Sparky Anderson passes away

We got the word that Sparky Anderson has died. I had the good fortune to speak with him on the phone once about three years ago when Dusty Baker was hired by the Reds. Sparky was a prince. He didn’t know me at all, but we spoke for about 30 minutes and it couldn’t have been a more pleasant conversation.

Look for plenty of stories today on MLB.com and Reds.com.

A statement from the family of Sparky Anderson:

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Hall of Fame Baseball Manager Sparky Anderson died today at his home in Thousand Oaks, California. He was 76 years old. Mr. Anderson died as a result of complications from dementia.

Mr. Anderson is survived by his wife, Carol; sons Lee and Albert; daughter Shirley Englebrecht; and nine grandchildren.

At the request of Mr. Anderson, there will be no funeral nor memorial service. The family requests all media inquiries to be directed to family spokesperson Dan Ewald.

The family also requests any donations be made to CATCH, Sparky’s charity for children in Detroit, or the charity of one’s choice.
Donations to CATCH may be made online at www.catchcharity.org or mailed to:
CATCH
223 Fisher Building
3011 West Grand Boulevard
Detroit, MI 48202