Jim Leyland

James Richard "Jim" Leyland (born December 15, 1944) is a retired Major League Baseball manager. He currently serves as a special assistant to the Detroit Tigers.

He led the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997, and previously won three straight division titles (1990, 1991, and 1992) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. With the Tigers' victory in the 2006 American League Championship Series, Leyland became the seventh manager in history to win pennants in both the National and American Leagues. He is a three-time Manager of the Year Award winner, twice in the National League (1990 and 1992), and once in the American League (2006).

Early career

Leyland began his baseball career with the Tigers when they signed him as a catcher on September 21, 1963. He spent seven seasons as a minor leaguer in the Tigers organization (1964–1970), but mainly served as a coach with the Montgomery Rebels in 1970 while playing in just two games for the team. Leyland was a career .222 hitter in the minor leagues.