DETROIT — Jim Leyland’s No. 10 was retired by the Detroit Tigers, placing the Corridor of Fame supervisor’s identify and quantity in white on a brick wall subsequent to World Sequence winner Sparky Anderson.
“Once I look out on that wall and see my identify with the Tiger greats, it is onerous to imagine,” Leyland mentioned Saturday evening throughout a pregame ceremony earlier than Detroit performed the Kansas Metropolis Royals.
Leyland arrived for the on-field presentation after a gradual journey in a white Corvette, giving him an opportunity to wave to followers from the foul pole in proper to Detroit’s dugout alongside the third bottom line.
He was voted into baseball’s Corridor of Fame final December, two weeks shy of his 79th birthday and final month grew to become the twenty third supervisor inducted.
Leyland received 1,769 regular-season video games over 22 seasons, together with a 700-597 document from 2006-13 with the Tigers. He led Detroit to the World Sequence in 2006, his first season because the workforce’s supervisor, and in 2012 when the franchise received its second of 4 straight AL Central championships.
“Jim Leyland got here to the Tigers on the on the excellent time,” mentioned Todd Jones, the Tigers’ profession saves chief and Leyland’s nearer in 2006. “Town was on the way in which up, culturally and economically, and the workforce was reflecting that as a result of Mr. (Mike) Ilitch had invested in Pudge Rodriguez after which in Magglio Ordonez. He then employed Jim Leyland, who put all of it collectively for a gaggle of fellows who for essentially the most half hadn’t received a lot.”
“He was the calming presence in that locker room for the blokes at the moment, and that is what that is what we would have liked.”
Early within the 2006 season, although, Leyland thought the Tigers wanted one thing else.
He was so upset with the workforce after dropping a house recreation, and earlier than happening a highway journey, that he screamed at them in a tirade that was so loud reporters outdoors the clubhouse might hear what he was saying.
“Guys have been disrespecting different coaches and he simply wasn’t going to place up with it,” Jones recalled. “He mentioned, `You guys make all the cash and you bought all the celebrity, however I’ve the lineup card and you will by no means play when you try this once more to certainly one of my coaches or when you disrespect the sport.'”
The three-time Supervisor of the 12 months additionally led Pittsburgh, Florida and Colorado, serving to the Marlins win the World Sequence in 1997. He managed the U.S. workforce in 2017 when the People received their solely World Baseball Basic title.
The Tigers have additionally retired No. 1 (Lou Whitaker), No. 2 (Charle Gehringer), No. 3 (Alan Trammell), No. 5 (Hank Greenberg), No. 6 (Al Kaline), No. 11 (Anderson), No. 16 (Hal Newhouser), No. 23 (Willie Horton) and No. 47 (Jack Morris).
Jackie Robinson’s quantity was retired all through the main leagues in 1997 and his No. 42 is subsequent to Anderson and Leyland past the right-field seats in Comerica Park.
