One of Major League Baseball's most-respected and most-successful managers announced Monday that he's stepping down.
Detroit Tigers skipper Jim Leyland told reporters: "I'm going to be 69 years old [on Dec. 15]. I'm not ashamed of that. I'm proud of it. The fuel's getting a little low."
The news comes two days after the Tigers were eliminated by the Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of the American League championship series.
Leyland, who said he'll stay with the Tigers in a job yet to be determined, steps down after eight seasons leading Detroit. Over his career, as NPR's Mike Pesca tells our Newscast Desk, Leyland "won three manager of the year awards, three pennants, more than 1,700 games and a World Series [when he managed the Florida Marlins in 1997]."
According to BaseballReference.com, Leyland's record as a Major League manager was 1,769 wins, 1,728 losses. As a player — most of the time behind the plate as a catcher — he bounced around the minors for seven seasons.
The World Series, between the Red Sox and National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, starts Wednesday night in Boston. Over the weekend, Eyder posted on "5 Things To Know About The World Series."
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