Sparky Anderson in Hospice

**jackie5275** · November-03-10, 12:38 PM

http://www.freep.com/article/2010110...n-hospice-care

http://www.detnews.com/article/20101...y-Anderson-ill

This has been a developing story through the morning.

**Ray1936** · November-03-10, 03:24 PM

Not good. I had hoped he'd live to 100 and enjoy every day of his well deserved retirement. What a great guy!

**Malcove Magnesia** · November-03-10, 03:36 PM

Sparky seemed relatively lucid [[and understandably emotional) in the Channel 4 video where he was reminiscing about Ernie Harwell, only a few months back. I guess once an older person starts declining, it happens very very quickly.

**softailrider** · November-03-10, 03:56 PM

I think Sparky was the best manager the Tigers ever had He did a tremendous amount of work for charity. It's a shame he was blackballed and never received another job offer after he left the Tigers- I'm sure that was part of the reason he insisted on a Reds uniform when he was elected to the Hall. That being said, he did seem a little off center [[no pun intended) in the last couple of interviews he did.

**mikefmich** · November-03-10, 05:24 PM

I'm dreading the day when I see this about Al or Gordie, or their passing.

**Gistok** · November-03-10, 05:36 PM

The onset of Dimentia is usually a much slower process [[like Ahlzheimers). I'm kind of surprised that it is given as the reason for Hospice care. There must be something more to this than just Dimentia... such as the onset of body organ failure.

**mikefmich** · November-03-10, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

The onset of Dimentia is usually a much slower process [[like Ahlzheimers). I'm kind of surprised that it is given as the reason for Hospice care. There must be something more to this than just Dimentia... such as the onset of body organ failure.

I got pretty familiar with Alzheimers...I lost both my parents to it, and had both of them living with me in their final years.

In some cases, it can rip thru someone and kill them in less than a year....the range runs from 10-360 months. I knew one woman who was dead in just a little over a year. Came on almost overnight. However 10 & 360 are the extreme ends.

If Sparky goes quick it will be a blessing for him and his family. In the case of my ma....she went nearly 20 yrs. At first I was grateful for a slower demise....until the years dragged on for what seemed an eternity.

**Magnatomicflux** · November-03-10, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by mikefmich

I got pretty familiar with Alzheimers...I lost both my parents to it, and had both of them living with me in their final years.

In some cases, it can rip thru someone and kill them in less than a year....the range runs from 10-360 months. I knew one woman who was dead in just a little over a year. Came on almost overnight. However 10 & 360 are the extreme ends.

If Sparky goes quick it will be a blessing for him and his family. In the case of my ma....she went nearly 20 yrs. At first I was grateful for a slower demise....until the years dragged on for what seemed an eternity.

Yup....I think it varies from person to person. My wife works as a personal support worker in a nursing home, and she says some people will last for years and years, and some get wiped away in months.
My god mikefmich.....20 years. You're parents were lucky to have you with them.

Poor Sparky, what a good and decent man.

**Gistok** · November-03-10, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by mikefmich

I got pretty familiar with Alzheimers...I lost both my parents to it, and had both of them living with me in their final years.

In some cases, it can rip thru someone and kill them in less than a year....the range runs from 10-360 months. I knew one woman who was dead in just a little over a year. Came on almost overnight. However 10 & 360 are the extreme ends.

If Sparky goes quick it will be a blessing for him and his family. In the case of my ma....she went nearly 20 yrs. At first I was grateful for a slower demise....until the years dragged on for what seemed an eternity.

Wow, I guess I was pretty lucky. I lost my mother this summer at 88. She had mild dimentia during her final years [[sort of like Sophia on Golden Girls)... and my sister and I kept her going and her mind stimulated with activities TV and reading. Also her 3 best friends called her frequently and would chat for an hour or more.

She was quite lucid until the end... when her 5th cancer in 11 years finally required the surgery that she hoped she wouldn't survive.... 12 days after surgery she finally got her wish....

**9606 Prest** · November-03-10, 06:24 PM

Sparky will be missed, his record as a manager speaks for itself. I was fortunate to be in Cincinnati in the early 1970s and saw a number of the Cincinnati Reds games. I also was back home in Detroit and saw his teams from the early 1980s including 2 games from the 1984 World Series. What a pleasure it was!

Sparky was also was an extremely charitable person helping others. Hopefully his spirit will live on!

**border5150** · November-03-10, 11:19 PM

It is an absolute shame that the Tigers have not retired Sparky's #11 AND erected a statue of him on the elft centerfield concourse at Comerica Park. Hell, they don't even have his last name on the right center field wall with all of the other Tiger Hall of Famers.

I know there was some bad blood between Sparky and the Ilitches when he retired, but he is the greatest manager in the history of the team - one of the greatest of all time for that matter.

**softailrider** · November-04-10, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by border5150

It is an absolute shame that the Tigers have not retired Sparky's #11 AND erected a statue of him on the elft centerfield concourse at Comerica Park. Hell, they don't even have his last name on the right center field wall with all of the other Tiger Hall of Famers.

I know there was some bad blood between Sparky and the Ilitches when he retired, but he is the greatest manager in the history of the team - one of the greatest of all time for that matter.

I'll bet they'll do that after he passes away. I totally agree, it's a travesty, it should have been done a long time ago.

Sparky's refusal to manage the replacement players during the strike season really angered management / owners. He stood his ground though, did what he believed was the right thing to do.

**CLAUDE G** · November-04-10, 03:30 AM

They should put a statue of Ernie and Sparky at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull!

**adamjab19** · November-04-10, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by Malcove Magnesia

Sparky seemed relatively lucid [[and understandably emotional) in the Channel 4 video where he was reminiscing about Ernie Harwell, only a few months back. I guess once an older person starts declining, it happens very very quickly.

It's not always the dementia that gets a person it's a fall or the lack of nutrition, something secondary.