Sparky

Sparky Anderson died today at the age of 76.

Sparky looked like a manager. Always did. When I think of what a baseball manager should look like...well I think of the former Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers manager, Sparky Anderson. The way he carried himself, the way he argued umpire calls, the way he stood on the dugout steps and barked out defensive assignments to his players -- all those things...and more. I can't imagine him doing anything else. Sparky not only looked the part, but he got the job done, just a few wins shy of 2200 wins in his lifetime.

I watched him manage the Reds when I was 25 years old and I still remember him going through the motions as skipper of the Detroit Tigers when I was 50 years old. And every manager I watched on the tube for the last 15 years... well they all reminded me of Sparky. Even when I sat back and watched Robert Redford's The Natural, I looked closely at Wilford Brimley,who played Pop Fisher, and I thought of Sparky.

Another baseball legend gone. Rest in peace, Sparky Anderson.