Comments on: It’s time, Detroit: Fire Jim Leyland

By: Jerry McFarland

Jerry McFarland — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 17:28:42 +0000

Big Al states “the young guys have done nothing but perform well”. Right, we need more .220 hitters & guys who continuously get turned inside out on fly balls over their heads (Joyce). The Tigers are a corpse right now, including the smell. Leyland should go back to Ohio, live in a creepy bungelow with lots of stinky cats, cigarettes & a ragged robe wrapped around his pathetic bones.

By: Larry

Larry — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 01:55:23 +0000

Leyland has not learned that a winning team learns to bunt. He has blown 22 games when a bunt would have wond the game. He is stupid and needs to be fired today.
August 8, 2008.

By: david saunders

david saunders — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:56:48 +0000

i think that it is time to say buy to jim

By: david saunders

david saunders — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:06:39 +0000

i think it is time to fire jim leyland the tigers are 3 highest ball tteam in baseball ,if thay wre smart thay would bring back allen tramell

By: Jerry

Jerry — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:40:21 +0000

Time for him to have a smoke from the Grand Stands.

Thanks,
Jerry

By: tiger337

tiger337 — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:03:50 +0000

Given that the infield isn’t a very good one defensively, I’m not sure how much good Guillen’s leadership is doing. Plus, it’s an experienced group of players. It’s not like they have a bunch of rookies playing the infield. Couldn’t Renteria or Polanco take on a leadership role if necessary? I will admit that 17 games is a small sample size. However, the type of errors he was making at shortstop last year don’t seem like the type of errors that would be eliminated at third base. He made errors on a lot of routine plays last year.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:17:10 +0000

Travis, I’d agree with you that 17 games is a bit small to judge by, but the problem is, I think you risk looking at Guillen in a vacuum if you only consider his time at third base and make the blanket statement that other shortstops have been able to change positions.

For the past two seasons before that, Guillen showed a decreasing range, but that wasn’t the real sin. He had a bunch of throwing errors. I wish I knew how to find the breakdown of errors to confirm what my eyes saw, but far as I recall, he just wasn’t doing a good job of getting balls cleanly to first.

So at third, maybe he doesn’t need quite as much range, though it wouldn’t hurt, but he’s throwing all the way across the diamond. Balls are getting by him, and when they’re not, he’s pulling Cabrera off first. It’s hard enough for the kid to learn a new position on the fly, his third baseman can’t get him the ball cleanly way too often.

I do agree that Guillen serves as a captain in the infield and his leadership abilities seem to be pretty good from an outsider’s view. That does carry value. But this is an intangible, and how we do know it’s not a leadership position another person on the infield can’t take over?

By: Kurt

Kurt — Mon, 19 May 2008 05:01:35 +0000

Geez I didn’t even remember to mention Leyland’s confusion over what to do about the screwed up lineup.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/SPORTS02/805150428/1050/rss15

Or today’s quote along those lines:

“This offense is not supposed to get shut out like that. Or as often as it has been.

“I can’t sugarcoat it. I don’t know the answer.”

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080518/SPORTS0104/805180332/1129/rss15

Sorry, but you’re the guy in charge of a $140M payroll. I think the Tigers should probably expect the answer to be found soon, or should hire someone else to look for it.

By: Travis

Travis — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:37:05 +0000

All of this talk of shifting Guillen to DH disturbs me. Carlos Guillen is the team leader in the infield, and I think that there are intangibles that he brings to the table while playing the field that would be lost if he was to DH everyday. I know that the dropped foul fly the other night may contradict that, and that would be a fair counter argument. However, I like to go back to something that Rob Neyer at ESPN wrote about the move when it happened. The Cabrera-Guillen switch will certainly be better for the team in 3 months, but does Detroit have the patience to wait out the growing pains at each position? Guillen has made 5 errors at third in 17 games. You must admit that 17 games is a pretty small sample size. I think that the historical evidence of shortstops making the switch to third late in their careers shows that Carlos could still end up being a solid third baseman. It is just going to take more than 17 games to show that.

By: tiger337

tiger337 — Mon, 19 May 2008 01:13:09 +0000

I’m not opposed to seeing Leyland fired but there are some moves that I think need to be made which I don’t think would happen even with a new manager. I believe Leyland is forced to cater to Sheffield and Guillen because of their seniority and their contracts and that will likely remain a problem even with a new manager. I’d like to see them force Sheffield onto the DL (or some place else where he won’t get in the way) and Guillen to DH before they do anything else. I may be wrong but I think those are decisions that go beyond the manager.

I think I’m on board with you on not liking the job Leyland is doing but I’d rather see player moves. If those those moves can happen more easily without Leyland, then I’d want to see him fired.

Lee

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:32:46 +0000

Gene Lamont has managed before. If we need an in-season replacement, it might as well be him. Then this off-season, hire one Kirk Gibson to manage the Tigers. No way he’d stand for some of the crap we’ve witnessed.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:50:44 +0000

Francona probably lost a bet in the offseason.

I don’t think anything will happen to Leyland, I’m just asking — begging — for better decision making anywhere in the organization.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:18:03 +0000

Terry Francona just named the Skipper to the All-Star game coaching staff. They won’t fire him just yet.

By: Big Al

Big Al — Sun, 18 May 2008 00:12:45 +0000

The more I thought about your post, I have to say, I see your logic. Every other card has been played, the only one left is firing the manager. Still, I just don’t think Dombrowski would do it.

Hell, even I know enough not to bat Pudge leadoff, and that Sheff should be on the DL! I may throw my hat into the ring.

Since we’re talking hypotheticals… Seriously, who would/could take over? Andy Van Slyke? I like him, but he has no experience. Lloyd McCenndon? He has the experience, but God no. Larry Parrish has been doing good things at Toldeo. He’s a better manager now than he was the first go round. He’d be my pick for an interim manager.

Dammit Kurt! Now you got me thinking about possible scenarios!

By: Kaos

Kaos — Sun, 18 May 2008 00:11:07 +0000

If something isn’t done soon it worries me about the impact this season will have on our future star players. Grandy, Cabrera, Raburn, others. Especially the pitchers, Bondo and Justin. It just isn’t fair to expect your pitcher to win with the stop-gap measures that Leyland is using.

I don’t know if i totally agree with getting rid of Leyland. But, maybe it will have to happen. And you guys are right, he will be the fall guy.

I just don’t want to see the attitudes/outlook of our current players who DO belong here(not shef or carlos) to go to shit. They deserve better than this. Unless, maybe, i’d hate to even think it, but maybe they are just happy being paid for the most part and are like oh well we’ll get em next time attitude. We’re becoming the DAMNED YANKEES day by day and i get to cry myself to sleep at night.

But I will continue to stand by them, even if i disagree, I love my Tigers and always will. But, this has been the hardest team I’ve ever had to watch. Even the current Pistons are easier to take in than the ‘08 Tigers. Please Jim, see the light soon. Get mean, get dirty, ….just get smart. You did it before in Pit and Florida, do it now. Before it’s too late. But, it is too late. ‘08 record= 62-100 sad, sad, sad

By: Kurt

Kurt — Sat, 17 May 2008 23:39:16 +0000

If I’m “Big I” spending $140M, I would be pretty mad to see it going down in a spiral like this. You put together a real dream team, you hope to see it do a little better than .400 and play a little better than “Little League.” The manager has been the one making the nonsensical moves, he goes.

I don’t know who could replace Leyland. But preferably someone who doesn’t make the same nonsensical moves he does. That alone should improve the team. And that shouldn’t be too hard to find, right?

By: Big Al

Big Al — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:38:10 +0000

We’re often on the same page when it comes to the Tigers. I agree they are PAINFUL to watch, and I’m on my last straw. But as drastic a measure as canning Leyland is one I have to think about long and hard. Let alone I have no idea who could replace him.

I have no response to the points made, it’s all correct. Guillen’s days in the field are numbered. The young guys have done nothing but perform well, yet don’t get on the field. The Sheffield thing is mystifying. I thought he couldn’t throw, but Leyland had him back in LF last night. HUH?! The Sheffield situation alone has me leaning to your way of thinking.

I do believe Mike Ilitch will want someone held accountable if the season continues in a downward spiral (I see no reason to think it won’t). You can’t fire the players, and Dave Dombrowski is safe, no matter the result. The manager has to be the fall guy. It may be just a matter of when Dombrowski decides to pull the trigger.