Sparky Anderson is one of my favorite people in the world. I was too young to remember the hoopla of the Tigers back in the 1980s, but I will cherish the memory of Sparky as just a pure, wonderful human being, as well as a critical part of Tigers history.

Summer is a time for baseball and I've tried to read a baseball book each year. I've definitely missed a couple years, but with COVID-19 impacting the season, I thought now was a better time than ever to get back into the habit and get a baseball fix. Plus, I knew I needed something positive as this whole pandemic thing gets me down sometimes.

This book delivered. The stories and lessons that Sparky taught Dan were very eloquently retold to the reader. This book hit me just like "Bless You Boys" hit me. It further solidified that Sparky is not only one of the game's greatest people, but he's an all around great, great person. Honestly, if I could be a quarter as great and kind as Sparky seemed to be, I'd be doing alright.

While I picked up the book knowing it'd be full of great stories, it also really tapped my emotions. As I started reading this book right before the pandemic really got out of control, I found myself tearing up a bit more often than usual. Sparky talked about treating every single person well. No exceptions. He was all about the people. He was humble beyond imagination. It took me a while to get through, because the book made me sob several times. There were so many great reflections about empathy, friendship, memories, love, and of course, baseball. Get your feelings ready.