Death and Legacy
Anderson was the first manager to win a World Series for both a National League and American League team. 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) in 1972 and 1973. Williams' 1972 club had defeated Sparky Anderson's Reds club.
Anderson's accomplishment was equalled in the 2006 World Series, when St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa—who had previously won the World Series with the Oakland Athletics in 1989, and who considers Anderson his mentor—led his team to the title over the Detroit Tigers. Coincidentally, having won a championship while managing the Florida Marlins in 1997, Tigers manager Jim Leyland could have achieved this same feat had the Tigers defeated La Russa's Cardinals in the 2006 World Series. During that series, Anderson threw out the ceremonial first pitch of Game 2 at Comerica Park, the Tigers' home park.
In 2006, construction was completed on the "Sparky Anderson Baseball Field" at California Lutheran University's new athletic complex.
On November 3, 2010, it was announced that Anderson had been placed in hospice care at his Thousand Oaks home because of his deteriorating dementia condition. Anderson died at the age 76 on Thursday, November 4, 2010 in Thousand Oaks. He is survived by his wife Carol, sons Lee and Albert, daughter Shirlee Engelbrecht, and eight grandchildren.
On June 26, 2011 the Detroit Tigers honored Sparky Anderson by retiring his number 11 from future use and placing his name and number on the outfield wall with the other past honorees and members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Tiger players also wore commemorative patches on their uniform sleeves all season.
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