Winning Words 11/5/10
“I’ve got my faults, but living in the past isn’t one of them. There’s no future in it.” (Sparky Anderson) I can’t help but live in the past as I remember Sparky. I have a picture of him walking off the field of Tiger Stadium after he managed his last baseball game. I sent it to him, and he signed it: “To Jack, Good Luck! Sparky Anderson.” And now, he really has walked off the field…into the future. ;-) Jack

OTHER QUOTES BY SPARKY
"As long as you remember where you are from, you will always know where you are going."
"Being nice to people is the only thing in life that won't cost you a dime."
"I ain't awed by celebrities, and if I'm one of 'em, I ain't awed by me."
A QUOTE ABOUT SPARKY
"Ain't never been no better manager." (Patrick Reusse Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

FROM PL IN MICHIGAN: I guess there is a fine line between "living" in the past and "remembering" (and learning from) the past. It seems that many people today get the two confused. Sparky always loved Detroit and the Tigers. I think he knew that we loved him too! FROM JACK: I feel sorry for those who have an anchor in the past and can't sail forward.

FROM MF IN MICHIGAN: We also have a picture of Sparky, posing with our then 2 year old son after a pre season game down in Florida. It was 1984 and he reached over the fence for Danny in a crowd of people after hearing the "kid" call his name, "Sparky, Sparky". We would also see him attending mass at Prince of Peace when Tigers were in town. FROM JACK: The human stories are the best stories. Your picture is a treasure.

FROM THE PRIEST AT POP: As is true of so many of the words spoken of him, people here remember him with great fondness and appreciation. Have a great day - the quote will undoubtedly be used in one of my homilies. FROM JACK: Each of our parishioners has a story.

FROM AP IN MICHIGAN: I love the last sentence of your Words today. FROM JACK: Where do ideas and words come from? It's an ongoing mystery. It reminds me of Proverbs 30:18-19.

FROM JB IN MICHIGAN: He was one of a kind. Mitch Albom wrote a nice article about Sparky today. Have a good day. FROM JACK: I began the day, as always, by reading the newspaper. It took more time than usual, because I read Mitch's column and the many others about George.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: We would see Sparky a lot in Petoskey. He and his wife would be walking arm in arm along the streets. He was one of those special people. God will be glad Sparky's up there managing things. FROM JACK: From what I've read about Sparky, I think that he would leave the managing business up to God. The story-telling might be a different situation.

FROM RN IN MINNESOTA: Thank you for your story on Sparky. My son John and I saw a lot of those games at the old stadium, and I'll never forget that World Series. FROM JACK: Mary thinks that because Sparky is from South Dakota and his name is Anderson (the same as her maiden name), he must be Scandinavian. And since it's Anderson instead of Andersen, he must have been a Swede.

FROM MOLINER CF: Reminds me of another "truism"...I've got my faults, but being wrong isn't one of them. FROM JACK: It sounds more like a "falsism" to me.

FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Enjoy the quotes; thank you so much. FROM JACK: Did you know that Sparky had an offer to manage "your" Cubs, before he chose the Tigers? When he came to Detroit he promised a championship in five years, and the promise was fulfilled. The goat jinx lives on.

FROM SG IN TAMPA: And wasn't that a great time to be a baseball fan? The Reds were in Tampa when Mother and Dad moved to Tampa, and they would take our children to the practices where all of the players were happy to sign balls, etc. The Rays were exciting this year when they were winning with their young players, but it is, literally, a new ball game these days with all of the money floating around. FROM JACK: The significance of Sparky isn't necessarily found in the record book. It's hard to have a suitcase full of money and maintain a value system.

FROM KB IN COLORADO: That's a good one. FROM JACK: It takes a good one (like Sparky) to make a good one.

FROM CWR IN B'MORE: ......excellent commentary and moving........ FROM JACK: When people would try to compare modern baseball with the olden days, Sparky said, "Babe Ruth is buried in Baltimore." Maybe you should visit the cemetery in your city and see if it's true. MORE FROM CWR: It's not true. He was born here, went to school here at the old St. Mary's Industrial School , which, though renamed, still stands at Wilkens and Caton Aves, he started in baseball here and the Stadium here was once named Babe Ruth Stadium, but he is buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery in New York. STILL MORE FROM B'MORE: Here's something I'll bet you and Sparky missed. The New York Yankees started in Baltimore, Maryland in 1901 and were known as the Baltimore Orioles. In 1903, the team moved to New York and the name was changed to the
New York Yankees. That's why, to this day there is in Baltimore a fierce rivalry between the Orioles and Yankees. The current Baltimore Orioles moved here in the 1950's from St. Louis and were at that time the St. Louis Browns. Baltimore then renamed the team the Baltimore Orioles. I was at their welcoming parade into Baltimore in the 1950's. Any more questions??? FROM JACK: ....and all I thought you knew was theology.

FROM PRGC IN SAN DIEGO: Good word on Sparky. Give your signed pic to one of your grandkids who is in to baseball before you leave the planet. They will cherish it for a long time. FROM JACK: Maybe it will go to my son who's still playing hardball in his 50's. His team will play next week in the Over 45 Division at the Roy Hobbs World Series in Florida. My father played hardball in Galesburg, Ill. His team once played a group of Major League barnstormers which included 3-Finger Brown.

FROM JE IN MICHIGAN: He’s with Ernie…no doubt. They are having some laughs and talk’in baseball. FROM JACK: Two of a kind, in more ways than baseball. We are privileged to have had both of them in Detroit memory bank.

FROM JT IN MICHIGAN: What a nice picture to have!. I do like the idea of he and Ernie Harwell taking a morning stroll in heaven. I'm sure they have a lot to talk about other than baseball. Maybe they can put in a good word for Detroit & Michigan. FROM JACK: A popular song in the early 80's was "Talkin' Baseball," recorded by Terry Cashman. You can Google it. I wonder if Google works in heaven. Ern and Sparky probably don't care.

FROM RI IN BOSTON: To paraphrase Sparky, "There's no future in living in the past." Sounds like Yogi Berra. FROM JACK: Both are great sources for interesting quotes. When Yogi goes, the internet will be flooded with Yogiisms.

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: Wow! A signed picture of Sparky? Is that SPECIAL or what??! Everything I have read about him points to his being a very special guy, and excellent manager. I did not follow his career, but feel bad he had to lose his grasp and reality, with his dementia problem the last year or so. That is so difficult to see and cope with. But he is "spot-on" with that quote. Put your past behind you,and live in the present, and enjoy every minute you can...the 'future' is closing in! FROM JACK: Dementia was just one of several problems for him as life ebbed out. There comes a time. But thanks be to God for the promise of a new life in which all "that bad stuff" in the old life will be gone. Your response goes on the blog with comments from others.

FROM BS NEAR ORLANDO: living in the past really gets my wife all worked up,but since one just remembers the joys of the past, and of course the lessons of the past, don't knock it, the name Sparks is generally given to an electrician, but I suspect this gent was a base ball person from the Detroit Tigers. I was going to say something negative about athletes but since I have lost my svelte figure I will not, can not, should not. ( there
I have my group of three ) FROM JACK: I think that they have slo-pitch softball leagues in Florida for gentlemen your age. Check it out.