Jim Leyland on the Tigers’ Playoff Push
Detroit doesn’t just watch postseason baseball — we feel it.Every pitch, every baserunner, every ninth-inning decision hits different when you’ve lived through 2006, when you’ve seen that smoke from Magglio’s…
LAKELAND, FL – FEBRUARY 27: Manager Jim Leyland of the Detroit Tigers poses during photo day at the Detroit Tigers Spring Training facility on February 27, 2010 in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Detroit doesn’t just watch postseason baseball — we feel it.
Every pitch, every baserunner, every ninth-inning decision hits different when you’ve lived through 2006, when you’ve seen that smoke from Magglio’s bat disappear into the October night air at Comerica Park.
And when you hear Jim Leyland’s voice again — gravelly, measured, still carrying that skipper’s calm under pressure — it’s like talking to the heartbeat of Detroit baseball.
As the Tigers battle Seattle in a tense playoff series, Leyland joined Big Jim’s House on 94.7 WCSX to talk about what it takes to win in October, what he sees in this team, and why he believes Detroit’s in the best managerial hands possible.
“You can’t shoot yesterday’s breakfast.”
When asked how he handled the endless decision-making that comes with postseason managing, Leyland didn’t hesitate.
“You can’t shoot yesterday’s breakfast,” he said. “Once you make a decision in a game, it is what it is. It’s dictated by the players and their performance.”
That’s vintage Leyland — pragmatic, no-nonsense, and rooted in trust for his guys. He singled out Spencer Torkelson’s recent at-bat against Seattle — a line drive down the right field line — as a perfect example of smart, situational hitting.
“He was thinking fastball to right-center, which keeps you on a breaking ball in case they throw it. Just a terrific at-bat,” Leyland said. “Really exciting baseball.”
That’s the kind of small moment Leyland has always loved — the thinking hitter, the detail that gets lost in the box score but wins a game in October.
On AJ Hinch: “He’s the best I’ve ever seen with pinch hitters.”
It’s no surprise that Leyland sees a lot of himself in AJ Hinch — calm, steady, and always prepared with multiple backup plans.
“You prepare before the game,” Leyland said. “Then you kind of let the players play. That’s pretty much it.”
But he went further, calling Hinch one of the best in the game at managing the modern roster.
“He’s the best I’ve ever seen at using his pinch hitters. He always has Plan A, B, C, and D ready. We’re in really good hands with AJ, that’s for sure.”
That’s high praise coming from a man who managed nearly 3,500 Major League games, led Detroit to two American League pennants, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame for a reason.
The Carpenter question: gut or game plan?
Big Jim asked about Kerry Carpenter, who stayed in the lineup despite a rough game the night before — a move fans debated across Detroit.
“I think it depended on when that move was made,” Leyland explained. “You didn’t want Carpenter out of the game with the possibility that [Andrés] Muñoz was going to come in to close. You don’t want to end up with all right-handed hitters against a right-handed closer.”
In other words — there’s a reason for every move, even when it doesn’t show up in the scorebook. That balance of data and gut is what Detroit fans have always loved about Leyland — and it’s what he respects in Hinch.
Postseason pressure: “Here’s mine, here’s yours — let’s play.”
Leyland never tried to reinvent himself in October.
“You don’t change anything,” he said. “Here’s mine, here’s yours, let’s play and see what happens.”
He said the atmosphere takes care of itself — the crowd, the noise, the flashbulbs. You notice it, but you don’t live in it.
“You know it’s there,” he said. “But you’re doing your job. You’re constantly thinking — what if this happens, what if that happens? You’re lost in your own fantasy.”
That “fantasy” is what Detroit fans saw on his face in 2006, 2011, 2012 — that poker-faced stare that somehow steadied an entire city.
Remembering Mike Ilitch: “He’d love this team.”
When the conversation turned to Mike Ilitch, Leyland’s voice softened.
“He was the most passionate owner I’ve ever been around,” he said. “He’d be all excited right now. It’s sad he’s not around to see this, but it’s really exciting for Detroit.”
Leyland said Ilitch would especially be thrilled to see Javier Báez’s resurgence.
“You can tell just watching Javi that he’s been down this road before. He’s relaxed, he’s having fun. He’s made some unbelievable plays that went unnoticed. He’s in a terrific frame of mind.”
“The Tigers win if they get the big hit.”
It’s the question every fan asks: What do the Tigers have to do to win this series?
Leyland’s answer? Simple, but spot-on.
“They win if they get some more guys on base and get a couple big hits. Somebody’s got to hit a double with two guys on. Doesn’t have to be a home run — just contact with a man on third and less than two outs. That’s playoff baseball.”
He also warned that leaving runners stranded — like the 15 left on base in Game 2 — can’t continue.
“When you get to postseason baseball, you’re going to see good pitching. There’s a reason these teams are here. You’ve got to take advantage of your opportunities.”
“Turn the page.”
Big Jim joked that AJ Hinch probably quotes Bob Seger in the clubhouse — Turn the Page — after a tough night.
Leyland chuckled and agreed.
“He’s done a great job getting total respect from every player on his team,” Leyland said. “They all respect his decisions, they support his decisions. That’s not always easy to do. This team has total confidence in their skipper.”
And that’s the through line of this Detroit team — belief in the man leading them. Just like Leyland had Magglio and Verlander’s respect, Hinch has his locker room locked in.
A Hall of Fame Skipper still rooting from afar
Leyland admitted he’s still watching every pitch, even if his back keeps him from the long drive to Comerica Park.
“I might come up for Game 2,” he said. “Depends on how my back’s feeling. I’ve got a little sciatica issue, but I’m doing fine.”
Then, in true Leyland fashion, he downplayed it with a laugh — the same old Skipper, grounded and grateful.
“It’s a great time of year,” he said. “Every team in this thing could win it. There’s no team that can’t be beat. It’s baseball — that’s what makes it beautiful.”
Detroit still loves its Skipper
From that first press conference (yes, he really did call Big Jim from a Pittsburgh car wash before his intro presser) to the memories that still echo through Comerica every fall, Jim Leyland remains more than a manager here — he’s part of Detroit’s baseball soul.
As the Tigers continue their playoff battle against Seattle, it feels right that the voice of October returned to the airwaves — reminding fans what made his teams special: resilience, respect, and never shooting yesterday’s breakfast.
