SATURDAY SURVEY

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Last weekend, former Tiger manager Jim Leyland was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee (for non-players).  That committee was established in 2022 and holds elections every 3 years. This was their first one.

Leyland managed for 22 years w/ 4 different teams.  He had a 6-year retirement sandwiched in-between his stints with the Rockies and Tigers.  He holds a career .506 win/loss percentage and 1 World Series title with 3 pennants and 3 Manager of the Year Awards.

The big question now is what hat Leyland should wear on his plaque.  In general, those elected go in wearing the insignia of the team where they made the biggest impact and/or stayed the longest. 

The biggest factors for consideration would be the number of years Leyland spent with each team, his win/loss record for each and World Series titles.  On a secondary note, you may consider any honors and yearly team performance.

For all intents and purposes, we can eliminate the Rockies as a potential option.

Now for the hard part.  Do the Pirates get the nod because he worked there longer than any other team?  Or the Marlins because he won a World Series there?  Or the Tigers, the only team in which he had a winning record?

Here are his stats for each of the teams he managed:

PIRATES

– 11 years

– .496 win/loss record (4 out of 11 years above .500)

– no titles

– resigned from his position

MARLINS

– 2 years

– .451 win/loss record (1 out of 2 years above .500)

– World Series title

– resigned from his position

ROCKIES

– 1 year

– .444 win/loss record (0 years of 1 year above .500)

– no titles

– resigned from his position

TIGERS

– 8 years

– .540 win/loss record (6 years out of 8 above .500)

– 2 pennants (but no World Series title)

– became special assistant

What hat should Jim Leyland wear into the Hall?

Come back later and check the final results!

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31 thoughts on “SATURDAY SURVEY”

  3. Kind of unexpected assessment, but I think he would wear a Tigers hat because there is a Tigers connection through his family presence in Toledo. I grew up in a Toledo suburb, and the Tigers were a more favored team over Cleveland, which JL may have experienced. His brother lives in a Toledo suburb, and in 2006 recommended Marcus Thames to the Tigers – blood can be thick.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. Leyland’s career with the Tigers is what has made him HOF worthy. Without it, this topic is moot. Seems clear to me he should wear the old English D.

    Liked by 5 people

  5. The Pirates can have him. Looking back he went 1-8 in two WS appearances for us. He had a Triple Crown winner and two future HOF starting pitchers in their prime in the ‘12 WS and we were swept. His managerial gaffes in game 2 of the ‘13 ALCS in Boston led to the Tigers franchise’s “Buckner Moment.”

    Liked by 7 people

    • You cannot deny those failed years in WS contention were always fun years to watch the team. I’d gladly have them back rather than see the last 7 years.

      Liked by 8 people

      • Robert, a lot of people forget that. The lengthy playoff runs that almost got us a title that were preceded by the darkest period in Tigers history 1988-2005, followed by Brad Ausmus and another difficult stretch. I feel that JL has his face in too many personnel matters but was a very good manager.

        Liked by 4 people

      • Those years were fun to watch. The Tigers accomplished everything and did everything except, well, you know. Also, during the Leyland Era, the Tigers were top-heavy with nothing in the minors because it was either traded away or poor drafts, which has lead to the past seven years.

        Liked by 1 person

      • Robert, I agree that those years were fun to watch, however it was because of the players, not Leyland. I also disagree with some commenters that he was a good manager – with the number of Superstar players that he had on our team, he should have easily gotten that WS Ring. Instead, because of what I feel was his mismanagement (especially in regards to the bullpen), he won 1 game out of 9!

        Liked by 5 people

        • Ooops. I forgot about that 2009 collapse in which we went 3-4 at the end and lost a one-game playoff to the Twins. Yep. Leyland was in the Tiger dugout for that too.

          Liked by 3 people

    • AJ Hinch is a great manager but his Tiger winning percentage is a dismal .455. He was fired from his first two positions. Measuring a manager’s impact on a team and community is more subjective as for instance Leyland is still beloved in Pittsburgh.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Labcbaker, I don’t think it’s fair to compare AJ Hinch’s winning percentage to Leyland’s. Hinch has a very young team with little experience (and they are still trying to figure out who belongs and who doesn’t), while Leyland had a team full of Superstars (and yet, still went 1-9 in the Playoffs). You’re comparing apples to oranges!

        Liked by 5 people

  7. All that talent and lesser teams overmatched his tigers twice in the series – all those playoffs losses to the braves and Red Sox. Again his teams were equal or better. No he don’t belong in the hall.

    Liked by 3 people

  8. Ironically, his biggest victory was because of Cabrera who would be a tiger for a very long time. I think his best achievements were with those Dombrowski fueled teams that were always competitive. I think competitiveness trumps length of service on some mediocre Pirate squads so he should proudly display the Old English D.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Since obviously the choice between the Pirates and Tigers would be difficult for him I say go with No Hat and maybe a lit Marlboro hanging out of his mouth

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I don’t care what hat as long as it’s not the Tigers. His incompetence in the 2 World Series appearances is not what you would expect from any manager. Let alone one they put in the HOF.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. He should wear the ‘ol English D because that was the team he had the most impact on. Out of loyalty to the Illitch family he was made a special assistant and I believe is still on the payroll. However, because he lives in Pittsburgh I have a feeling that’s the one he’ll wear.

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  12. The team he is most identified with is the Tigers, first as a minor leaguer, than a minor league manager, then as a MLB manager and now as a special assistant.

    Liked by 3 people

  14. I think with his record, JL was fortunate to get in to the HOF. Since his service time is the longest and winning percentage is the best with the Tigers, he should go in as a Tiger even though the Pirates gave him his first opportunity as a big league manager.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Since the Tigers were the only place he had a .500 record, he should wear the Tigers hat (although quite frankly, I’m wondering how he even got into the Hall of Fame).

    Liked by 2 people

    • No World Series wins, 1-9 in WS games (despite four Cy Young winners on staff, Price, Porcello, Scherzer, Verlander), Llyod McClendon, Gene Lamont, Dave Clark as trusted coaches, and responsible for the hiring of Brad Ausmus. And he’s a HOF’er?

      Liked by 2 people

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