Great news. He's not perfect tactically, but he's generally good with the bullpen, guys have defined roles in the pen and on the bench, the players respect him and play hard for him, and he's calm in a crisis (if sometimes too calm/comatose - see the 9th inning of ALCS Game One). I'm very happy about this, but probably not nearly as happy as Don Kelly is.

The local radio folks were calling for Leyland's head every day of the regular season and every day of the postseason as well. Toward the end of the season they actually said they would prefer it if the Tigers didn't make it so Leyland would be fired. So I don't think they'll be too pleased about this.

If only Detroit had the vigilant Boston sports media to ride him out of town.

He's got some quirks with lineup construction and has his inexplicable favorites (see Raburn, Ryan), but most managers do. I watch a lot of Tigers games and don't quite get the hate a chunk of Tigers fans have for him. And it's not like a Ron Washington 2011 World Series situation where it felt like the Rangers were winning in spite of their manager. Is it just a case of the time honored tradition of disliking your favorite team's manager because you pay so much attention to the team that you naturally will disagree with some of their choices over the course of a long season?

Is it just a case of the time honored tradition of disliking your favorite team's manager because you pay so much attention to the team that you naturally will disagree with some of their choices over the course of a long season?

My complaint is very specific, in that I don't think he manages a pitching staff very well. He leaves his pitchers in a batter or three too long, or is too slow in recognising that a bullpen pitcher has gone cold and he has to make adjustments. Sometimes that has cost him games over the years.

There is also an issue with being out-thought. As far as pre-game planning went, it looked like the Giants had him completely outfoxed, and his team couldn't adjust fast enough to the problem. I don't know whether that can be completely laid at his door, as professional scouts are presumably the GM's bailiwick. But the whole 'Leyland plays his guys' ethos can be seen as part of that.

All that said, I am not unhappy that he is coming back. There is no-one available that I would tout as a clear upgrade.

As far as pre-game planning went, it looked like the Giants had him completely outfoxed, and his team couldn't adjust fast enough to the problem.

Do you have a specific example of this? I just don't see how Verlander having a bad start or his hitters going in the tank is evidence of the Giants "outfoxing" Leyland.

As far as pre-game planning went, it looked like the Giants had him completely outfoxed, and his team couldn't adjust fast enough to the problem.

The Tigers lost because of the lack of hitting, pure and simple. In the series, they only had 12 AB with a runner in scoring position; the Giants had 9 in game 4 alone.

The manager could have been the bastard son of Earl Weaver and Sparky Anderson and still gotten swept.

Leyland said in a released statement.

Oddly, we don't know what was in the unreleased statement.

I just don't see how Verlander having a bad start or his hitters going in the tank is evidence of the Giants "outfoxing" Leyland.

Jim Price was commenting about the way the Giants were pitching to Cabrera and Fielder. They should have adjusted, and part of the job of Leyland and his coaches is to both to spot that and to get the players to do something to counter it.

For all I know the coaches/scouts spotted this, too, and the hitters just couldn't adjust despite coaching. But that's why I said 'looked like' as opposed to 'was'.

Perhaps. It should be noted that both those guys also hit several balls hard for outs. Before Cabrera's popout with the bases loaded in Game Four, he missed a double down the RF line by a few feet.

I'm happy about Leyland coming back... not so happy about Lamont or McClendon coming back.

I never understood why my fellow Detroit fans wanted Leyland gone. I think this is a case of "be careful what you wish for." Yeah, he has his flaws, but everybody does. His biggest strength, however, is the way he manages his clubhouse. With how many big egos that have been on the Tigers in recent years, you can't let this skill go undervalued. I shudder to think what would happen if a guy who couldn't manage a clubhouse took over Detroit.

not so happy about Lamont or McClendon coming back.

Well, Harrah's coming back as co-hitting coach, so that might help.

Dombrowski is doing a presser right now. He's already said Valverde won't be back. Dotel and Peralta have had their options picked up.

My complaint is very specific, in that I don't think he manages a pitching staff very well. He leaves his pitchers in a batter or three too long, or is too slow in recognising that a bullpen pitcher has gone cold and he has to make adjustments. Sometimes that has cost him games over the years.

You could say this about almost every manager. I also think batting Quentin Berry second is beyond stupid, but that's a pretty ordinary manager mistake. The players seem to like and respect the old guy, and I really think that's about all you can ask for from a manager unless he's willing to think really out of the box and put his good hitters 1st and 2nd instead of the fastest guy and best bunter. Other than that, they're all pretty interchangeable or downright bad.

not so happy about Lamont or McClendon coming back.

Those bases won't steal themselves.

You could say this about almost every manager.

I could, but then I might not be saying it about a manager whose write-up in Dag Nabbit's book emphasises his issues with handling pitchers, or who has gone through three pitching coaches in six years in Detroit, which seems to me a high attrition rate.

Leyland's weakness has historically been with pitching. Let's say it has cost him more games than I would have expected.

My complaint is very specific, in that I don't think he manages a pitching staff very well. He leaves his pitchers in a batter or three too long, or is too slow in recognising that a bullpen pitcher has gone cold and he has to make adjustments. Sometimes that has cost him games over the years.

This sounds like Monday morning quarterbacking to me.

1) It's hard to tell a pitcher is going south before they actually have. I doubt that a fan's ability to do so is better than Leyland's.

2) Leyland's strength is managing the pitching staff and the players over the course of a long season, which is why he's a quintessential player's manager. He somehow manages to get everyone at bats and innings and rarely steps on player toes. Even the famous blow out with Barry Bonds was due to Bonds arguing with Bill Virdon and Leyland stepping in to take the heat for his coach.

Leyland's biggest flaw is probably that he over-values defence, although that's not uncommon for MLB managers.

Leyland's weakness has historically been with pitching. Let's say it has cost him more games than I would have expected.

I think this is pretty much untrue. Leyland has a reputation for getting more out of the pitching staff (particularly the bullpen) than would be expected.

Leyland's biggest flaw is probably that he over-values defence, although that's not uncommon for MLB managers.

What? This is a manager that trots out Ryan Rayburn at 2nd and stuck with young in of forever. He doesn't value defense at all. He values his "gut", which is often the wrong choice.

Overall he is a good clubhouse manager and a bad tactician, par for the course really.

Overall he is a good clubhouse manager and a bad tactician, par for the course really.

Well, if it is par for the course then that probably tells you that the tactical part of the game is pretty small and largely meaningless. Which I can believe.

Leyland has a reputation for getting more out of the pitching staff (particularly the bullpen) than would be expected.

At least one sabermetric analysis begs to differ, although it doesn't cover many of his Detroit years.

Well, if it is par for the course then that probably tells you that the tactical part of the game is pretty small and largely meaningless. Which I can believe.

Two-time pennant-winner Ron Washington is Exhibit A.

Leyland? Lamont? McClendon? How did I not know that the Tigers were coached by three ex-Pirates managers?

Jim Tracy is available. Make him 1B coach and John Russell bullpen coach. That gives you all the living non-interim Pirates managers except the aforementioned Bill Virdon.

What? This is a manager that trots out Ryan Rayburn at 2nd and stuck with young in of forever.

Forever? Delmon Young played all of 31 games in the outfield this year, hardly any of them after the end of June.

In other Delmon Young news, the Tigers announced he won't be back either. What does he get? Could be anywhere from 3/30 to a minor-league deal.

Delmon will sit at home until Aug. 30th or so, at which point, every team in playoff contention will be knocking down his front door to ink him to a deal. I have never seen a guy look so useless on a regular basis during the season and then become such an offensive force in October.

Leyland's biggest flaw is probably that he over-values defence, although that's not uncommon for MLB managers.

Jesus Christ, he regularly pencils in "1B P. Fielder", "SS J. Peralta", "3B M. Cabrera", and for awhile "LF D. Young" and "2B R. Raburn".

WTF were the other choices if that's overvaluing defense?

IMO, his big quirk (which may be a leftover NL preference) is a preference for the Raburn/Kelly flavor of bench guy who can do a lot of things, but none of them well.

I have never seen a guy look so useless on a regular basis during the season and then become such an offensive force in October.

Delmon Young is the new Scott Spiezio.

has his inexplicable favorites (see Raburn, Ryan)

Who, exactly, did Rayburn hold back?

The Tigers have lacked a corner outfielder, a 2b and a bench for 3 years and they refused to deal with the problem. I don't think that is Leyland. I don't know if Don Kelly would be on the roster of another major league team. I'm certain that he would not be any team's primary pinch hitter! They had a bunch of 2b options that can't hit or field and Rayburn, who can't field but at times in his career has been a decent hitter. It's easy in hindsight to be critical of sticking with Rayburn as long as he did this year, but there were no better options.

In other Delmon Young news, the Tigers announced he won't be back either. What does he get? Could be anywhere from 3/30 to a minor-league deal.

He'll get a Major League contract, but given that his current franchise basically announced "We want no part of this guy" despite being ALCS MVP, I can't imagine he'll get anything like $30/3. Funnily enough, he'd be a good fit for the Yankees in the Andruw Jones role, except I suspect his off-the-field issues will prevent that.

Oddly, we don't know what was in the unreleased statement.

It was mostly swears, amid a cloud of cigarette smoke.

I've grown to like Leyland over the years. I used to think he was overrated, as he came with the sheen of a "superstar" manager and IMHO managers cannot be superstars -- their impact simply isn't large enough. Leyland's not great at everything but I do think the players respect him and play hard for him, and there is almost never any dissent in the Tiger clubhouse. He's probably "average" (among 30 MLB managers) tactically, as well as with pitching staff management.

His Tiger teams have made the postseason 3.5 times (I count 2009), which is a pretty big deal for a club that hasn't even been in many playoff races since World War II.

You could say this about almost every manager. I also think batting Quentin Berry second is beyond stupid, but that's a pretty ordinary manager mistake.

In the World Series, this was my only real complaint about Leyland. Berry shouldn't have been playing at all (since July), and he had him batting second two games in a row. After the first game, where Berry looked completely overmatched in every single AB, I would have at the very least dropped him to 9th in the order.

The Tigers have lacked a corner outfielder, a 2b and a bench for 3 years and they refused to deal with the problem. I don't think that is Leyland. I don't know if Don Kelly would be on the roster of another major league team. I'm certain that he would not be any team's primary pinch hitter! They had a bunch of 2b options that can't hit or field and Rayburn, who can't field but at times in his career has been a decent hitter. It's easy in hindsight to be critical of sticking with Rayburn as long as he did this year, but there were no better options.

This has been a complaint of mine as well, but I always balmed the GM for that. Getting upgrades for these guys is what a good GM should be doing. That Dombrowski did not is a negative in my mind.

Where I do fault Leyland is his reliance on crappy proven closers. Todd Jones and Jose Valverde (with a crappy Fernando Rodney year sandwisched in between) just bug the hell out of me. No reason they needed to be the closer.