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MLB WORLD SERIES: CARDINALS v TIGERS

October 22, 2006

Sparky Anderson

DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Game Two

Q. What does it mean to you to see the Tigers in another World Series?
SPARKY ANDERSON: Well, you know something, I think you had to have been here and worked in this city to realize that the people in this city are really the most generous people. And once in a while I heard a little rumble, maybe 30,000 booing as hard as they can, but those things happen.
No, this to me gives this city what it's supposed to have. And I think that's where Jimmy and Dave have done such a great job. They have given this city back to their sport.

Q. Just like to get your thoughts on the state of baseball today. The sport with the labor disputes in the past, have had some down periods, it seems to have a resurgence right now. What do you think of the sport of baseball today? I know you're a fan of other sports, as well, but baseball obviously seems to me to be the closest sport to you.
SPARKY ANDERSON: I think everybody that's involved in the game, that's involved in the game now, is a part of what's happening to the resurgence of this game. But whether a lot of people like it or not, I really believe the Commissioner needs a tremendous bouquet for what he's done. He stepped in there now and they're drawing all over. There isn't a loophole anywhere among the clubs, maybe one or two clubs, but you've got 30 clubs and you've got at least 26 of them really going, I think that's tremendous.

Q. Just ask for your thoughts on just the sport itself today, why do you think baseball for you is the sport?
SPARKY ANDERSON: I got a kick out of them when they used to say baseball is dying, and football is No. 1. I hate to break the sad news to football, but nothing will ever take the place of baseball and it proved it here this year, proved it here. And it's proven all over the cities that are in baseball. Baseball is going to always be with us.
When it goes bad, call me, because I won't be around, but I can be reached under the ground contact.

Q. You've won championships with teams in both leagues, and I don't think anybody else has done that until right about now. One of these two guys is going to duplicate that this year, how does that make you feel?
SPARKY ANDERSON: I think that's the way baseball is supposed to be. I think every record we have somewhere along the line must be broken. I don't believe anyone can own this game. I certainly didn't own it. I managed 26 years and found out when I retired I didn't own the game. I thought I owned it when I was managing all those years.
No, you don't own this game. The game allows you -- and I'll put it to you this way, you can climb to the top of the mountain, get down on your knees and kiss the ground because you'll never own that mountain. That mountain is only owned by one single person, and he'll never give it up. That's the way baseball is.

Q. Is it bittersweet on any level that Alan Trammell was fired a year before this happened?
SPARKY ANDERSON: No, you know, I don't think, if you look at a contract, I feel this way, I don't know that it's written that way, but I think when you sign a contract, I think you sign to be fired. I certainly got it and I don't know, Bobby Cox got it, and Tony got it. And I'll tell you what right now, if you want to know something, Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa, if we had to vote right today, right today, you would have to vote one of the two the greatest manager of all times. You're not going to give Connie Mack that because he used to leave after the third or fourth inning if things were bad there. The elevator girl was waiting for him.
These two guys, just look, somebody asked me about Bobby Cox, and he'd won 14 straight divisions, if I could ever do that, I said, yeah, give me a .38 and I'll stick it in my mouth and when I pull the trigger I've done it. You ain't going to do something like that.
No, these are two unbelievable managers.

Q. One of the managers you're talking about, Tony and the other, Jim, are two of the better managers in the last 20 years of baseball. What are your impressions of why they've been so successful?
SPARKY ANDERSON: They know what they're doing. The big key to managing is not -- you're not going to hit the ball. You're not going to pitch it. You're not going to catch it. You're not going to throw it. So you basically are sitting on your big fanny on the bench. You're not going to do anything, except you must know at the moment when you have to pull the trigger. If you don't know that, oh, God help you, you're going to be signing a lot of contracts that say you're fired because you've got to know what you're doing and they know what they're doing.

Q. A lot of different managers, different personality types have succeeded, what are the common threads that unite all the great managers?
SPARKY ANDERSON: Okay, if you took -- and I used to have the film of them, we were at Cincinnati, we had the film of the man that filmed all the greatest hitters, even Ruth, Rose and all of them. Now, what it is is this, these guys are all different looking, they talk different, they do a lot of things different, but they swing the bat and throw the ball exactly the same. And if they went out and played golf together, they'd all be playing the same. They all have that great ingredient of knowing, not guessing. See, I used to always have a saying about players, I don't want hopers, they're useless; I want doers, and that's what these guys as managers are. They don't hope, they do.

Q. Is there one baseball memory for you that stands out above the rest, whether it's a play or a game or season, something over the years that you go to bed at night and think about and say, that's the moment for me?
SPARKY ANDERSON: Yeah, the moment for me probably was winning -- I know you're going to laugh and sound silly to you, but I just met the kids outside, winning the American League Championship here at Briggs Stadium in 1951 is the greatest thrill I ever had. I was 17 years old and that started everything for me. And my whole life, how lucky can you be? My high school team holds the record still in Los Angeles, 42 straight. Won the American League Championship. Won in the Minor Leagues the years I managed. Won up here.
I was so lucky that I almost at times -- not almost, not all together, feel ashamed that you could be that lucky, all the things that happened for me.

Q. Would you like to see Barry Bonds break Hank Aaron's record?
SPARKY ANDERSON: I would never say that, and I'm dancing with you now, I'll tell you the truth (laughter), but I don't believe that anybody should wish either way. Let him play, and what he does, he does. But remember this, baseball is only as good and as strong as the records we break. That's what makes this game so strong.
Oh, I tell you the truth, I watch a guy right now, this Pujols, I'm going to tell you something now, that ain't fair. I sat there and I watch him and he's the only guy that I honestly can say I truly enjoy watching hit right now. I know something will happen. It won't always happen, but I know one thing, the percentages are on my side because this guy can flack it. And it's so good to see things like that, you know? You're 72 years old, man, you're closer -- I'm closer to the door that goes to the oven quicker than I am staying around.
But it's the greatest game there ever was. Don't ever let nobody kid you that anything can ever be better than this game. It's just too good.

Q. When they asked you to come here for this, I know you haven't been to this ballpark that many times, was there any question in your mind that you would accept and you would be here?
SPARKY ANDERSON: Yes. Oh, I won't lie to you, yes. Except this reason, I never, you know, would ever go into another clubhouse, I don't like to do that, I don't like to be out on the field and be interviewed while the other two managers are there watching you. I just believe it's theirs; this is Jimmy Leyland's and Tony La Russa's hour. I was hesitant. And then I thought about it. I told Dave, I said, "Dave, I'm going to be a green fly." I said I always said I wouldn't, but I will because, I tell you what, that city, I'm not talking anything else, that city gave me so much.

Q. Can we talk about the Tigers, these Tigers? Who do you like on this team? You like Albert Pujols, who do you like on the Detroit Tigers?
SPARKY ANDERSON: One guy comes out of the bullpen, that's sinful (laughter.) You're sitting there and the guy is clocking 103, 102. He never goes less than 100.
You know, they really have to me -- if you look at Inge as the third baseman, he can play baseball whether you know it or not. Don't look at stats, he can play baseball. And this guy Guillen can hit, oh, my goodness he can hit. And that second baseman, here's a guy that you get in a trade from a club and he does all the things you want him to do.
You know that little center fielder, he can track them down. They keep him in that long, hard leftfield, he'll get to it and get it. Monroe is getting better and better, and I look in a couple of years that he's just going to be a real weapon for them because I remember three or four years ago in Spring Training, I seen him, and it was so sad because they were sending him down. And it's so nice to see a kid like that come along.
And that Rodriguez, he can play a little bit, too, you know. He has a little going for him.
It's just a good, balanced team. I'm going to tell you something and you're going to say I'm definitely a liar, but I have a guy at our golf place, he's a baseball fanatic, he's around 32 to 38, and every year he asks me would you pick the National League and the American League winner. And I haven't been very successful, I'll be honest, this is the truth. And this year he asked me, who's going to win, right after Spring Training. I said it's easy this year for me. He said what do you mean? I said the Cardinals are going to win the National. The Detroit Tigers are going to win the American. He said, what? The Detroit Tigers will win the American League, those two clubs will be in the World Series, and that is the honest -- one of the only honest things I've said in a long time. But that is honest. Just too much pitching. You look at that pitching and you said to yourself, oh, my Lord.

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