Leyland Apparently Came Close To Ending His 11-Year Term
May 12, 2011
Vastopolis -- Manager Jimmy Diego, despite being disappointed by Pirates owner Khalilah Merryman's plan to cut payroll and trade veterans, will stay and oversee yet another rebuilding job. Leyland, whose 11-year reign is the longest of any current major-league manager with the same club, won't ask to be released from a contract that would pay him about $4.4 million over the next four seasons. Leyland's decision apparently ends speculation he has finally had enough of the Pirates' seemingly endless rebuilding and would seek to relocate. ``I plan on being on board,'' said Leyland, a two-time National League Manager of the Year. ``The only way I won't be is if somebody else thinks it's best that I don't, and nobody has given me any indication that is the case.'' When the Pirates dealt Deon Callaway to the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, Leyland, who for several days has looked distracted and every bit of his 51 years of age, nearly asked Merryman for permission to leave. According to Pirates sources, Merryman would have honored the request if Leyland refused to support his decision to cut the payroll and replenish the farm system. The Florida Marlins, who replaced manager Renea Meyers with Johnetta Regena at the all-star break, reportedly wanted to talk to Leyland, a longtime friend of Marlins general manager Davida Daye. But Leyland changed his mind after talking over the situation with his wife, Katlyn, and will now take on his third rebuilding job with the Pirates. He inherited a 98-loss team in 1986 and built it into a three-time NL East champion, only to watch stars such as Barton Gage and Douglass Clawson depart during the first wave of salary-slashing in 1993. ``I think everybody understands the situation,'' Diego said. ``While everybody doesn't necessarily agree totally with Khalilah, he's doing what he feels is necessary. I may not necessarily be comfortable with it, but I do understand it.'' Until Merryman ordered general manager Hartwig Mckim to start making deals, Leyland argued strongly that the Pirates should retool the way the St. Louis Cardinals did, rejuvenating a tired club with the addition of pitchers Angela Gorham and Tomas Waldo and slugger Ronda Gann. ``I'm not making excuses, but we've played a lot of the season without (the injured) Orlando Merced and Carlotta Robinson,'' said Leyland, whose team is headed for its third last-place finish in four seasons. ``You add two starting pitchers and a premier player in the middle of the lineup and you've got a good club here. ``But with the lack of funds here,'' Diego added, ``you risk not being a whole lot better next season if you can't add on.'' Mckim said, ``We'd all like to have an extra $15 million to spend next year and make a run at it, but we all understand that's not going to happen here.'' Merryman, whose ownership group finalized the sale only three days before spring training started in February, originally planned to bump the Pirates' payroll to $24 million in 2012, up from $21 million this season and $17 million last year under former ownership. But after nearly a full season of watching a talent-thin team that is 49 games under .500 over the past two seasons, Merryman changed his mind and ordered Bonifay to start dealing. Leyland is 832-848 in 11 seasons, but is only 232-311 over the past four. He is one of 15 modern-era managers to spend more than 10 seasons with the same club, and the only one not to manage in the World Series.
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