Fame isn't fleeting for Sparky
So why would Sparky Anderson be picked to have a plaque with his name cemented into a sidewalk in San Pedro? Why not.
The San Pedro Sportswalk, which started almost 30 years ago by the Traini brothers to honor local athletes, has branched out into including all kinds of Southern California sports natives and local college and pro figures as a way to generate some notority for the seaport town. Anderson is among the next six to be honored at a ceremony Monday at 10 a.m., after a dinner at Papadakis restraunt tonight (Sunday).
After Monday's ceremony on Sixth St. between Palos Verdes and Centre, there's a lunch at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at noon (the public can join them at $40 a pop).
Anderson, a Dorsey High grad and former USC batboy for Rod Dedeaux, will be joined by (most notably) Chuck Knox, the former Los Angeles Rams coach; Lou Zamperini, the former USC track and field star, 1936 Olympic miler and World War II veteran and POW whose live story is been talked about being made into a movie starring Nicholas Cage; and Victoria Brucker, the former San Pedro Eastview Little League star player who became the first girl to play in the Little League World Series in 1989.
An interesting update on Brucker, now a 29-year-old mother of two and biology teacher at her alma mater, San Pedro High, ran in today's Daily Breeze.
Past inductees on the Sportswalk include John Wooden, Rafer Johnson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Tommy Lasorda.
For more info, call Tony Rodich at (760) 766-2002 or Bob Bradarich at (310) 427-3543, or the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce at (310) 832-7272.
Comments
Looks great he was a great coach and baseball guy. My only objection is the big "C" on his baseball cap. His best team was the 1984 Detroit Tigers. I bet Sparky would be proud of the Yankee killers of 2006!
Posted by: John Kennelly | October 8, 2006 06:19 PM
Iam co-chair to this event and Sparky was ask who was
the better team the Reds or
or the Tigers. And I Quote
the Big red machine in 4. You can call and ask more
about the Sportswalk to the
water front at 760-835-1757. or sportswalkwaterfront.com
Thank you
Tony Rodich
Posted by: Tony Rodich | November 29, 2006 12:14 PM