Bombshell

That didn't end well now did it?  The Tigers' season came to an end last week against the Boston Red Sox.  While I'm not happy about the Tigers not getting to the World Series, at least they didn't lose to a lesser team.  If they had lost to Oakland, I would have broken a ton of stuff.  Boston was the team this post season that really scared me and I had hoped Tampa Bay would have beaten them in their series, but that is not what happened.  Let us move on, shall we?

The pain of the loss in the ALCS was just leaving my body when all of a sudden my twitter timeline exploded with news of an upcoming press conference by the Tigers.  I had a little bit of a sinking feeling as I knew what was going to happen.  I knew that Jim Leyland was not going to be the manager for the Tigers next year.  I did not anticipate the manner in which he was not going to be the manger though.  I figured that the organization would not be renewing his contract.  I did not expect him to voluntarily step down.  Either way, I will miss Jim Leyland.  For a couple of different reasons.

He was the right man for the job when he was hired.  While I wish Alan Trammell had a better shot as a manager, looking back everyone should have known he was set up for failure.  It is much like whomever manages the Houston Astros for the next six years or so.  He protected his players which is what any good manager should do.  He got the team on the right track and kept them on that track. 

He could weather any storm.  Once the Tigers reached the World Series in 2006, the bar was set.  The postseason was an expectation, not an anomaly.  Each losing streak.  Each lose to a lesser team.  Each end to the postseason.  He answered all the questions angrily but answered them nonetheless.  He was an open and honest manager and let his feelings be known.  

He loved the organization and city.  If you need any proof for his love of the city of Detroit, go look up any postgame interview after a playoff series win.  For someone as old and gruff and grumpy as Leyland is, you would not expect him to get as emotional as he did.  He loved the players too.  Sometimes a little too much.  DON KELLY!

For all the things Jim Leyland did right, he also did things that made every single Detroit Tigers fan shake their head or pull their hair out.  Sometimes he got inside his own head and over thought even the smallest thing.  The biggest issue was dealing with relievers.  While he let the starting pitchers work through a rough stretch of batters, he had a quick trigger for the relievers.  Anyone that ever thought that the Tigers should have fired Leyland during his tenure was not a true fan.  Managers go through tough spots just like the players and we as fans have to be patient while they work out whatever their problems were.  

Anyway, my wife asked me yesterday who I think the next manager for the Tigers should be.  Honestly, I have no idea.  There are plenty of names that are being thrown out there.  I don't really want to think about it right now.  I'm sure the organization will make the right call on who the next manager will be.  If not, we'll all yell and scream about it.  Like we have any say in the matter...