Sparky Anderson

Evans led the American League with 40 homers a year ago, but hit just .207 against left-handed pitching.

Thus, Sparky Anderson says Evans will not play every day in 86, sitting against some left-handers.

Today, from Tiger Stadium in Detroit, it's the White Sox and the Tigers on the NBC Game of the Week. .

The National Broadcasting Company, now in its sixth decade of bringing you baseball's memories, baseball's milestones, baseball's majesty, and baseball's magical moments.

They pulled it out 9-7.

Harold Baines had two home runs to lead their attack, and the Tigers' pitching woes continue.

And like you, Sparky Anderson's getting a little testy in old age.

You hear some of the comments that he made coming out of spring training about Daryl Evans, last year's American League home run champ.

And he very simply, as a veteran pitcher would, even though he's been in a slump, he pitched around him.

That is Sparky Anderson with the charts.

He will look at series of pitches, and in certain situations, he knows exactly what he wants called every hitter.

And he or somebody else here, sometimes Billy Muffet to the left of your screen, the pitching coach, will signal pitch and maybe even location to the pitcher and the catcher.

Now a new cherry flavor, too.

35-year-old Mike Flanagan, the Cy Young Award winner for the Orioles in 79 when he won 23 games, faces this lineup, Whitaker, Madlock, and Gibson, Trammell, Herndon, and Lemon.

Evans moves down a bit in the lineup with a left-hander going, and Brookens and Heath complete Sparky Anderson's order.

They say a team's strength lies through the middle of the diamond.

The first pitch is just a few minutes away.

Jack Morris against Mark Thurmond, and with us, Sparky Anderson, the manager of the Tigers.

Sparky, your club won 104 this year, dominated the American League East, a tough division.

Is it too early to begin comparing the 84 Tigers with the Cincinnati clubs you had in the 70s?

You faced Dick Williams in a World Series before.

In 1972, his Oakland A's beat the Reds in seven.

Is Sparky Anderson any different 12 years later?

I'm saying older, uglier, but the same.

Dan Petrie.

Trying to make Sparky Anderson.

One for the books.

Chopper foul.

They're out of there before he knows what's happened.

Well,

we'll take a look and see if Sparky Anderson will become the first man in history to manage championship teams in both leagues.

There he is.

That was not the case with our man at number eight.

George Sparky Anderson was a coach for the San Diego Padres when the Cincinnati Reds hired him as manager in 1970.

That October, he was in the World Series.

Sparky just had that wonderful ability to relate to people.

As soon as a pitcher got into trouble, Sparky was out on the mound hooking them out of the game.

He became known as Captain Hook.

Sparky Anderson, he is not hesitating.

Nice ball game.

He has been back in the game since the injury happened, though, so Steve is a tough guy to see if he goes in next to him.

from la dorsey high school same high school as sparky anderson you better believe he's tough second and

two simonton first down i'll tell you the guy just as tough kenny simonton wow he just gets hit and keeps on coming simonton 97 rushing yards tonight The look average 138 or 17.

1600 yard games.

He has been back in the game since the injury happened, though, so Steve, he's a tough guy.

We'll see if he goes in next to him.

From L.A. Dorsey High School, same high school as Sparky Anderson.

You better believe he's tough.

A little bit of a stain on the right side.

Sparky Anderson, you recall, did that in Boston recently to see if he might have a foreign substance.

And everything is all right.

And we'll have Lou Piniella coming up now to bat.

So the Dodgers lose John Tudor, and of course, Kirk Gibson is unable to play.

And as they arrived here, two games up on the Oakland A's, I couldn't help but think of a sign on the wall in Sparky Anderson's office at Tiger Stadium.

And it says, every 24 hours, the world turns over on a guy who was sitting on top of it.

The report is pain in the left elbow, and of course that was bothering him prior to the hip injury.

Cousman from the stretch to Southpaw's first pitch, a fastball foul, back out of play.

Eight pitchers have been named by Sparky Anderson to his National League All-Star squad.

Rick Russell, Bruce Sitter from the Cubs.

We have not had any official word yet as to whether Russell will be the starting pitcher, but we certainly hope that he will get that honor because he certainly deserves it.