The Way to Be

Yesterday, I posted a  link from the Detroit Free Press regarding George Lee "Sparky" Anderson, the Hall of Fame Manager of the Cincinnati Reds and the Detroit Tigers. The announcement was made by his family that he was under hospice care because of increasing dementia. This afternoon he passed over. Usually when someone famous dies, I look at the event in a calm unattached way.  With people like Sparky and Ernie Harwell though, I feel more of a connection. Maybe this is because they were part of a team that I have cheered on for as long as I can remember.  I do think there is more to it than  team loyalty. Sparky, like Ernie, was truly a kind man who always had time to stop and talk to anyone, young or old. Sparky loved to talk and was known for the more than occasional malapropism. Once, when discussing Oakland A's slugger Jose Canseco, he said that he was "built like a Greek goddess." Another time he said  "we're the best team in baseball, but not by much."

Sparky had great passion for the game  of baseball and he taught his players how to conduct themselves on the field and off. I don't recall his players ever showing up in the headlines for any negative behavior.

Outside of the game, he founded CATCH, which stands for Caring Athletes Team for Children's and Henry Ford Hospitals. The purpose of the organization is to improve the quality of life sick and dying children who are hospital bound.

I know there are many souls out there like you  who truly care about the world and the people in it. Sparky wasn't the only one, but he certainly was a good example of  the way we want to be.

I send you love.

Here is how you can make a donation to CATCH