Sparky Anderson
Second Baseman · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1959)
Sparky Anderson was a second baseman who played in Major League Baseball in 1959 for the Philadelphia Phillies. In 152 career games, he hit .218 with 104 hits and 34 RBI. Sparky Anderson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Second Baseman
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 170 lb
- Died
- 11/4/2010 in Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1959-04-10
- Last Game
- 1959-09-27
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 2000 (Veterans)
Full name: George Lee Anderson
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 152 | 477 | 42 | 104 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 42 | 53 | .218 | .282 | .249 | .531 | -1,873 |
Career AVG .218 vs. league average .257 across their career seasons — 15.1% below league average.
Career OBP .282 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 13.1% below league average.
Career SLG .249 vs. league average .392 across their career seasons — 36.4% below league average.
Career OPS .531 vs. league average .716 across their career seasons — 25.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | PHI | NL | 152 | 477 | 42 | 104 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 42 | 53 | .218 | .256 (-15%) | .323 (-13%) | .392 (-36%) | .715 (-26%) | -1873.3 |
| Career · 1 season | 152 | 477 | 42 | 104 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 42 | 53 | .218 | — | — | — | — | -1,873 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (152 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 77 | 225 | 22 | 51 | 0 | 18 | .227 |
| Away | 75 | 252 | 20 | 53 | 0 | 16 | .210 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-09-27 | PHI | ATL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-26 | PHI | ATL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-25 | PHI | ATL | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959-09-22 | PHI | CIN | W | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-22 | PHI | CIN | W | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959-09-20 | PHI | ATL | L | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959-09-19 | PHI | ATL | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1959-09-18 | PHI | CHC | L | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1959-09-17 | PHI | CHC | W | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1959-09-15 | PHI | STL | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 152 |
Sparky Anderson: the record in brief
According to the bio, Sparky Anderson debuted on April 10, 1959 and played a final game on September 27, 1959. The team column never changes: it is the Philadelphia Phillies in 1959. Anderson is listed as a second baseman at 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds. The bio says Anderson both batted and threw right-handed. The recorded birth is February 22, 1934, in Bridgewater, SD, USA. Anderson's death is recorded on November 4, 2010, in Thousand Oaks, CA, USA. Anderson's full given name, per the bio, is George Lee Anderson.
Anderson finished with 104 hits from 477 at bats in 152 games, which works out to .218; the totals also include 34 runs batted in. The on-base percentage is .282 and the slugging percentage .249, for an OPS of .531. Set against a .257 league average for the same years, Anderson's .218 average sits 15.1% below it. The season table holds a single row: 1959 with the Philadelphia Phillies, 152 games, 477 at bats and 104 hits. That year the league hit .256, the figure in the row's Lg AVG column.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sparky Anderson
- Was Sparky Anderson a pitcher?
- No. Sparky Anderson was a position player (Second Baseman).
- How many home runs did Sparky Anderson hit?
- Sparky Anderson hit 0 career home runs with 104 hits.
- Is Sparky Anderson in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Sparky Anderson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000.
- What teams did Sparky Anderson play for?
- Sparky Anderson played for one team, the Philadelphia Phillies (1959).
- Did Sparky Anderson win an MVP award?
- No. Sparky Anderson did not win the MVP award.
- What were Sparky Anderson's career stats?
- In 152 games, Sparky Anderson had 104 hits, 34 RBI, 42 runs, and 6 stolen bases, with a .218 batting average.
- What position did Sparky Anderson play?
- Sparky Anderson played primarily as a second baseman, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Sparky Anderson and how much did he weigh?
- Sparky Anderson was listed at 5 feet 9 inches and 170 pounds.
- What was Sparky Anderson's career batting average?
- Sparky Anderson batted .218 over his career, with 104 hits in 477 at bats.
- How many RBI did Sparky Anderson have?
- Sparky Anderson drove in 34 runs in his career.