Leyland Fired Up

Jim Leyland calmly talked about baseball while sprinkling in some jokes and anecdotes during morning and afternoon chats over four days.

Then on Tuesday morning, the Detroit Tigers' manager got angry in front of reporters for the first time at spring training.

Leyland lashed out at ex-Tiger Dmitri Young, who said the team cut him last season instead of supporting him, saying he was "totally out of line" and some not-fit-to-print words.

Not that there was a doubt, but the AL Manager of the Year clearly has the passion to do his job in his second season with the Tigers after leading them to the World Series.

Leyland was out of the dugout from 2000-2005 after walking away from the Colorado Rockies because he didn't have the energy to put out ego-related fires.
He had it last year, and proved it quickly.

The Tigers followed up a strong start with a lackluster effort to end a homestand early in the season, and Leyland let them have it with an expletive-filled tirade that could be heard outside the clubhouse doors. He also put the team in check when reporters couldn't listen.

"Yeah, I snapped a few times," he acknowledged.

Leyland, however, shouldn't have as much to stress out about this season.

The three-time Manager of the Year said he felt like a freshman last season because he didn't know his players well, and he wasn't sure how his time away from the game would affect him.

Leyland found out his star players, such as All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez, would play hurt and hard virtually every day. He also learned that his younger players -- Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya and Curtis Granderson -- had the talent and work ethic to contribute. And, Leyland realized he didn't lose his managerial touch.

When the first full-squad workouts begin Wednesday, Leyland will see essentially the same team that made a once-proud franchise a winner again.

Nine-time All-Star Gary Sheffield was added to be the designated hitter and only reliever Jamie Walker was lost, leading Leyland to say the team is better than it was at this time last year.

"We're a good club that's got big expectations," he said. "My concentration is to get the players that have the ability to improve to take the next step.

"We'll work on that this spring. There's a lot to do."

Leyland's top priorities this year are to help his free-swinging team improve in two-strike situations at the plate and to make up for the lack of speed with smarter baserunning.

The Tigers shouldn't have many tough decisions because the only uncertainties with the roster involve perhaps one position player and one reliever, assuming the team gets through the next five-plus weeks healthy.

"We don't have a lot of spots," Leyland said. "You guys know it, and I know it."

That doesn't mean Leyland is going to take it easy on the AL champions, allowing them to coast through workouts without breaking a sweat before playing golf or relaxing with their families.

"We're not going to back off one bit," he insisted. "It's not going to be some gung-ho thing, but there's going to be no slack just because they know me and I know them.

"When I came here, they thought they were getting some grumpy old manager, but now they know I'm a softy. I am a softy, but I can be as hard as I need to be. Hopefully, it's a comfort zone for me with the players and a comfort zone for them. But it's not going to stand in the way of me staying on top of things to get things done."

Left-hander Nate Robertson has no doubts about that, even though Leyland has been very friendly while pitchers and catchers were working out.

"He'll probably still blow up once in a while," Robertson said. "It's a long season and we're human, so there might be a game that he's not happy with because of our preparation or performance.

"They pay the manager for a reason and that's to direct the team and to keep our minds focused on what's important. We have the perfect manager for our situation."
Source: AP