By Staff Writer: Travis Waker
Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland announced his retirement last week after eight seasons in Detroit. Leyland had won three division titles, two pennants and 700 wins exactly, just in his eight years with the Tigers. However, Leyland’s legacy does not stop here.
Leyland began coaching in Major League Baseball in the early 80’s under his good buddy Tony La Russa. He was a third base coach for the Chicago White Sox. He turned to coaching after he had very limited success as a player in the minor leagues.
Leyland got his start as a manager with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 where he again had little success, winning only 64 games and losing 98. His team suffered another losing season before having their first winning season in 1988.
After 11 seasons in Pittsburgh, Leyland left for the Florida Marlins in 1997. His first year there, Leyland won his first and only World Series, winning 92 games in the process. The next year, 1998, was the ultimate low point for Leyland. He managed the same Marlins and went from a World Series to losing 108 games and a last place finish. Leyland left Florida after that season and the now Miami Marlins have still to this day not been able to recover from the 1998 season.
After leaving Florida, Leyland went to Colorado where he spent just a lone season, 1999, losing another 92 games. Leyland’s career as a manager then looked at a standstill. He was not hired again until 2006, in Detroit. Detroit was at a low point for their franchise, losing a Major League Baseball record 119 games in 2005. Leyland surprised the baseball world after taking six years away from the game, he came back and bringing the American League pennant to Detroit. In October 2006, Leyland was back in the World Series, facing his old friend La Russa, where he ultimately lost in five games.
Although Leyland never brought a World Series title to Detroit, he was dubbed “the most interesting man in baseball,” according to an ESPN story.
The Tigers manager brought Detroit fans endless memories and put the city of Detroit back on the baseball map. Now Leyland leaves his team in very good hands and they will once again be in contention for a World Series.
Not only is Leyland known as a very good player’s manager, but his 1,769 wins ranks sixteenth all time.
