JIM LEYLAND VOTED INTO NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME
The National Baseball Hall of Fame today announced that former Pirates manager Jim Leyland has been voted into the Hall of Fame. The announcement was made by Josh Rawitch, President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, at the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, TN.
Leyland was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Era Committee, which is composed of seven Hall of Fame members, six long-time baseball executives and three media members/historians.
Leyland, who managed 11 of his 22 years as a member of the Pirates, will be the 44th former player, manager or executive in the Hall of Fame who spent some of their professional careers with the Pirates, including 2013 PreIntegration Era inductee Deacon White, who played for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in 1889. Fourteen of the other 43 spent a majority of their career with the Pirates, including Jake Beckley, Max Carey, Fred Clarke, Roberto Clemente, owner Barney Dreyfuss, Ralph Kiner, Bill Mazeroski, Willie Stargell, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Lloyd Waner and Paul Waner.
Leyland managed the Pirates from 1986-96 and led the team to three straight appearances in the National League Championship Series from 1990-92. During his 11 years as manager of the Pirates, Leyland compiled a record of 851-863 while being named the BBWAA Manager-of-the-Year in both 1990 and 1992. He also garnered Manager-of-the-Year accolades with Detroit in 2006.
Leyland’s 851 wins as manager of the Pirates rank third all-time in team history, trailing only Fred Clarke (1422) and Danny Murtaugh (1115). He ranks 18th all-time in big league history in managerial wins with 1769 during his time with Pittsburgh, Florida, Colorado, and Detroit. Leyland won a World Series championship with the Marlins in 1997 and managed the United States to the 2017 World Baseball Classic championship. He is the only manager in history to win both titles.
The official induction ceremony is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Cooperstown, NY.