When he stepped down this past fall, Coach Jim Leyland let us know he wasn't going to far, that he would be doing something with the Tigers organization.
On Wednesday, we found out just what the crusty but likeable guy is up to. He's going to be General Manager Dave Dombrowski's special assistant or go-to guy.
“I’m going to do whatever (Dombrowski) wants me to do,” Leyland said to 105.1 FM host Drew Lane on Wednesday afternoon.
“It won’t be the grind you go through as a manager, but I’m still going to be pretty active.”
He said he'll be at spring training, helping evaluate the team.
He said he'll be looking at the Tigers minor league players and helping evaluate players in trade situations.
"He may send me out to look at a player," he said.
"I hope that I can continue to make contributions to the organization."
Leyland also commented on Jack Morris and his failed bid to make it into the Hall of Fame.
"I thought it was going to be tough, he said of the chance of Morris making it. "I wasn't sure. Certainly I was pulling hard for him."
He said Morris is a good friend.
"You just never know."
But he noted of the players who did make it in were "three terrific choices." -- Allan Lengel
