DENVER — I tracked down former Colorado Rockies manager Jim Leyland on the phone the other day to congratulate him on his recent election into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
When given a chance with a team that wasn’t dumping its best players because of financial constraints, or worse, playing at a Mile High altitude in the pre-humidor era, Jim Leyland rivaled his good friend Tony LaRussa as the best manager in Major League Baseball over a two-decade period.
It didn’t work out for him in his one season as manager of the Colorado Rockies in 1999.
That's too bad, because Leyland did wondrous managerial work in the early 1990s for the Barry Bonds/Bobby Bonilla-led Pittsburgh Pirates, one magical 1997 season for the Florida Marlins, and eight seasons from 2006-2013 for the Detroit Tigers.
A manager with great feel, ability to command a clubhouse of men young and old, and a strategist mind that often thought outside the batter’s box, Leyland led the expansion Marlins to a World Series title in 1997, the Tigers to two American League pennants, and four teams overall to 1,769 regular-season wins over 22 seasons.
For that he received 15 of 16 votes from the contemporary-era committee for managers, executives and umpires. He becomes the 23rd manager to be elected into the Hall of Fame.
“I was elated to be on the ballot and ecstatic when I got in would be the best way to put it,’’ Leyland said from his home outside Pittsburgh. “I didn’t think I had a chance to be honest with you. Some people said they thought I had a shot, some friends said they thought I had a shot. Obviously, it’s not going to be a lock. But when I got 15 out of 16 votes I about passed out. I couldn’t believe it. So anyway I have the utmost respect for Sean Payton. How is he, good?’’
It was the first time we talked in about 20 years. The Leyland I remember was a wonderful conversationalist but he would redirect if there was too much centered on him. He asked about the Rockies, Sean Payton, my age, health and job switch from covering Major League Baseball to the Broncos in 2005 – the year before Leyland’s second career stint as manager of the Tigers. Detroit was 43-119 in 2003, 72-90 in 2004 and 71-91 in 2005 before Leyland replaced Alan Trammel as manager. In his first season, the Tigers captured a wild-card berth with a 95-67 record, and beat the Yankees and A’s by a combined 7 games to 1 in the playoffs before losing 4-1 to LaRussa’s Cardinals in World Series.
He got the Tigers back to the World Series in 2012 and American League Championship Series in 2013, then retired, this time for good. The first time he retired was after his lone season with the Rockies.
“I stepped down after Colorado and said I was done managing,’’ Leyland said. “And I truly believed that in all my heart I was going to be done. I went to work for the St. Louis Cardinals and Tony LaRussa. (General manager) Walt Jocketty hired me to be a scout. Watch the National League when they came through Pittsburgh.
“Well, they took me to spring training every year and I got to know their players and everything down there. And they were good. After about three or four years and watching their clubhouse and spirit and everything I said you know if the opportunity came up I might want to try it. I interviewed in Philly and didn’t get the job and I’m glad I didn’t, I don’t think it would have been a good fit.
“But then coincidentally the team I signed with in 1963, the Detroit Tigers who I had been with for 18 straight years in the minors (as player, coach and manager), they called me. It was a chance to go home and I’m glad I did because we had quite a bit of success. So I felt like I went out on a sour note in Colorado but I wound up going out on a real high note in Detroit so it worked out pretty good.”
It was unfortunate the only year Leyland was in charge of the Rockies was two years before the humidor. The Rockies in 1999 averaged 7.1 runs a game at home; 4.1 runs on the road. His pitching staff surrendered 7.7 runs per game at home; 5.0 runs on the road. Thus the Rockies average score that year at Coors Field was 8-7.
The humidor was installed in 2001 and has since helped normalize the games at Coors Field. But it’s still a tough place to pitch and handling a pitching staff is a significant part of managing.
“I just couldn’t manage there,’’ Leyland said. “I know they were mad at me (for retiring after one season) and I understood that. But I just couldn’t manage there. I was a 4-3 manager, a 3-2 manager. I’ve said a million times they treated me great. Absolutely great. I felt bad but I would have been doing them a disservice to take that money and come back. But that would not have been the right thing to do.”
Larry Walker in 2020 was the first player with Rockies’ ties to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Leyland hopes he will be joined at the HOF ceremony on July 21, 2024 in Cooperstown by Todd Helton. The Rockies’ longtime left-handed hitting first baseman with a .316 career batting average, 2,519 hits, 592 doubles, 369 home runs and three Gold Gloves narrowly missed election last year with 72.2 percent of the vote.
He should reach the 75 percent threshold for election when the vote is announced Jan. 23, along with first-ballot shoo-in Adrian Beltre.
“Todd called me the other day and I said I’m pulling my ass off for you,’’ Leyland said. “It would be nice to go in together. I was kidding him because if I get in I’m going to be a little embarrassed because I didn’t do very good in Colorado and there’s two Hall of Famers sitting behind me that were on that team. But I hope he gets it. I think he’s going to.”
Of Walker, Leyland said: “Larry Walker was the best five-tool player I ever had. Bonds was the best player but Larry Walker was the best five-tool player I ever managed. He’s definitively a Hall of Famer.”
By the way, Leyland is impressed with Payton, the Broncos’ head coach.
“I don’t know him but please when you see him next time tell him I said that I’ve been a big admirer of his and I wish him the best,’’ Leyland said. “I never knew him but I always admired him from afar.’’
Why is that?
“Well, I’ll tell you, his presence on the sideline and everything, he was always into it. He always seemed under composure. His players always played hard for him. I really like the way he was into it. He’s there strictly for business.’’
High praise coming from a Hall of Fame baseball manager.
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