

I have autogrpahed baseballs of just about everyone on the 75/76 Big Red Machine except Joe Morgan.

Seaver came along later then the 75 & 76 Championship teams. But he threw a no-hitter with the Reds. Seaver and Bench made a great pitching duo.

Was it 1981-1982? when the Phillies won the World Series with 1/3 of the team, ex-Reds? I know there was Perez, Rose, and I want to say Morgan, but my memory is fuzzy on that one. Morgan might have been with San Fran.

[Mr. Scot]

I still have the baseball I got autographed by Pete Rose, though that might be kind of a mixed blessing at this point :sosp:

Sadly, the one autograph I likely don't have anymore is Sparky's

My mother got me Sparky Anderson's book ("The Main Spark") when I was eleven or twelve. I didn't end up reading it then but wish I had. Don't have it anymore, sadly. It and several other books I had got damaged by a water leak at my old house. I'd kept the piece of paper with Sparky's autograph inside that book and likely forgot to take it out before throwing the book away.

But then the book was ruined, so the paper with the autograph might have been too.

[Davidson Deac II]

If memory serves, Anderson won a World Series in Detroit. Thats an amazing accomplishment by itself.

[ladypanther]

Got to meet Sparky, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver and Pete Rose (among others) on a trip to Cincinnati the year the went to the World Series against the Red Sox.

Those were the days for baseball.

\

That was a great team.Awesome that you got to meet them. Johnny Bench was my favorite player. Read somewhere that Sparky said he had good players and then just stayed out of their way. Great manager.

[Matt Foley]

Don't forget the Reds had the best record in baseball in 1981 and DIDN'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS.

[Kevin Greene]

Don't forget the Reds had the best record in baseball in 1981 and DIDN'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS.

True, but it was decided after the mid season strike the teams who won the first half and second half would make the playoffs. The Reds knew that going in like everyone else.

Dems da breaks.

Was a fantastic end to the season too. Dodgers whoopin' the Yankes.

[Matt Foley]

True, but it was decided after the mid season strike the teams who won the first half and second half would make the playoffs. The Reds knew that going in like everyone else.

Dems da breaks.

Was a fantastic end to the season too. Dodgers whoopin' the Yankes.

Tainted title.