Jim Leyland Resigns As Detroit Tigers Manager; Who Will Replace 68-Year-Old In Motor City?

Shortly after his Detroit Tigers fell to the Boston Red Sox in the 2013 American League Championship Series, 68-year-old Jim Leyland announced that he'll step away from the Tigers organization as manager after leading the club the past eight seasons. Winning 3 American League Central Division titles to go along with 2 trips to the World Series, Leyland sets aside his managerial duties that show him as one of the greatest managers in franchise history and if he never returns to the game in that capacity, he'll certainly go down as one of the most successful in the history of the game.

Announcing his decision to the team after their loss in Game 6 of the recent ALCS, Leyland said he's only removing himself away from managerial duties and hopes to remain with the organization in some role, a decision he first revealed to general manager Dave Dombrowski back in September. The 68-year-old also noted that while it was not an easy decision, he's confident the team he leaves behind will be extremely talented next season even though the loss to Boston is still fresh on their minds.

"I'm not totally retiring today, I just don't want to be in the dugout anymore," Leyland said. "The fuel was getting low, and that's the way it went. What's gone on here has been unbelievable. We've won a lot of games, we've had a lot of seats filled."

"This one hurt bad because I thought we let one get away," he said regarding the tough loss to the American League Champion Boston Red Sox. "We did it collectively, there's no one culprit. This is one that's going to stick with me. I truly think this is going to be a very good team next year. This job entails a lot more than people think."

Now that the organization is aware of Leyland's decision, the club will begin to read through what is expected to be a substantial list of possible replacements.

According to CBS Sports, the Tigers are considering current Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson and former Tigers catcher Brad Ausmus as two potential suitors. It is also believed that Leyland will vouch for Lloyd McClendon or Gene Lamont, two key bench coaches who worked alongside Leyland for each of his eight seasons in Detroit.

Other notable suitors are said to be New York Yankees bench coach Tony Pena and former Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker.