Detroit Gets "Smoked"

The Dip

Jim Leyland leaves the Detroit Tigers after 8 years behind the helm.  He brought the Tigers to 2 World Series in 2006, his first year with the team, and last year.  He won neither appearance with last years birth ending in a sweep by the San Francisco Giants.  After which, Smokey decided to go for it for one more year.

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The 68 year old Leyland decided yesterday that enough is enough.  Presumably the throttling by the upstart Boston Red Sox made up the old man’s mind.  The Detroit Tigers were selected by many preseason pundits to be the best team in the AL, were easily dispatched by the preseason joke of both leagues.  
  
 Leyland started his managing career with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986.  He managed there for 11 years, winning their division 3 times between 1990 and 1992.  The last 4 years after this run were by all accounts horrible, or average if you are a Bucks fan.
   

Smokey was then hired by the young franchise in Miami, the Florida Marlins, where he immediately took this squad to the World Series and won.  The first championship for a few notables in New England, Josh “Chicken & Beer” Beckett and Mike “I speak two languages and that is all” Lowell.  He had 1 year in Colorado and then started his 8 year stint in Detroit winning two pennants.
  
 After his loss last year in the World Series many thought he would quit then, but he decided to come back for won more shellacking, this time by the world beater Boston Red Sox.

                                                       Read More about Jim Leyland

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