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A Roar for Sparky
The Catbird in the Nosebleed Seats ^ | November 3, 2010 | Yours Truly

Posted on 11/03/2010 12:23:55 PM PDT by BluesDuke

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This one's for you, Sparky . . .
1 posted on 11/03/2010 12:23:59 PM PDT by BluesDuke
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To: BluesDuke
I wrote a pleasant little tributary

He wrote a river?

2 posted on 11/03/2010 12:26:07 PM PDT by Darkwolf377 ( Mm, your tears are so yummy and sweet!Oh, the tears of unfathomable sadness! Mm-yummy! --E. Cartman)
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To: BluesDuke

Forgot to add ;) . Yes, I know of the secondary meaning.

Thanks for posting, good read. My late dad loved Sparky.


3 posted on 11/03/2010 12:27:53 PM PDT by Darkwolf377 ( Mm, your tears are so yummy and sweet!Oh, the tears of unfathomable sadness! Mm-yummy! --E. Cartman)
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To: Darkwolf377

I did. Rhetorically speaking, of course.


4 posted on 11/03/2010 12:28:22 PM PDT by BluesDuke (Another brief interlude from the small apartment halfway up in the middle of nowhere in particular)
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To: Darkwolf377

We’re even. I forgot the wink, too. ;)


5 posted on 11/03/2010 12:29:17 PM PDT by BluesDuke (Another brief interlude from the small apartment halfway up in the middle of nowhere in particular)
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To: grellis; cripplecreek

A nice article about a nice man. Shook his hand after a game in 1985 at the Humphrey Dome (a win, early in the season).

Asked my kids for an “Olde English D” tire cover for my spare at Christmas. I’ll die a Tiger fan.

George and Ernie have gone, Sparky’s fading now. Think I’ll head home and have a beer for each.


6 posted on 11/03/2010 12:35:58 PM PDT by Cletus.D.Yokel (Islam is a violent and tyrannical political ideology and has nothing to do with "religion".)
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To: BluesDuke

Sparky was a true gentleman. In Cincinnati in those days, he got the knickname “Captian Hook” because he would not hesitate to go to his bullpen. Spary had an uncanny ability to ssense just when the other team was mounting a rally. That’s when he would bring in one hammer after another. He was a lot more savvy than he ever let on. Also part of his charm.


7 posted on 11/03/2010 12:54:25 PM PDT by SC_Pete
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To: BluesDuke

Great article. I enjoyed it and God bless and keep Sparkey and his loved ones through the final inning.


8 posted on 11/03/2010 1:20:40 PM PDT by Ditto (Nov 2, 2010 -- Time to Clean House.)
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To: BluesDuke

Prayers up for Sparky and this from a Red Sox fan who remembers the 1975 Series very well.


9 posted on 11/03/2010 1:22:59 PM PDT by NonValueAdded ("It's amazing, A man who has such large ears could be so tone deaf" Rush Limbaugh 9/8/10)
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To: Springman; sergeantdave; cyclotic; netmilsmom; RatsDawg; PGalt; FreedomHammer; queenkathy; ...

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.


10 posted on 11/03/2010 1:38:57 PM PDT by grellis (I am Jill's overwhelming sense of disgust.)
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To: BluesDuke; grellis
Thank you, BluesDuke and grellis.

"There is nothing in this world that you will ever do that's better than helping a child." Sparky Anderson.

Sparky's CATCH charity has helped many kids at Children's and Henry Ford.

I actually met Sparky once at a luncheon--maybe it was for CATCH, or when he wrote his book. I have to go now, I'm crying....

11 posted on 11/03/2010 2:01:01 PM PDT by MaggieCarta (What are we here for but to provide sport for our neighbors, and to laugh at them in our turn?Austen)
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To: SC_Pete
Sparky was a true gentleman.

Sparky was indeed a gentleman and a very class act. Too bad they had to mention Gibson, Sparky managed a lot of better "people" in Detroit than that jerk.......Trammel, Whitaker........

12 posted on 11/03/2010 2:23:13 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (There's only one cure for Obamarrhea......)
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To: MaggieCarta
Here's a story about Sparky Anderson that I love: When Jim Bouton made his brief major league comeback with the 1978 Atlanta Braves, Bouton pitched and won against a lesser club, before he faced and beat the Giants, who were well in the race. Before that game against the Giants, Anderson harrumphed about Bouton not getting to face contenders.

But Bouton got a start against Anderson's still-contending Reds and pitched strongly enough, though he lost. After the game, Anderson said, "We got two runs off him that we weren't supposed to get." Remembered Bouton, writing about the game in an update to Ball Four, "Sparky Anderson is a gentleman."

13 posted on 11/03/2010 3:32:31 PM PDT by BluesDuke (Another brief interlude from the small apartment halfway up in the middle of nowhere in particular)
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To: BluesDuke
Sparky Anderson is a gentleman

Indeed, BluesDuke. Thanks for the story, and thanks again for posting this.

14 posted on 11/03/2010 4:01:53 PM PDT by MaggieCarta (What are we here for but to provide sport for our neighbors, and to laugh at them in our turn?Austen)
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To: grellis

Still the only manager to win the World Series in both leagues. And a good guy. My favorite quote is “hitting is practically a useless art.” Thanks grellis.


15 posted on 11/03/2010 4:11:07 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: SunkenCiv; grellis
My favorite [Sparky Anderson] quote is “hitting is practically a useless art.”
And, considering his batting record with the 1959 Phillies (.218 batting average, .282 on-base percentage, .249 slugging percentage, though he did have 477 at-bats and 104 hits and was a tough man to strike out---he seems to have made lots of contact finding lots of gloves), he was certainly in position to know! ;)
16 posted on 11/03/2010 4:33:55 PM PDT by BluesDuke (Another brief interlude from the small apartment halfway up in the middle of nowhere in particular)
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To: BluesDuke

Well written, my friend.
Left me a mite misty eyed...


17 posted on 11/03/2010 5:40:57 PM PDT by MaryFromMichigan
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To: BluesDuke

Nice tribute. I was sorry to hear the news about Sparky. I had a family member pass away this year from dementia. Its hard on the family. Recently I read a book about the 1975 Cincinnati Reds called The Machine. The writer must have talked alot to Sparky Anderson for the book because he quotes Sparky alot. Its great we got to hear Sparky alot in that book. Best wishes to him and his family and friends.


18 posted on 11/03/2010 6:14:22 PM PDT by fkabuckeyesrule
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To: BluesDuke
Fox2 Detroit was running a story this morning on Sparky, Blues Duke.

Sparky BTTT

19 posted on 11/04/2010 6:13:27 AM PDT by MaggieCarta (What are we here for but to provide sport for our neighbors, and to laugh at them in our turn?Austen)
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To: Cletus.D.Yokel

Sad News today Cletus, Sparky has passed. I miss those old days, not many of the great ones left. Where is Al Ackerman when you need him: ‘Bless You Sparky!!!!!”.

BTW Great comment, I agree completely. A lot has changed in my life over the years. But there will always be one constant, I also will die a Tiger Fan!!!


20 posted on 11/04/2010 1:06:31 PM PDT by jazzo (Resistance is Futile)
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