Jim Leyland, the fiery skipper known for turning fledgling teams into winners during his 22 years as a baseball manager, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Dec. 3 by the HOF Contemporary Era Committee.
The 78-year-old Leyland was the only one to be elected of the eight candidates on the ballot, which also included: managers Lou Piniella, Cito Gaston and Davey Johnson; executive Hank Peters; former player, broadcaster and National League president Bill White; and umpires Ed Montague and Joe West.
Leyland will be inducted into baseball’s shrine on July 21 at a ceremony for the Hall’s class of 2024 in Cooperstown. He is the first manager elected since 2013, when Tony La Russa, Joe Torre and Bobby Cox
