RetroSimba

(Updated Oct. 17, 2021)

Sparky Anderson’s Hall of Fame managerial career, shaping the Reds and Tigers into championship clubs, might never have happened if not for the three years he spent as a minor-league manager in the Cardinals’ system.

Anderson was fired as manager of Toronto of the Class AAA International League after the 1964 season. He led Toronto to an 80-72 record, but was considered hot-tempered.

In his book, “The Main Spark,” Anderson said, “I wanted every decision on the field to go my way. Man, I battled those umpires. I fought them too hard and too often.”

No other offers came and at 30, after one season, his managerial future was cloudy.

In March 1965, Fred Koenig resigned suddenly as manager of the Cardinals’ Class A Rock Hill team in the Western Carolinas League. Koenig had to deal with a family matter.

With the start of spring training near, Cardinals general manager Bob Howsam was scrambling to find a replacement for Koenig.

Howsam contacted Dodgers executive Dick Walsh for advice. Walsh recommended Anderson, who had played in the Dodgers minor-league system.

Howsam’s top assistant, Sheldon “Chief” Bender, who ran the Cardinals’ farm system, expressed doubts about Anderson because of what he’d witnessed while watching a Cardinals farm club play Toronto the year before. Bender thought Anderson argued too much with umpires and was too harsh with veteran players on his team.

Howsam suggested Bender call Anderson and talk with him about the Rock Hill job. Anderson was selling cars at a dealership in Los Angeles.

According to “The Main Spark” book, Bender said to Anderson, “Do you want to manage?”

Anderson said yes.

“In Class A?,” Bender asked.

“I’d manage anywhere,” Anderson replied.

Bender asked Anderson whether he had learned to control his temper. Anderson said yes.

“If you’ve learned to control yourself,” Bender replied, “You’ve got the job.”

In his book, Anderson said getting the chance to manage the Cardinals’ farm club was “sheer luck” and the “break of a lifetime.”

The Cardinals didn’t stock Rock Hill with top prospects. The best players were pitchers Sal Campisi and Jerry Robertson and third baseman Len Boyer, younger brother of big leaguers Ken and Clete Boyer. Displaying a knack for the hyperbole he later became noted for, Anderson predicted Len Boyer “has the best potential of the family.”

Anderson managed Rock Hill to a 59-63 record.

In 1966, the Cardinals named Anderson manager of St. Petersburg in the Class A Florida State League. After an 0-5 start, St. Petersburg won 22 in a row, shattering the league’s consecutive wins record of 15 established by Daytona Beach in 1950.

The streak was broken when the Cocoa Astros beat St. Petersburg, 1-0. “The kids seemed like they didn’t want to believe it was over,” Anderson told The Sporting News. “I had to say, ‘Come on, let’s get in the clubhouse.’ ”

A couple of weeks later, Anderson and his team got involved in a marathon.

In a game that began on June 14 and ended at 2:30 a.m. on June 15, the visiting Miami Marlins beat St. Petersburg, 4-3, in 29 innings. “It was the darndest thing I’ve ever seen,” Anderson said.

It was the longest game, by innings, in the history of organized baseball. The game took 6 hours, 59 minutes. It began with a crowd of 750 and ended with about 150.

The score was 2-2 after nine innings. Each team scored in the 11th. Miami’s Paul Gilliford pitched 11 scoreless innings of relief and didn’t get the decision. A sacrifice fly by Carl Cmejrek with the bases loaded in the top of the 29th scored pitcher Mike Hebert from third. Hebert retired St. Petersburg in order in the bottom of the inning.

St. Petersburg, with pitchers Clay Kirby and Harry Parker, went on to a 91-45 record. Anderson was named the league’s all-star manager and strengthened his reputation within the Cardinals organization as an instructor.

In January 1967, Howsam left the Cardinals to become general manager of the Reds. Stan Musial, who replaced Howsam as Cardinals general manager, was tasked with choosing a manager for the Class AAA Tulsa team. Anderson was the top internal candidate, but Musial bypassed him and selected Warren Spahn to be manager of Tulsa.

Anderson was named manager of Class A Modesto of the California League. Three of his Modesto players _ pitchers Kirby and Ed Sprague and catcher Bill Plummer _ would play for him with the Reds.

Anderson led Modesto to a 79-61 mark and the league championship.

In the fall of 1967, Howsam wooed Anderson into the Reds organization as a minor-league manager at Class AA Asheville. According to The Sporting News, Anderson left the Cardinals because he was upset he hadn’t gotten the Tulsa job.

Two years later, Oct. 9, 1969, Howsam introduced Anderson as manager of the Reds.

He won the National League pennant in his first season at Cincinnati, and from there built one of the legendary managerial careers.