The character George "Sparky" Anderson is the same name as the major league baseball coach of the same name. Since Tim Allen grew up in the Detroit area it's likely this is a tribute to Sparky. Sparky only played one year (1959) in the big league's as a second baseman with the Philadelphia Phillies. But he managed the Cincinnati Reds from 1970 to 1978 while winning two world series. In 1979 he moved to the Detroit Tigers in the American League where he stayed until 1995 while winning another world series. During his career he coached for 2,194 wins; placing him sixth on the all time win list for managers. He was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000 as a manager.