Anderson has number retired

NOTES

Sparky Anderson is 71 years old and has been retired for 10 years, but he would return to the dugout under the right circumstances.

During ceremonies to retire his Cincinnati Reds uniform No. 10 Saturday night in Cincinnati, the former manager looked over at fellow Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez sitting to his left and said, “I would come back if you could guarantee me that I could have these players.”

The Reds added Anderson’s number to those of Bench (5), Morgan (8), Perez (24), Frank Robinson (20) and the late Fred Hutchinson (1) and Ted Kluszewski (18) that have been retired by the team. Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 hangs with those numbers on the facade of the press box at Great American Ball Park.

Anderson compiled an 863-586 record in nine seasons as the Reds manager. He is the winningest manager in club history. The Reds won the N.L. pennant in 1970, his first season, before losing to Baltimore in the World Series.

Helling to pitch next week

Former major league pitcher Rick Helling of the Nashville Sounds is expected to start next week as scheduled, five days after he was impaled in his non-throwing arm by a piece of broken bat.

Helling, who pitched in the majors for 10 seasons, will start Wednesday against Albuquerque, Sounds spokesman Doug Scopel said.

Scopel said Helling was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released. “There was no internal damage,” Scopel said. “They stitched him up and released him.”

Clearing the bases

Orioles outfielder Larry Bigbie was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. … Cubs right-hander Mark Prior was placed on the 15-day DL with a compression fracture, one day after he was hit in the right elbow by a line drive.