Leyland shrugs, takes lumps

By: Noah Trister Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Saturday, May. 19, 2012

DETROIT -- Jim Leyland can handle a little criticism, and the way his Detroit Tigers are playing, he expects it.

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DETROIT -- Jim Leyland can handle a little criticism, and the way his Detroit Tigers are playing, he expects it.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/05/2012 (5242 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

DETROIT — Jim Leyland can handle a little criticism, and the way his Detroit Tigers are playing, he expects it.

“I’m a grown man, and I’m a realist, and I think if you’ve seen me over the six years that I’ve been here, I get a little snippy once in a while when I think people are unfair,” Leyland said. “They’re not being unfair right now. I can take it. I’m a man. We have to take it. We’re not performing well.”

The Tigers were 19-20 after Friday night’s game against Pittsburgh, before Justin Verlander threw a near no-hitter — giving up a hit in the ninth. Still, it’s a strikingly mediocre mark for a team that won the AL Central by 15 games in 2011 and added Prince Fielder in the off-season. Although there’s plenty of time for Detroit to turn things around, first-place Cleveland has a three-game lead.

Tribune Media MCT
Jim Leyland. — Tribune Media MCT Jim Leyland.

Patience is running a bit thin while Motown waits and hopes its team will hit its stride. Leyland understands the negativity.

“That’s part of this business,” Leyland said. “You don’t snap at reporters and everything if you’ve got it coming. Right now, I have nothing to come back with, because we haven’t been very good. It’s that simple. You’ve got to take it when you’ve got it coming, and right now, we’ve got it coming.”

The Tigers were only 20-18 at this point last year, and they didn’t pull away from the division until August and September. But they ended up in the AL championship series, and although designated hitter Victor Martinez has been out with a knee injury, they obtained Fielder.

“When you have the expectations that we have, and you perform the way we have up to this point, you expect severe criticism, and if you don’t, you’re not very smart,” Leyland said.

One thing Leyland isn’t about to do is stage a contrived temper tantrum to shake things up.

“The yelling and screaming and throwing (stuff) like I did 20 years ago. That doesn’t work anymore.”

— The Associated Press