Sparky Anderson

George Lee "Sparky" Anderson (born February 22, 1934) is ranked fourth all-time for career managerial wins in Major League Baseball (behind Connie Mack, John McGraw and Tony La Russa) and is the only manager in the history of Major League Baseball to win the World Series while leading clubs in both leagues. He piloted the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. It is interesting to note that either manager in the 1984 Series would have been the first to win in both leagues, since San Diego Padres (NL) manager Dick Williams had previously won the series with the Oakland Athletics (AL).

Trivia

• In 1979, Sparky guest-starred as himself on an episode of (appropriately enough) WKRP in Cincinnati. The episode was titled "Sparky."
• Sparky earned the nickname "Captain Hook" because of his tendency to pull underperforming pitchers early in the game.