OT: Tigers to retire Sparky's number
Tigers to pay tribute to late manager Sparky Anderson, retire #11
About time, really. Should never have been "if" but "when." Other honors are planned including a jersey patch and a flag on the center field flagpole. Hopefully a statue with the other ones in left field is also forthcoming.
January 22nd, 2011 at 9:51 PM ^
I hope by other ones you mean the best double play combo in the history of baseball. Its a shame nothing has been made of Sweet Lou and Tram.
January 23rd, 2011 at 6:51 AM ^
It is a shame that Lou didn't get the 5% needed to stay on the ballot for the HoF, but Tram will have a rough time getting in himself. He needs to triple his votes and he only has 5 years left on the ballot.
I think part of the issue with Tram is the injuries and such near the end of his career and the managing stint in Detroit (eeeeee...) even though he is a decent bench coach.
Either way, the Tigers Organization should definitely give them the sport they deserve with statues.
Roar!
January 22nd, 2011 at 9:51 PM ^
Wish they ad done it sooner so he could have enjoyed it. Still a very nice addition to the wall.
January 22nd, 2011 at 9:52 PM ^
By "other ones" he means the stautes above the numbers already retired.
Yes, he definitely deserves a statue.
It's a goddamn shame that the Tigers waited until the man passed to honor him. After this they need at least three more: Trammell, Whitaker (in a ceremony together, of course), and Jack Morris. And there's others that I'm more than willing to listen to cases for.
January 22nd, 2011 at 9:55 PM ^
Those guys were the ones I grew up watching. They spoiled this town for several years with their ability and class.
January 22nd, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
Sparky was here for 17 years. That's amazing. I just don't understand why this had to be done now and not earlier. It makes me pissed at the Tigers organization. You knew the guy was in bad health and all that. You couldn't have suddenly decided that he was worthy of getting his number retired, so WTF man?
January 22nd, 2011 at 10:14 PM ^
17 years in Detroit? Amazing...though I lived through it from start to finish if asked I would have guessed 12ish. Seemed like he came here after a lifetime in Cinci.
Honor should have been bestowed long ago, better late than never.
Bless you, boys.
Go Blue!
January 22nd, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^
I'm also sad that Jack Morris feels more connection to the Twins than the Tigers.
And who knows where Tram's allegiances lie.
January 22nd, 2011 at 10:19 PM ^
Really glad to see this happen. Sparky was the best. I met him in the late 80s at a game and he was very nice (I was like 8, but I remember liking him, lol).
I still have the autographed baseball he gave me. Class act.
January 23rd, 2011 at 5:00 AM ^
I know this isn't going to be a popular comment, but I think enough time has passed to just say that Sparky Anderson was not a good baseball strategist. He was actually horrid. Jamesonians will back me up on this.
The man occasionally put Jack Morris in the game as a pinch-runner. That's stunningly stupid.
January 23rd, 2011 at 9:25 AM ^
I honestly don't even think his number should be retired.
Look at the overall results, he was here 17 seasons and made the playoffs twice, winning the World Series once. Is that really that great? He had a lot of talent on those teams in the 80s as well.
When I think of retiring a number, it should really be for someone legendary that either has a great run over a number of years or something really spectacular in a season (like Charles Woodson - National Title and Heisman).
January 23rd, 2011 at 6:28 PM ^
James once wrote that he thought Anderson's managing cost the Tigers as many as 100 games in the 1980s.
January 23rd, 2011 at 7:57 AM ^
#11 deserved to be retired, and it would have been great if Sparky could be here to learn of that decision.
I will agree with others here - when will we retire #1 and #3? Those two at least deserve that if they don't make the Hall Of Fame.