Leyland defends staff, accepts blame

05/13/2008 9:41 PM ET
Leyland defends staff, accepts blame
Skipper shifts spotlight from hitting, pitching coaches
By Jason Beck / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland knows the yin and yang of glory and blame in the baseball business.

"Players deserve the credit [when the team plays well]," Leyland said, "and the manager accepts responsibility for the team not going well. That's just the way it works."

As such, Leyland has said publicly to hold him responsible for the Tigers' struggles. To him, though, that doesn't mean he accepts the notion that coaches should be scapegoats. He sees that not so much as a fix but as a superficial measure.

"I think that's all normal talk," Leyland said. "That's radio show talk. That's bar talk. That's an opinion, and I disagree with that, obviously."

Both hitting coach Lloyd McClendon and pitching coach Chuck Hernandez have received their share of public scrutiny as far as what their message is, and how players are receiving it, as the Tigers continue to hang under .500, and struggle in various statistical areas. Leyland, however, believes that's the wrong direction to start pointing at this point in the season.

The Tigers entered Tuesday with the highest earned run average in baseball. Leyland acknowledged those problems, especially when it comes to starting pitching, but countered that by noting that two years ago under Hernandez's tutelage, the Tigers had the lowest ERA in baseball.

"That's the thing that goes along with our business -- you're looking for someone to blame," Leyland said. "There's not a thing wrong with the pitching coach, but we do have to start pitching better. There's no question about that."

As for McClendon, Leyland said the role of a hitting coach is one of the toughest on a team because of the work involved -- not just working with so many hitters every day, but watching video every day.

Sometimes, Leyland said, it's not that the teaching is wrong, but the message isn't getting through. In that case, the solution could involve repeating the message in different ways, and reinforcing it, until a player gets it.

"I think different people can interpret things differently," Leyland said.

Later, he added, "We're not 16-22 [entering Tuesday] because Chuck Hernandez isn't good. He's an excellent pitching coach, as good as I've been around. But we are all in the same boat."

In other words, they'll sink or swim with this team as a group.

"I'm working just as hard as I did in 2006," Leyland said. "My staff's working as hard as it did in 2006."

Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Quote :

Sometimes, Leyland said, it's not that the teaching is wrong, but the message isn't getting through. In that case, the solution could involve repeating the message in different ways, and reinforcing it, until a player gets it.

We must have a bunch of stupid hitters then, if this is the case.... NOT!

Quote :

"I'm working just as hard as I did in 2006," Leyland said. "My staff's working as hard as it did in 2006."

Difference is, you did not have time to ruin the pitchers in 2006, you inherited them. Now after two years of Chuck, we have a struggling pitching staff, except for the ones you have not ruined yet, like Gala!!

Nate should have not be taken out either!

82 pitches after 7 innings!


Leyland should have let him in there for at least one more inning!


The Indians had Lee and Carmona both pitch nine innings in their DH on Monday.


Unless Verlander throws a no hitter, we won't have a starter go nine all season.


BULLSHIT!

Yes, Leylands management is bull this year! I agree with you GS.

Especially when we lost a game that we had no business losing!

0-4 against KC so far!


I can't believe it

Firing Leyland and all of his "accepting the blame" staff should be a high priority now.

What else can they do? Fire all the millionares?

I want to know why no one has yet been fired? WTF?