Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland has always been known as a straight shooter and he played things that way on Monday, announcing that he decided to step down from the team following their playoff loss to the Boston Red Sox, ending his run after eight seasons.
According to ESPN.com, Leyland said that it was "Time" for him to step down and this comes after a long and storied career in baseball, including stints with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies and the Florida Marlins, with whom he won the World Series. Leyland has been a successful manager for many years and he has led the Tigers to three straight AL Central titles.
Leyland first was manager for the Pirates back when they had Barry Bonds and he also took the Tigers from one of their worst stretches into one of their best. The Tigers had lost over 110 games in 2003 and just a few years later the team was in the World Series. Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera and other players expressed their respect for Leyland after the announcement.
"It's been a thrill," the 68-year-old Leyland said during a news conference at the ballpark. "I came here to change talent to team, and I think with the help of this entire organization, I think we've done that. We've won quite a bit. I'm very grateful to have been a small part of that."
