George Lee Anderson was a baseball player and manager, born on the 22nd February 1934 in Bridgewater, South Dakota USA, and died on 4th November 2010. Nevertheless, Sparky will be remembered for his successful career long after his departure. During his active career, Sparky played for baseball teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pueblo Dodgers, but when his playing career ended, he became a manager, first of Cincinnati Reds, and later of Detroit Tigers.
Have you ever wondered how rich Sparky Anderson was before he died? According to sources, it was estimated that Sparky Anderson’s overall net worth was $60 million, an amount acquired through his successful career in baseball.
Sparky Anderson Net Worth $60 Million
Sparky spent few years in his home town, as his family soon moved to Los Angeles; growing up in poverty, Sparky wanted only one thing, to succeed, and his choice was baseball. From his high school days, Anderson dedicated himself to become a baseball legend. After high school, he was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953, as an amateur free agent. In the next few years, Sparky built-up his career, playing for Dodger teams in minor leagues, such as Santa Barbara Dodgers, until he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies of the MLB in 1959.
However, his playing career in MLB was quite short, as he was soon sent back to minor league the next year, precisely, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sparky ended his playing career in 1964, but soon received offers from the owner of the team, Jack Kent Cooke, to become a manager, which he accepted. In the following years, Anderson built-up his skills as a manager in lower league teams such as the Modesto Reds and Rock Hill Cardinals.
In 1969, Sparky made a return to the MLB, this time as the manager of the San Diego Padres. However, the same year, he replaced Dave Bristol as the coach of the Cincinnati Reds, increasing his net worth to a large degree. With Cincinnati, Sparky won the World Series twice in 1975 and 1976, but was fired in 1978, after consecutive seasons in which his team suffered defeats in division title matches. Nevertheless, he soon entered into a new engagement, this time with the Detroit Tigers of the American League, staying with them until his retirement in 1995. During his time with Detroit Tigers, Sparky won the American League Manager Of The Year award twice, in 1984 and 1987. Furthermore in his career with the Tigers, he won the World Series title in 1984, which also benefited his net worth.
Overall, Sparky’s career was rather successful, as evidenced by the,fact that he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Canadian Baseball Hall Of Fame in 2007. Furthermore, he had his number 10 retired by Cincinnati Reds in 2005. Sparky had set a few records during his career, as he was the first manager to win the World Series in MLB and AL. Furthermore, he is the sixth ranked manager in history with wins, stopping at 2,194 in his career.
Sparky died on the 4th November 2010 at his home in Thousand Oaks, as a final result of his battle against dementia. He left behind his wife Carol, with whom he was married since 1953, and his three children.
