JIM LEYLAND NEWS

With all the good players we have, if Leyland does not turn it around by mid-season next year, I hope he is canned! If it does get better, then we know it was Chucks fault or the players being lazy fat cats!

GoGetEmTigers wrote:

With all the good players we have, if Leyland does not turn it around by mid-season next year, I hope he is canned! If it does get better, then we know it was Chucks fault or the players being lazy fat cats!

Or Both

Saturday, October 4, 2008
Jerry Green
Green: Tigers' Leyland should be thankful

The hierarchy of a ballclub is quite simple. It works from Bossman A to Hired Gun B to Operational Chief C and down to Acolytes D.

This is known as the chain of command. It has always been this way in the business of baseball. And it is no secret the Tigers work on the whims of the Bossman, the owner.

And the whims of Mike Ilitch are strong and capricious and usually creative.

Jim Leyland, at this juncture, should be pleased he has a job for 2009.

He himself had to clamp down his Acolytes, D in the pecking order, and fire Chuck Hernandez and Jeff Jones, his coaches in charge of pitching. They were moves he did not make by choice. He was forced to fire them.

Leyland was forced to fire them to protect his job, as Operational Chief C -- the manager.

And now, too, that job is in jeopardy.

A day after this past season ended with the Tigers a last-place ballclub -- again -- Leyland complained he was miffed about not receiving an extension in his contract for 2010, during an interview on WJR radio with Mitch Albom.

Leyland was quite vociferous about the situation. For sure, his gripes did not improve the mood of Ilitch. I read it as a virtual dare to the Bossman.

The plain fact is managers of last-place ballclubs do not earn extensions to their contract.

The next plain fact is when Dave Dombrowski, Hired Gun B as general manager, did not offer an extension to Leyland, the Tigers hierarchy was issuing an ultimatum.

Dombrowski, of course via Ilitch, was informing Leyland, quite succinctly, he was a lame-duck manager. The Tigers had better play closer to their collected abilities in 2009 or it will be Ilitch's way or the highway.

The statement happens to be stolen from one Sparky Anderson, former Detroit manager and Hall of Famer, who kept using the phrase as one of his clichés.

Ilitch's power of ownership is that he once directed Sparky toward the highway.

It was a nudge when Sparky left the Tigers. Not a true shove or a firing, but enough for Sparky to take the road west.

The point is Ilitch is not averse to firing name managers with the Tigers or coaches with the Red Wings.

Period!

Since he purchased the Tigers in August 1992, Ilitch has employed seven managers. The first six were ousted and dispatched along Ilitch's highway.

Among them was Alan Trammell, in truth the Tigers' only iconic ballplayer since the retirement of Al Kaline more than 30 years ago. The Bossman hired Trammell to manage because of his popularity. The Hired Gun, with the backing of the Bossman, fired Trammell because he was unable to win without decent ballplayers.

Leyland is aware how the business works. In a conversation I had with him when it became obvious that the Tigers were failing during the 2008 season despite their load of talent, Leyland went over his background.

"I've never been fired," he said.

He had managed the Pirates. He helped build the Pittsburgh ballclub and then finished first three successive years in the '90s. The talent, Barry Bonds included, left -- and a few years later so did Leyland. It was his personal decision.

He moved to the Marlins. He won the World Series at the end of his first season -- with a championship club built by Dombrowski. As Hired Gun in Florida, Dombrowski was then commanded to slash salaries -- in essence destroy a championship-caliber ballclub.

One poor season with the Marlins sent Leyland away, voluntarily, again.

Onward he went to manage the Rockies. He discovered the situation in Colorado was intolerable and departed -- his personal choice.

Three ballclubs! Still never fired!

It was seven years before Leyland felt inclined to manage again. In 2005, the day after the Hired Gun, with obvious approval of the Bossman, had fired Trammell, Leyland was hired as Operational Chief. Manager of the Tigers. It was the job that had been his longtime ambition. He had been groomed in the Detroit farm system 30 years earlier.

And with the Tigers, his first season was joyous. The Tigers won the pennant in 2006 and reached the World Series. It was a year of baseball renaissance in Detroit, where the game had been afflicted with apathy during Bossman Ilitch's ownership.

Dombrowski, the Hired Gun, had brought in enough talent to win. And with Leyland in charge of field operations, the Tigers won. The Tigers slipped backward in 2007, but Leyland was awarded a contract extension through 2009.

Then the disaster of 2008 for a team with great expectations -- fortified, supposedly, by Dombrowski's wintertime trades. The Tigers were favored in betting rooms and by outspoken baseball men to win the World Series this very month.

The ballclub fell apart at the outset. The Tigers never recovered from their seven-game losing streak in the first seven games.

After the Tigers traded away Pudge Rodriguez at the beginning of August, I wrote simply: "They raised the white flag of surrender."

Indeed, they did.

It was about this time Leyland and I had our one-on-one conversation, summing up his career.

"I know what you're driving at," he said, and having known each other for 30 years he had read my thoughts.

"They'd have to fire me," he said. "I want to manage the Tigers."

And after a 74-88 season -- an embarrassment regardless of the pitching woes and injuries -- he still wants to manage the Tigers.

I believe Leyland is an outstanding manager. I believe, however, he has put himself at the brink with his public disclosures about his disappointment in being denied an extension for 2010.

I believe, furthermore, that the Tigers gave up -- quit, a nasty word -- during August and September. They fell to last place and stayed there -- behind Kansas City, a cheapskate franchise.

Ilitch, the Bossman, had given the Tigers a $139 million payroll, second-highest in the major leagues, with the great expectation of reaching the World Series.

Yet both the Operations Chief and the Hired Gun admitted to their failings.

"I stunk," Leyland told reporters numerous times during September.

"I'm embarrassed," Dombrowski told the journalists this past week when the season ended. "I had a bad year."

But Dombrowski, as Hired Gun, has the burden of pulling the trigger. He gave Leyland his instructions. And as the season ended, Leyland was forced to tell Acolytes Hernandez and Jones that they had been fired.

Two scapegoats -- because the pitching staff was ruined by injuries to Jeremy Bonderman, Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney; unexpected ineffectiveness by Justin Verlander, Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis; and overdue withering due to age of Kenny Rogers.

Plus the tinkering ordered by the Bossman and the Hired Gun. They made trades that didn't work except for the addition of Miguel Cabrera. They went nuts with position switches that mostly became failures. Carlos Guillen -- first base and third base. Cabrera -- third base and first base. Brandon Inge -- third base, catcher, center field, third base again.

Two years ago, the Tigers enjoyed their marvelous season, with the pennant with Guillen at shortstop and Inge at third base. That's where they belong in 2009.

And that's where Leyland should be permitted to play them throughout the season. If Leyland survives.

Last Sunday, in discussing the firings of two of his coaches, he was asked whether he would battle if the replacements were promoted from within, Leyland indicated his true feelings.

"Not at the expense of my job," he said.

Yet he jeopardized his job two days later with his public disclosure of his disappoint about not receiving the 2010 extension.

And to me his midsummer words resounded:

"They'll have to fire me!"

A virtual dare!

I think Leyland is a goner after 2009!!

Really surprised he's not gone now. Lots of managers in MLB gone this year for a lot less!

tigersaint wrote:

I think Leyland is a goner after 2009!!

I think Leyland will be a goner during 2009!

Seattle...Oakland....

he can go anywhere, as long as it is not Det!

YEAH!

bobrob2004 wrote:

tigersaint wrote:

I think Leyland is a goner after 2009!!

I think Leyland will be a goner during 2009!

Hard to argue good logic like that!!

02/12/09 7:48 PM EST
Anticipation mounting for Leyland
Skipper ready for spring to begin as he enters 18th season

By Jason Beck / MLB.com

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Jim Leyland came into town Thursday afternoon wearing a winter sweater, a cap on his head and with anticipation in the air.

For someone entering his 18th season as a Major League manager after so many more in the Minors, his level of anticipation can't go unnoticed.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Leyland said of this season. "I guess it's easy to say, because this is Spring Training, but I can't think of any one that I've looked more forward to than this one. Ever.

"In 2006, I was a maniac looking forward to it, and I feel that same way. I'm really looking forward to it. We'll see how it plays out."

The reason is simple. Leyland has talked often this offseason about the embarrassment he felt over last year's disappointing result. This spring finally starts their chance to answer it.

"I like little motivational things like that," he said. "Stuff like that gets my blood going. And if it didn't, I wouldn't be here."

Leyland is back, as are several of the players who shared in the embarrassment from last season. If that feeling carries over, they should have a common bond. It's up to Leyland to put together the plan that prepares them for a rebound.

That was a work in progress over much of the offseason. Leyland said he met with coaches when they were in Detroit for TigerFest and the Winter Caravan. Together, they went over what they wanted to address in camp, and assembled the itinerary to do it.

He wants to set the tone and expectations in the first few days when he meets with players in small groups according to their positions -- pitchers, catchers, infielders and outfielders. By his admission, it won't be drastic, but it'll be to the point. He doesn't want to rehash the past too much, but he doesn't want history to repeat itself, either.

"I think it's a fine line," Leyland said, "because I've never been one to really look back. I don't want to start talking about what happened last year. I want to go forward, and I'm going forward, because I think we have a really good club. But I also want to present the fact that this is not going to be easy. You can't just do it one, two, three, four or five days. You have to do it every day.

"You're going to have a long season. It's going to be a tough season. You're going to go up to Detroit, and it's going to be cold. I want to get that all out of the way down here. You have to prepare yourself to have that mental toughness."

They also have to have the preparation to avoid the distractions and changes that marked last season's rough start. Leyland has emphasized stability heading into camp, and he has a plan to reinforce it.

He has a lineup in mind -- Curtis Granderson, Placido Polanco, Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Gary Sheffield, Gerald Laird, then some combination of Brandon Inge and Adam Everett. All but one of his rotation spots are accounted for with Justin Verlander, Armando Galarraga, Jeremy Bonderman and Edwin Jackson. He doesn't want to keep score daily on the competition for the other starting role, preferring to let it play out.
The bench roles and the bullpen are less set. Leyland isn't certain they'll have one set closer or multiple options when camp breaks in early April.

"That would be a nice bonus if we can do that," Leyland said. "That's kind of a catch-22, because I don't want to steer one or the other off too early with some kind of commitment. I think you have to wait and see how that unfolds a little bit. ... I think that would be something that I would be interested in, but it's not mandatory."

The fact that Leyland was referring to two people, presumably free-agent signing Brandon Lyon and incumbent Fernando Rodney, reflected a cautious approach with Joel Zumaya after his comeback from a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder last fall. Asked whether Zumaya could join the mix for that role if he's healthy, Leyland was mindful of Zumaya's injury history.

"I don't know about that this year," Leyland said. "I think when you don't pitch [for much of the past] two years ... could it happen? Yes, it could happen."

At the same time, however, Leyland emphasized the importance Zumaya plays on the Tigers' fortunes this year.

"I think that Brandon Inge and Joel Zumaya are two of the biggest keys to this club," Leyland said. "Believe me, I think [Zumaya] is one of the biggest keys to this team. But I'm going to have to find out if he can withstand it and throw some innings and bounce back."

Toward that end, Leyland plans to have Zumaya throw two to three innings at a time this spring, rather than one-inning performances. He wants to see how Zumaya's arm responds to longer outings, not for any sort of long relief, but so that they know his health with or without limitations.

"At some point, we have to push him along a little bit," Leyland said. "And if we can't, then I would say there's a chance he wouldn't break [camp] with the team. My point is that if he can only pitch six innings [this spring] because he's rehabbing and all that, then he's not going to be ready to pitch at the big league level, in my opinion. I'm hoping that's not true, and I don't think it will be. But if it does happen, I want to protect myself."

In other words, Leyland wants to avoid the surprises and drama that marked last year at this time and carried over to the season. He's taking on last year's misfortunes, and he wants his team to move on.

"We'll be prepared," Leyland predicted. "That I can assure you."

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

It was fun to watch the Marlins get the '97 WS! Jim and many Tigers were on the team!

laprimamirala wrote:

It was fun to watch the Marlins get the '97 WS! Jim and many Tigers were on the team!

Sadly we had bad experiences with Renteria and Jacque Jones!

yup. there were a few duds, but wow! in '97, they were totally different playas!

And to think someone signed Jacque Jones!

2/5/09

Cincinnati Reds Signed OF Jacque Jones and 1B/OF Daryle Ward to Minor League contracts with invitations to Major League Spring Training.

I don't believe it

Jim and Pat Leyland after batting practice


Patrick Leyland swings to impress dad

Saturday, March 7, 2009
Leylands enjoy moments in sun with Tigers
Tigers manager, son Patrick bond in a big league way
Tom Gage / The Detroit News

LAKELAND, Fla. -- He's bigger than his dad now.

Taller, heavier, maybe even stronger.

"Can kick my butt," Jim Leyland says of his son Patrick, who's grown in the time his father has been the Tigers' manager from being a wide-eyed eighth-grader to a high school junior looking for all the world like a prospect.

Which, as a 17-year-old catcher, he happens to be.

"Skip, where'd your son go?" said Brandon Inge. "What on earth? Who is this kid?"

That's how much he's grown.

"Teams are beginning to look at him, but so are schools," a baseball executive with longtime scouting experience said on Friday. "He has a lot going for him."

Plenty of time for all that college and pro stuff to unfold, though.

Plenty of time before the trip down from Pittsburgh isn't quite the father-and-son experience it is now.

Plenty of time still to grow up instead of being grown up.

Jim Leyland's family doesn't spend much time in Lakeland during spring training. His kids are too big for that, too involved in their sports and activities. His wife, Katie, needs to be home with them.

Plus Dad's days are pretty full. It's not like they can all troop off to the beach.

But there are no better moments the entire spring for Pop Leyland than when he's on a mound at a back diamond throwing to his son.

For you, for me, it's the same as a game of catch in the front yard used to be when the winter weather finally turned warmer.

We did it with our dads. We did it perhaps with our moms, too. Whoever could catch the ball and throw it back. Whoever could throw a strike and not mind when a batted ball rolled down the street.

With Jim Leyland and his son Patrick, it's different, because of the big league setting, yet it's the same.

They were over on Al Kaline field at noon on Friday -- with Gene Lamont, the Tigers' third-base coach, and his son Wade, a first baseman in the Tigers' organization.

The schedule provided a break -- the first night game of the spring, so the Tigers had some rare early time to spend as they pleased.

For Tigers president Dave Dombrowski, it was a jog. Out he came from the clubhouse and off he went.

For Leyland, it meant batting practice, throwing to Patrick and Wade -- and barking reminders to his son along the way.

"If you're going to swing at the ball, swing.

"Right center, Patrick, right center.

"What the heck was that?"

"Off the fence. Are you happy now?"

Suddenly a shot came right back at Leyland, hitting the metal frame of the protective net. Not the sound of a puck off a post, but close. Patrick had nearly nailed his father.

It's happened before, though.

"That's the way, Pat." Leyland said. "Up the middle."

One pitch followed another.

A dozen pitches followed another.

"Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, seventh game of the playoffs and you just need a hit," Leyland called out from the mound. "A hit, not a home run, Pat, What do you do?"

Line drive to right on the next pitch.

"It fell in," said Patrick.

"Caught by the right fielder," said Jim. "End of game."

And so it went. Fun to watch, but unusual because of how rarely we get to see this side of the Tigers' manager.

"Last one, Pat.

"Ten more, Dad. C'mon, 10 more."

"Last one. Atta boy, good swing. We'll hit again tomorrow.

"Now go pick them up."

Following orders, Patrick grabbed the ball cart and headed to the outfield with Wade to pick up the baseballs they had just hit.

Chores don't change just because your dad is the manager. Pick 'em up, Patrick.

Consider it done. Consider it willingly done.

A weekend trip to spring training, and your father on the mound throwing to you? Priceless.

You can reach Tom Gage at tom.gage@ detnews.com

I bet Tigers don't pitch any Complete Games this year

2009 team would be the first Tigers team of all time to do that

Leyland wants that record on his resume

FIRE LEYLAND!

i love on the "official" forum everyone thinks Lungcancer stinks and wants him and DD gone. I havent visited there in a bit and seems like every thread mentions it and by people who were in love with Lungcancer.

I was getting banned at least once a week from the get go about Leyland saying he was no good. And DD is just as bad.

Got rid of one POS (fudge) last year, lets get rid on another.

TrammMan wrote:

i love on the "official" forum everyone thinks Lungcancer stinks and wants him and DD gone. I havent visited there in a bit and seems like every thread mentions it and by people who were in love with Lungcancer.

I was getting banned at least once a week from the get go about Leyland saying he was no good. And DD is just as bad.

Got rid of one POS (fudge) last year, lets get rid on another.

I try to stay away from the Tigers Board

I have my Countdown on there and that is about it