Seeing crowds at Comerica Park was a point of personal pride for Jim Leyland.
"One of the things to do in Detroit now is to go to a Tiger game. And that’s one of the things I’m proudest of in my eight years in Detroit," he tells Mitch Albom during a 90-minute "exit interview."
Leyland, who announced his retirement Oct. 21, recalls climbing from near-bottom to American League champs in 2006.
"That was my most rewarding year. It really ignited baseball again in Detroit.
"The Tigers weren’t getting a lot of fans, they were on the back page, going to a game wasn’t the thing to do."
"Smokers are discriminated against," Jim Leyland tells Mitch Albom in a farewell conversation.
In a sports section cover display headlined "The Skip's Good-Bye," Leyland talks about star players and closing his career before turning 69 on Dec. 15.
- Miggy: "In my 50 years, there’s been nobody that has the opposite-field power that Miguel Cabrera has. Nobody. . . . Right now, Cabrera’s the greatest hitter on the planet.."
- JV: "Justin Verlander is as solid as it gets. He’s a good guy with a great head on his shoulders."
- Cigarettes: "I understand that it’s not good for kids. I understand that we’re trying to set the right example. And I would never smoke in somebody’s house or offend anybody with it. But I do think smokers are discriminated against."
- Retirement: "I could see looking into the future I wasn’t gonna have the energy to do the job like it needs to be done."
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Career: "I was an AA catcher, released, could have ended up back home working in the factory. . . . I ended up managing in the big leagues 22 years. I managed some of the greatest players to ever play the game. I met five presidents. I had dinner with a president of the United States in the White House. I played golf with a president of the United States. I made money. . . .
"I had an unbelievably fabulous career. And I’m extremely grateful."
Leyland will reflect on his career Monday night at a Fox Theatre benefit called "Detroit Legacies in Black and White," co-hosted by Albom. For details and tickets, click here.
