THE BULLPEN

Now that former Pittsburgh Pirates manager Jim Leyland is stepping down as manager of the Detroit Tigers, the question many are asking is "Is Jim Leyland a Hall of Fame manager"? After 22 years as skipper of the Pirates, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies and the Tigers, Leyland's resume is lengthy enough to warrant such a question. However, is the content of said resume enough for induction into Cooperstown? I'm going to go against the grain and say "No".  I know, many a black-n-gold fan has a soft spot in their hearts for Leyland. And goodness knows I bleed black-n-gold. However, the numbers just don't add up for Leyland. Yes, he's 15th in wins all-time with 1769.  He has won 2 Manager of the Year Awards in the NL (1990 and 1992 with the Pirates) and 1 in the AL (2006 with Detroit).But he has only captured just 2 pennants and 1 World Series title. He also has 1728 losses for a mediocre .506 winning percentage. Worst of all? Leyland has quit on every one of his teams. He lost 3 straight NL Championship Series while with the Pirates, 1990-1992. He had MVP's and Cy Young's with that team. But he could never get over the hump. When the Pirates couldn't meet the economic demands of their star players, they had to let them go and suffer the consequences. Leyland left the team in '96 because he didn't want to start over. He was promptly hired by the Florida Marlins in '97 and they proceeded to go right out and buy Jimmy his one and only championship. In 1998, when management had a fire sale, Leyland couldn't stand the heat of rebuilding and opted out of that kitchen, too. He managed the Colorado Rockies in the 1999 season but decided it wasn't a rocky mountain high and left that gig, as well. He returned to managing in 2006 with Detroit. He was offered every opportunity for success with star players such as Justin Verlander, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Victor Martinez and Max Scherzer. He had Triple Crown and Cy Young winners and still couldn't produce a championship. So he quit. Is that really the mark of a Hall of Fame manager?
Sorry, Jim. Hate to bust your bubble.