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George Lee "Sparky" Anderson is sixth on the all-time list for manager career wins in Major League Baseball (behind Connie Mack, John McGraw, Tony La Russa, Joe Torre, and Bobby Cox) and is the first manager to win the World Series while leading clubs in both leagues. He piloted the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League.

Anderson was a "good field, no-hit" middle infielder as a player. After playing the 1955 season with the Texas League Fort Worth Cats as an apprenticeship in the farm system of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he played one full season in the major leagues, as the regular second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1959. 

Anderson won 102 games and the pennant in his first Major League season as manager, but then lost the 1970 World Series in five games to the Baltimore Orioles. After an injury-plagued 1971, the Reds came back and won another pennant in 1972, losing to the Oakland Athletics in the World Series. They took the National League West division title in 1973, then finished a close second to the Los Angeles Dodgers a year later.

Finally, in 1975, the Reds blew the division open by winning 108 games, swept the National League Championship Series and then edged the Boston Red Sox in a drama-filled, seven-game World Series. They repeated in 1976 by winning 102 games and ultimately sweeping the New York Yankees in the Series. During this time, Anderson became known as "Captain Hook" for his penchant for taking out a starting pitcher at the first sign of weakness and going to his bullpen, relying heavily on closers Will McEnaney and Rawly Eastwick.

When the aging Reds finished second to the Dodgers in each of the next two seasons, Anderson was fired.

George Lee "Sparky" Anderson’s big league playing career lasted exactly one season – and yielded a .218 batting average in 152 games.

But Anderson’s second act in the majors – as a manager – ran for 26 seasons. And this time, the Hall of Fame came calling at the end of a run that produced three World Series titles and more than 2,000 victories.

Born on Feb. 22, 1934, in Bridgewater, S.D., Anderson and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was eight.

Following the 1958 season, the Dodgers traded Anderson to the Phillies, where he won the team’s second base job in 1959. But after producing just 12 extra base hits and 34 RBI, Anderson was returned to the minors – where he spent 1960-63 with Toronto of the International League before calling it a career.

Anderson took over the managerial reins in Toronto in 1964 at the age of 30, then managed four different minor league teams to pennants over the next four seasons. He served as the San Diego Padres 3rd base coach in their first big league season of 1969, and was prepared to serve as a coach with the California Angels in 1970 before being named the Reds’ manager on Oct. 8, 1969.

Anderson led the Reds to the National League pennant in 1970, and produced another pennant for Cincinnati in 1972 and the NL West title in 1973 before the Reds won back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 1976.

Anderson left the Reds following the 1978 season, but hooked on with the Tigers midway through 1979. By 1984, Anderson had led Detroit into the World Series, where the Tigers defeated the Padres to cap a season in which the team began the year with a record of 35-5.

Anderson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000. He passed away on Nov. 4, 2010.

Nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor," Paul Molitor was elected as a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, 2004. He played for 21 seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays and his Minnesota Twins.

Molitor started out as a shortstop, then moved to second base when the briefly-retired Robin Yount returned. During the latter half of his career, he was used primarily as a designated hitter, with occasional games at first base and in the outfield. He played nearly half of his career as a DH.

Molitor was part of a young Milwaukee Brewers team that lost the 1982 World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals but batted .355 during the series. In Game 1 of the '82 Series, he had five hits, which set a Major League record. During that season, he hit .302 and led the American League with 136 runs scored. Molitor also attracted national media attention during his 39-game hitting streak, which ended with Molitor in the on-deck circle when Rick Manning got a game-ending hit to beat the Cleveland Indians on August 26, 1987. Fans booed Manning for driving in the winning run and thus depriving Molitor of one last chance to reach 40 games. The streak continues to stand as the fifth-longest in modern-day baseball history, and remains the longest since Pete Rose's 44 game hit streak in 1978.

Molitor was a key part of the Blue Jays second World Championship in 1992. Molitor won the World Series MVP Award and tied a World Series record by batting .500 in the six game series.

Molitor's lifetime statistics include 2,683 games played, 1,782 runs scored, 3,319 hits, 234 home runs, 1,307 runs batted in, a .306 batting average, and 504 stolen bases. He batted .368 in 5 postseason series and was an all-star seven times.

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Harmon Killebrew remembers his first day in the big leagues in 1954, which was also the first Major League game he ever saw.

Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew celebrates his first big league appearance, which occurred on June 23, 1954. As a pinch runner, he couldn't believe that he was on the same field with some of his childhood heroes.

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He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager.

Piniella grew up in West Tampa, Florida. His Austrian grandparents immigrated to Florida from Asturias, Spain. As a child, he played PONY League Baseball alongside Tony La Russa.

Lou Piniella played for the Kansas City Royals from 1969-73, and was the American League's AL Rookie of the Year in 1969. He was the first player to come to bat in Royals history. On April 8 of their first season, he led off the bottom of the 1st and doubled to left field, then scored on an RBI single by Jerry Adair.

After the Royals, Pinella was a member of the New York Yankees for 11 seasons, where they won five AL East titles (1976-78, 1980 and 1981), four AL pennants (1976-78 and 1981), and two World Series championships (1977-78). After centerfielder Mickey Rivers was traded, during the 1979 season, Piniella became the Yankees leadoff hitter. One of the more underrated players of the 1970s (he made just one all star team), he compiled 1705 lifetime hits despite not playing full time for just under half of his career.

After retiring as a player, Piniella managed the Yankees from 1986 to 1987 and for most of 1988 before briefly serving as the club's general manager for the rest of the 1988 and 1989 seasons. Piniella managed the Cincinnati Reds between 1990 and 1992, a tenure that included winning the 1990 World Series against the heavily-favored Oakland Athletics.

From 1993-2002, he managed the Seattle Mariners, winning the AL Manager of the Year Award in 1995, and again in 2001 when he led the Mariners to a record-tying 116 wins. They lost their chance to go to the World Series when they were beat by the Yankees in the ALCS. 

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Harmon Clayton Killebrew had a 22 year major league career, and retired as the career leader in home runs by a right-handed batter (the record has since been broken).

Killebrew became one of the American League's most feared power hitters of the 1960s, belting 40 homers in a season eight times. In 1965 he helped the Twins reach the World Series, where they lost to Don Drysdale's Los Angeles Dodgers. Killebrew had his finest season in 1969, hitting 49 home runs, driving in 140 runs, and winning the MVP Award. Killebrew led the league in home runs six times, in RBI three times, and was named to eleven All Star teams. As a result, he was nicknamed "Killer" - a portmanteau linking the first 5 letters of his last name with his legendary hitting ability.

With exceptional upper-body strength, Killebrew was known not just for home run frequency but also significant "tape measure homer" distance. He hit the longest measured home runs at the ballparks in Minnesota and Baltimore, and was the first of just four batters who cleared the left field roof at Detroit.

Despite his "Killer" nickname and his powerful style of play, Killebrew was in fact a quiet, kind man who was not much given to the partying lifestyle enjoyed by his peers. Asked once what he liked to do for fun, Killebrew replied, "Well, I like to wash dishes, I guess."

Killebrew never hit 50 home runs in a single season, but he did hit 49 homers in a season twice (1964, 1969). He hit the most home runs for any player in the 1960s. For his entire career, he hit 573 home runs (ninth best all time, most by an American League right-hander, and second in the AL only to Babe Ruth, as of 2005) and drove in 1,584 runs. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, the first Minnesota Twin to be so honored.

Following his retirement, Killebrew was a television broadcaster for the Twins from 1976 to 1978, the Oakland Athletics from 1979 to 1982, the California Angels in 1983

Billy Herman (July 7, 1909 - September 5, 1992) played second base during the 1930s and 1940s for the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates. He also managed the Pirates and the Red Sox.

Herman broke into the majors in 1931 with the Chicago Cubs and asserted himself as a star the following season, 1932 by having 206 hits, 102 runs and a .314 batting average. A fixture in the Chicago lineup over the next decade, Herman was a consistent hitter and solid producer. He regular hit .300 or higher (and as high as .341 in 1935) and drove in a high of 93 runs in 1936.

Herman missed the 1944 and 1945 seasons to serve in World War II, but returned to play in 1946 with the Dodgers and Boston Braves (after being traded mid-season). He was traded again prior to the 1947 season to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he assumed managerial duties, but only played 15 games. His final record as a major league manager was 189-274 (.408).

Herman finished his career with a .304 batting average, 1163 runs, 47 home runs, 839 RBI and a minuscule 428 strikeouts. He won four National League pennants (in 1932, 1935, 1938 and 1941) but no World Series championships, and was 189-274 as a manager.

Herman holds the National League records for most putouts in a season by a second baseman and led the league in putouts seven times. He also shares the major league record for most hits on opening day, with five, set April 14, 1936.

Herman was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.

This episode originally aired October 5, 1987.

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Robin Evan Roberts' (born September 30, 1926) years with the Philadelphia Phillies (1948-61) led to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Roberts also pitched for the Baltimore Orioles (1962-65), Houston Astros (1965-66) and Chicago Cubs (1966).

Roberts was born in Springfield, Illinois. After World War II, Roberts returned to Michigan State University—where he had attended an Army Air Corps training program—to play basketball, not baseball. Almost by accident he became a baseball pitcher for MSU. After playing for MSU and spending his second summer playing in Vermont with the Barre-Montpelier Twin City Trojans, he was signed by the Phillies.

Roberts had his major league debut on June 18, 1948.

In 1950 he led his Phillies "Whiz Kids" team, the youngest major league baseball squad ever fielded, to its first National League pennant in 35 years. Roberts started three games in the last five days of the season, defeating the heavily favored Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, in a pennant-deciding, 10-inning game. It was his 20th victory, becoming the Phillies' first 20-game-winner since Grover Cleveland Alexander did it in 1917. Since then, the 1950 Phillies have been known as the "Whiz Kids."

Between 1950 and 1955 Roberts won 20 games each season, leading the NL in victories from 1952 to 1955. Six times he led the league in games started, five times in complete games and innings pitched, and once pitched 28 complete games in a row. During his career, Roberts never walked more than 77 batters in any regular season. In addition, he helped himself as a fielder as well as with his bat, hitting 55 doubles, 10 triples, and five home runs with 103 RBI.

His 28 wins in 1952, the year he won the The Sporting News Player of the Year Award, are the most in the National League since 1935, the year Dizzy Dean also won 28 games.

Despite his 28 victories in 1952, Roberts enjoyed his best season in 1953, posting a 23-16 record and leading the NL pi

Joe Morgan was signed by the Houston Colt .45's as an amateur free agent in 1962. Early in his career, Morgan had trouble with his swing because he kept his back elbow down too low. Teammate Nellie Fox suggested to Joe that while at the plate he should flap his back arm like a chicken to keep his elbow up. Morgan followed the advice, and his flapping arm became a familiar sight to baseball fans.

Although Morgan played with distinction with Houston, the Astros wanted more power in their lineup. As a result, they traded Morgan to the Cincinnati Reds as part of a blockbuster multi-player deal on November 29, 1971, announced at baseball's winter meetings. While the Astros got power-hitting Lee May, the deal is now considered one of the most one-sided trades in baseball history. The deal facilitated a shift in Reds team philosophy towards speed over power, with Morgan and outfielder Pete Rose now two central pieces, batting back-to-back. The trade is now referred to, by one author, as the best trade in Reds history. Conversely, it is considered one of the worst, if not the worst, trades in Astros history. Morgan, along with teammates Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Pérez and Dave Concepción, led the Reds to consecutive championships in the World Series. He drove in the winning run in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series, now ranked as one of the great World Series of all time.

Morgan was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990 and is currently an Emmy-winning commentator for ESPN television and radio.

This episode originally aired September 19, 1987.

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Darryl Eugene Strawberry (born March 12, 1962) is well-known both for his play on the baseball field and for his controversial behavior off of it.

Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in the game, known for his prodigious home runs and his intimidating presence in the batter's box with his 6-foot-6 frame and his long, looping swing. During his 17-year career, he helped lead the New York Mets to one World Series championship in 1986 and the New York Yankees to three World Series championships in 1996, 1998, 1999.

A popular player during his career, Strawberry was voted to the All-Star Game eight straight times from 1984-1991.

In 1985, despite missing 40 games due to an injury to his right thumb, he hit 29 home runs but the Mets fell 5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL East.

In 1986, Strawberry hit 27 homers and had 99 RBIs as the Mets won the 1986 World Series.

Strawberry signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1991, inking a lucrative five-year $22.25 million contract. In California, he was named Big Brother of The Year for that year. After hitting 28 home runs and bringing in 99 runs batted in a successful first year for the Dodgers, injuries and personal problems kept him sidelined for much of the next two seasons, hitting five home runs in each season.


William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson (born February 9, 1956) played with the New York Mets (1980–89) and Toronto Blue Jays (1989–91). He was a switch hitter, known for his impressive speed and positive attitude. Fans would frequently chant "Mooooo-kie" in appreciation of him.

Born in Bamberg, South Carolina, Wilson played college baseball at Spartanburg Methodist College and then the University of South Carolina. Later, in 1996, he earned a bachelor's degree from Mercy College in New York.

In twelve seasons, Wilson was a .274 hitter with 67 home runs, 438 RBI, and 327 stolen bases in 1403 games. Wilson held th