First item is not so much a rumor…
He came up to the bigs in 1959 as a light-hitting infielder in the Phillies organization, and stayed up but a year. At that time he was known as "George." Flash forward 10 years; he's now known as "Sparky," and he takes the helm as manager of the Cincinnati Reds, who are about to move into a shiny, new multi-purpose ballpark. With one exception (1971) between 1970 and 1978, Sparky Anderson's Reds teams would finish either first or second in the National League West, claim five division pennants, four league championships, and two of the greatest World Series victories in baseball history. His liberal use of the bullpen, revolutionary for the day, earned him the nickname "Captain Hook," and pitchers like Pedro Borbon and Rawly Eastwick would become what are now known as "closers."
After a pair of second place finishes, the Reds let Anderson go, but he would not be idle for long. Midway through the 1979 season, the Detroit Tigers came calling, and once again, Sparky was managing in the majors. The Tigers slowly worked their way back into contention, finishing second to Baltimore in 1983; then in 1984, they led the American League East from wire-to-wire, swept the Kansas City Royals in the ALCS, then obliterated the San Diego Padres in the World Series. This gave Sparky a unique accomplishment: first manager to win the World Series in both the National and American Leagues. Only Tony LaRussa, with Oakland and St. Louis, has matched this feat since. He would win one more division title in Detroit, in 1987, before the Tigers became somewhat erratic in on-field performances, contending one year (1988, 1991) then collapsing the next (1989, 1992).
When he retired from managing in 1995, Sparky had amassed 2,194 wins as a manager, at the time the third most wins by a manager in baseball history, trailing only Connie Mack and John McGraw. He now stands sixth, having been passed by LaRussa, Bobby Cox, and Joe Torre. Sparky took his place in the Hall of Fame in 2000… and now, he is managing in an even higher league. RIP Sparky.
A few words about…
I am not going to be unbiased and objective here. Anything that even vaguely resembles the decline and fall of the Evil Empire, aka the New York Yankees, brings a tear of joy to my eyes. So, hearing that the Pinstripes may encounter some difficulties in signing Derek Jeter to a new contract? Ooh boy.
It seems that Hal Steinbrenner doesn't want to overpay for the services of an aging infielder, even if he has been the current "face" of the team for many years and is also nearing that magical 3,000-hit milestone, which no Yankee has ever reached (he's currently at 2,926; the Babe had 2,873, Gehrig 2,721, the Mick 2,415). Of course, Jeter's agent comes back by saying that his value to the team "can't be overstated." But Jeter is 36 years old, and is coming off the worst statistical season of his career. You have to ask: When the bat begins to fail, what is the price of leadership?
I seriously doubt that Derek Jeter will wear any uniform other than that of the Yankees, however, it's not going to be easy or pleasant for Pinstripe Nation to follow these negotiations. The last name might be the same, but there is definitely a new Boss in the Bronx.
Other items from the Hot Stove League...
* Albert Pujols says he wants to spend the rest of his career with the Cardinals (that's a rarity in this day and age; it used to be a lot more common, but then along came free agency and follow-the-money)
* Texas manager Ron Washington gets a two year contract extension; Brewers name Ron Roenicke as their new skipper.
* Red Sox pick up a one year option on David "Big Papi" Ortiz's contract.
* Reds buy out contracts of Aaron Harang and Orlando Cabrera; Giants buy out Edgar Renteria.
* Down the Road Dept.: File this name away: Yu Darvish. Currently one of the top starting pitchers in Nippon (Japan) Professional Baseball, mumblings are that he will try to come to North America for the 2012 season.
