Longtime manager Jim Leyland elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jim Leyland, who managed the Florida Marlins to a World Series title and won more than 1,700 games during his 22 seasons as a major league pilot, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

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Leyland, 78, also won a pair of pennants with the Detroit Tigers and guided the Pittsburgh Pirates to three straight National League East division titles from 1990 to 1992.

He was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players Committee, a 16-member panel, CBS Sports reported. Twelve votes were needed for election. According to a news release from the Hall of Fame, Leyland received 15 of a possible 16 votes.

Leyland will be inducted into the Hall of July 21, along with any elected by the BBWAA on Jan. 23, 2024.

Managerial contemporary Lou Piniella just missed induction with 11 votes. Former National League President Bill White received 10, according to the Hall of Fame. Cito Gaston, Davey Johnson, Ed Montague, Hank Peters and Joe West each received less than five votes.

The fiery, chain-smoking Leyland had an overall managerial record of 1,769-1,728, according to Baseball-Reference.com. In addition to his three division titles in Pittsburgh, he also won three division crowns with the Tigers and led the Marlins to their first World Series title.

Leyland also won American League pennants with Detroit in 2006 and 2012, making him one of 11 managers to win pennants in the American and National leagues.

Leyland won Manager of the Year honors three times -- twice with the Pirates in 1990 and 1992, and again in 2006 with Detroit. He was runner-up for the award six times.

Leyland led his teams to 90 or more victories seven times, according to the Hall of Fame news release. His win totals rank second only to Hall of Famer Joe McCarthy among managers who never played in the major leagues.

Leyland’s election to Cooperstown marked the first time a manager was elected to the Hall of Fame since December 2013, MLB.com reported. That was the year when Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre were all unanimously chosen.

Leyland also managed Team USA to a World Baseball Classic title in 2017.

“It’s the final stop, really, as far as your baseball career goes,” Leyland said, according to ESPN. “To end up and land there at Cooperstown? It doesn’t get any better. I mean, that’s the ultimate.”