ANDERSON IN HALL OF FAME.Byline: Kevin Modesti Staff Writer THOUSAND OAKS Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. - The call telling Sparky Anderson For Anderson, awakened by anticipation before 6 a.m., there had been time to take a brisk walk, eat a heart-healthy breakfast, zip to the hardware store to buy birdseed - and get a case of nerves. What if he hadn't made it after all? He was in the backyard, feeding the birds, when Joe Brown of the Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee called. ``Joe,'' Anderson said to the former Pittsburgh Pirates This article is about the baseball team. For the National Hockey League team, see Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL). For the National Football League team (1933–1940), see Pittsburgh Steelers. executive, ``did we or didn't we?'' ``We did,'' Brown replied. With that, Anderson, a World Series-winning manager with the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Tigers are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Tigers have played in Comerica Park. , learned he'll be inducted July 23 into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Also to be honored are 19th-century infielder Bid McPhee Associations of teams of black baseball players active largely between 1920 and the late 1940s. The principal leagues were the Negro National League, originally organized by Rube Foster in 1920, and the Negro American League, organized in 1937. outfielder Turkey Stearnes Norman Thomas "Turkey" Stearnes (May 8 1901 – September 4 1979) was an African American center fielder in the Negro Leagues. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Stearnes acquired his nickname at an early age from his unusual running style. , each admitted Tuesday by the Veterans Committee, and Tony Perez and Carlton Fisk The 15-member Veterans Committee, composed of former players, executives and writers, said no to the Hall of Fame bids of Bill Mazeroski A friend who was in the house said Anderson, 66, choked up when he heard committee members Ted Williams, Yogi Berra and Hank Aaron applauding in the background. Anderson quickly phoned his three children, two sisters and brother with the news. He fielded a congratulatory call from baseball commissioner Bud Selig. Then it was time to reflect. ``How could you go from Bridgewater, S.D., with a population of 632 - there were 624 after we left - to what happened today?'' Anderson, ever the folk philosopher, said in a casual press conference at Sunset Hills Country Club, near his Thousand Oaks home of 33 years. ``I believe no human being can be better than any other human being, but some human beings are more fortunate. I'm more fortunate. ``July 23 will not be my day. July 23 will be the day for my mother and father and everybody else who put me on that podium.'' Paying tribute to former Reds general manager Bob Howsam, Anderson said he has chosen to be portrayed in a Cincinnati cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. It was Howsam who hired a 35-year-old former minor-league infielder with no managing experience above Class AA to run the Reds in 1970. Anderson likes to say that without that break, he might have spent his life in the bushes. He went on to manage 26 years in the majors, winning 2,194 games (third on the all-time list behind Connie Mack and John McGraw), winning World Series with teams from both leagues (the only man to do so) and leading both the Reds and Tigers in managing victories (also a first). Anderson's Reds made it to the World Series in his first year and won it in 1975 and 1976. Of course, some believed anybody could win with Perez, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Pete Rose. Then Anderson won another World Series with the less-star-studded Tigers in 1984. He must have been doing something right. He said all he did was ``get players and stay out of their way.'' Anderson said he has never worn his World Series rings but will wear his Hall of Fame ring ``until the day I die.'' Retired since 1995, he is being honored in his first year of eligibility. He'll be the 16th manager in Cooperstown. ``When you're a young player starting out in baseball, you'll do everything in your power to make the Hall of Fame,'' Anderson said. ``I told Tommy Lasorda when he made it (in 1997), that's for eternity. The world will have to end for the Hall of Fame to go away. ``I know that when a Hall of Famer was in my office, I always treated him with reverence.'' Anderson seemed pleased with what Brown told him on the phone: ``You belong.'' THE CLASS OF 2000 Veterans Committee picks Sparky Anderson: Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers manager Bid McPhee: 19th century infielder Turkey Stearnes: Negro Leagues outfielder Baseball Writers picks Carlton Fisk: Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Red Sox are a member and currently champions of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball’s American League. From to the present, the Red Sox have played in Fenway Park. Tony Perez: Cincinnati Reds SPARKY'S NUMBERS Managerial Stats Year W L Pct Pos 1970 Cin. 102 60 .628 1 1971 Cin. 79 83 .488 t4 1972 Cin. 95 59 .617 1 1973 Cin. 99 63 .611 1 1974 Cin. 98 64 .605 2 1975 Cin. 108 54 .667 1 1976 Cin. 102 60 .630 1 1977 Cin. 88 74.543 2 1978 Cin. 92 69 .571 2 1979 Detroit 56 50 .519 5 1980 Detroit 84 78 .544 5 1981 Detroit 60 49 .550 -- 1982 Detroit 83 79 .512 4 1983 Detroit 92 70 .568 2 1984 Detroit 104 58 .642 1 1985 Detroit 84 77 .522 3 1986 Detroit 87 75 .537 3 1987 Detroit 98 64 .605 1 1988 Detroit 88 74 .543 2 1989 Detroit 59 103 .364 7 1990 Detroit 79 83 .488 3 1991 Detroit 84 78 .519 t2 1992 Detroit 75 87 .463 6 1993 Detroit 85 77 .525 t3 1994 Detroit 53 62 .461 -- 1995 Detroit 60 84 .417 4 NL Total 863 586 .596 AL Total 1331 248 .516 Totals 2194 1834 .545 CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) Sparky Anderson was voted into the baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Reed Saxon/Associated Press (2) Sparky Anderson, shown in 1974, is the only manager to win a World Series in both leagues. Associated Press Box: (1) The Class of 2000 (see text) (2) Sparky's numbers (see text) 
AT ONE TIME I KNEW GEORGE ON A FIRST NAME BASIS. I PRACTICALLY LIVED AT REDSLAND, IN TAMPA,FLORIDA, GOING TO SPRING TRAINING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
I STILL HAVE A PICTURE OF GEORGE, MY SON AT AGE 8, AND BIG KLU, SIGNED "GOOD LUCK DAVID(MY SON), GEORGE ANDERSON." I WOULD LOVE TO FIND A WAY OF CONTACTING THIS MARVELOUS GEMTLEMAN. ANYONE WITH ANY INFORMATION KINDLY LET ME KNOW AT THE ABOVE EMAIL ADDRESS OR BY TELEPHONE AT 813-388-5998 |
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