Pat Caputo: Sparky Anderson Managed The Way The Game Was Supposed To Be Managed
Sparky Anderson's hair turned from dark brown to snow white while he was in his 30s. It led to the illusion he was older than his actual age.
He was just 36 when he became a major league manager in 1970.
"He was about the same age, or at least not that much older, than many of the players he was managing," said Milt Wilcox, who pitched for Sparky with both the Reds and the Tigers. "Sparky was more about writing out the lineup card then."
When he came to the Tigers, he just walked into the room and let everybody know they had to do what he was telling them — or they would be gone. You know that thing with, "My way or the highway." It was like that.
That was the difference. A big difference.
The Tigers retired Sparky's uniform number 11 at Comerica Park Sunday, in a ceremony prior to their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
