Who is Jim Leyland the legendary Marlins manager that was inducted into the Hall of Fame?
The National Baseball Hall of Fame has a new member and few are more deserving. Indeed, the legendary manager has now been immortalized.
Beloved by Marlins and Tigers fans alike, the now-retired coach has taken his rightful place among the greats of the game, and with that we’re taking a closer look at who he was and continues to be in the game today.
Jim Leyland inducted into Hall of Fame
Jim Leyland, who managed the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship and the Detroit Tigers to two AL pennants, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday according to an announcement from the organization. Leyland was elected at MLB’s winter meetings via a vote of the Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players Committee, which considers accomplishments since 1980. The Hall of Fame announced the results of the voting on Sunday evening. Leyland shared an image of himself in his bedroom alongside his wife, Katie, at the time he got the call.
“I can’t thank baseball enough. It’s been my life and I owe a lot of this to the game itself,” Leyland would go on to say during the MLB Network interview on Sunday. “... I’m going to the Hall of Fame because of the players, like every other manager does, to tell the truth. It’s all about the players.” Interestingly, Leyland was elected on his very first ballot after receiving 15 out of the 16 votes. To be inducted, one must receive a minimum of 12 out of 16 votes.
A closer look at Jim Leyland
At 78 years old, it’s interesting to note that Leyland is still very much involved in the game of baseball, as he continues to work as a special assistant to the Tigers a team that he once coached. Indeed, Leyland’s career as a manager spanned 22 seasons and saw him hold the reins with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies, and Detroit Tigers. Where the Pirates specifically are concerned, he posted a 856-863 record (.496) over 11 seasons between 1986 and 1996 before joining the Marlins in 1997.
Of course, it was with the Marlins that he truly made his mark as he took them to a World Series championship in his very first season. Unbelievably, he would depart just one season later for Colorado where he would manage the Rockies for a single season in 1999. What followed was six years as a scout for the Cardinals, before he took on the role of manager of the Tigers in 2006. Before finally bringing the curtain down on his career, he would help the team to win two AL pennants in 2006 and 2012. In total, Leyland ended his career with a regular season record of 1,769-1,728 (.506) and a postseason record of 44-40 (.524). In case you’re wondering, the eight playoff appearances that he made are tied for 10th all-time, a stat that makes sense when considering the fact that he was named Manager of the Year on three occasions.