Former major league manager Jim Leyland was reluctant to be honored by the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel wrote.
"Hi, Dave, did you cancel the ceremony?" Leyland quipped, talking to Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski.
"Leyland was back in Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon for a ceremony before the Tigers played and defeated the Minnesota Twins, 9-3.
"I got invited to Mr. I's box," Leyland told a group of reporters of owner Mike Ilitch after hanging up his phone. "I haven't been there in 8 years."
"Leyland had that relaxed, freshly retired glow. Deep suntan. Untucked shirt.
"I didn't want all this hoopla, to be honest with you," he said.
"Leyland stood in a small room in front of a series of team photos that paid homage to great Tiger teams from the past. Now, he, too, is an important part of that history.
"The Tigers have won 11 pennants, and Leyland was a part of two of them. The Tigers won 71 games the season before he arrived. But during his eight-year run in Detroit, the Tigers were transformed. Under Leyland, the Tigers won 700 games and made four trips to the postseason. There were Cy Young awards and MVPs and a Triple Crown.
"It was a great run," Leyland said. "The missing piece was the World Series trophy, so it will be forever held against us, but it [was] such a wonderful run for everybody."
Leyland touched on several topics Saturday, including how the Tigers are looking without him as well as new manager Brad Ausmus.
On the 2014 Tigers: "It's a different type of club, more exciting to some people. My excitement is winning. That's what we did and that's what they are doing now, maybe at a little better pace."
On Ausmus' office: "It doesn't smell like smoke at all in there anymore. They got new carpet. The couch is still there. There is some chocolate ice cream still on that."
On scouting for the Tigers: "I like it because you are still kind of part of it, but you are way back in the background."
McGrady's blues
It was a rough night for former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady in his first game on the mound for the independent Sugar Land Skeeters.
McGrady made his debut for the Skeeters on Saturday. McGrady, 34, is a right-hander who started for Sugar Land against the Somerset Patriots. He was given the starting assignment by Manager Gary Gaetti, a former major leaguer who was part of the 1987 Minnesota Twins World Series championship team.
McGrady gave up 2 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks with no strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. He made 35 pitches. The Patriots scored a run in the first inning on one hit, two walks and a wild pitch. Former Houston Astros shortstop Edwin Maysonet hit a home run in the second inning, which ended McGrady's outing.
"It remains to be seen whether the experiment continues, but remember that this is the indy leagues, where there's no harm in a novelty act," wrote Dayn Perry of CBSSports.com
They said it
From Bob Molinaro of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, on Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout eating six hamburgers at one sitting: "After signing a $144.5 million contract, shouldn't he be able to afford steak?"
From Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: "Reds third baseman Todd Frazier uncorked baseball's longest home run this season on Friday against the Rockies -- a 485-foot blast that landed on Great American Ballpark's riverboat deck out in center field. Which begs the question: Lower deck? Upper deck? Poop deck?"
From the satirical sports website sportspickle.com: "NFL saying names dominates TV ratings."
We tried to give it away a couple of times, but A.J. Minter wouldn’t allow that.”
Texas A&M baseball Coach Rob Childress on the Aggies’ 6-5 victory over Arkansas
Sports on 05/12/2014