Jim Leyland will stay on as Tigers’ manager for at least one more year.
Leyland signed a one-year contract while all of his coaching staff have been invited back for next season, the Tigers announced.
“Detroit is a tremendous baseball town, and I couldn’t dream of a better place to manage,” Leyland said in a statement released Tuesday morning.
“The support of Mr. Ilitch and Dave is second to none and gives this club an opportunity to win every year. Tigers fans and the people of Michigan have supported us so well during my time here, I can’t even begin to express how much that means to me.”
Over the course of his seven years in Detroit, the 67-year-old Leyland has earned the respect of Tigers’ fans and management alike. He is one of just three managers in the club’s history to have reached 600 wins.
With his grizzled looks and no-nonsense style, Leyland has drawn comparisons to Tigers legend Sparky Anderson.
“Jim is as fine a manager as there is in baseball, he has done a fantastic job for the organization, and we are thrilled to have him back managing the Tigers in 2013,” Tigers president and general manager Dombrowski said in the statement.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Jim and his ability to lead our club on the field. I am confident that you will not find a harder working or better prepared manager in the game.”
Leyland has managed 21 seasons of Major League baseball and is first in wins amongst active managers.
- Jordan Wyant, Michigan Radio Newsroom
