Emotional and eloquent, Leyland deeply touched by HOF induction 

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – In the middle of Jim Leyland’s first season as Tigers manager in 2006, the skipper once kicked the media out of his office in the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field in the middle of a postgame press conference. His team had just completed a sweep of the Cubs behind Kenny Rogers, who tossed eight quality innings for his 200^th career win. And as Leyland watched his team celebrate Rogers’ milestone, even though Rogers was in his first season in Detroit, Leyland grew emotional. He didn’t want reporters to see it, so he booted them to go talk to the players. It was one of the first examples in Detroit of how Leyland wore his emotion on his sleeve.

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As Leyland talked on the podium at Sunday’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony, chronicling his journey from an 18-year Minor Leaguer to a 22-year MLB manager, three-time Manager of the Year, three-time pennant winner, a World Series champion and now a Hall of Famer, there was no hiding his emotion. He couldn’t kick the thousands of fans, family, friends and media off the lawn at the Clark Sports Center. So while he knew the emotions were coming, he had to hold it together.

“I was very nervous, to be honest with you,” Leyland, 79, said afterward. “But to be honest with you, once I started to speak, it all went away except for a couple moments.”

Leyland, to his credit, held it together for much of his 13-minute speech, which began with a joke he’d been weighing whether to put in since Spring Training.

“I was having coffee with [wife] Katie a couple of weeks after I was elected to the Hall of Fame,” Leyland said. “And I casually said, ‘Katie, can you believe in your wildest dreams that I’ve been elected to the Hall of Fame?’

“And Katie replied, ‘Jim, you’re not in my wildest dreams.’”

That got the crowd laughing, and got Leyland loosened up. So did a line that his son Patrick – who has followed his father’s path managing in the White Sox organization – and daughter Kellie gave him to lead off his speech.

“My contributions to our beautiful pastime pale in comparison to the joy it has brought to my life,” Leyland said, “from the heart of a little boy to the soul of an old man.”

Leyland’s voice briefly cracked when talking about the fans in Pittsburgh, his first Major League job, his team for half his career and his full-time home. It cracked again when he discussed the honor of managing Team USA to a World Baseball Classic title in 2017, bringing a collection of great players together for a common goal.

But the part that got Leyland’s emotions flowing, fittingly, came near the end of his speech when he thanked his former Tigers Minor League teammate and longtime coach Gene Lamont.

“It was unbelievable to have your closest friend standing next to you in the dugout through the good times and tough times,” said Leyland, who was having a tough time continuing through the tears before asking an equally emotional Lamont – who coached with Leyland in Pittsburgh and Detroit -- to stand up.

“I knew he wouldn’t miss this for anything,” Leyland said later. “We were in the old barracks in Lakeland, Florida, in 1966 with tin lockers and all that stuff, and we were roommates, two catchers. Gene was the [Tigers’] No. 1 pick in ’65. I signed before the Draft. We became best of friends. We played together some in the Minor Leagues. We stayed in touch. We both ended up being Minor League managers. We had several conversations, like I did with Tony La Russa, about baseball. We still do.

“It’s just a bond. I have so much respect for him. He’s one of the smartest and best baseball men that I’ve ever been around, and I was so proud that he was there today, and I thought it would have been totally unfair not to talk about him.”

The audience for Leyland was star-studded with some of his former players, including Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla and Moises Alou. Andy Van Slyke narrated the video that presented Leyland before his speech. The video included a clip of Leyland’s famous shouting match with Bonds on the field in Spring Training in 1991, a moment Leyland has downplayed for years but which became one of the sights of his managerial tenure.

But other players in attendance for Leyland’s speech were just as fitting, such as Bob Walk, John Wehner, Alex Avila and Todd Jones. Nobody could make an entire roster feel invested like Leyland. It was one of the reasons he became a Hall of Famer, and fittingly, he proudly thanked them all.

Leyland managed the Pirates from 1986-96, the Marlins in 1997-98 -- winning the World Series in '97 -- the Rockies in 1999 and the Tigers from 2006-13.

It was an emotional afternoon and weekend for Leyland. That, too, was only fitting. He said he’ll enjoy coming in Cooperstown for induction weekend in ensuing years, and he’ll listen to speeches without being nervous. But they’ll have a hard time matching this.