Like many who grew up in Cincinnati during the Big Red Machine era, I am deeply saddened by the death of its pilot, Sparky Anderson.  He went from "Sparky Who" to one of the most beloved sports figures in Cincinnati history in nine short years, due not only to his success as a manager, but the fact that he was a genuinely nice guy. On July 21, 1974, the Reds were returning from Chicago where they had defeated the Cubs 8-2 and cut the Dodgers' lead to 5 1/2 games in their final series before the All Star break.  That afternoon, I went to the Cincinnati Airport with some ...

read more