Leyland belongs in Cooperstown

When Lou Piniella stepped down as manager of the Chicago Cubs last summer, he was greeted with a spate of articles from smart people suggesting that he was bound for the Hall of Fame, not to mention tributes to his famous temper. Jim Leyland might lack Piniella's signature flair for the dramatic base toss or hat kick, but he can light up a postgame news conference as well as Piniella ever did, and he's always been known to get his money's worth out of the umpires.

More to the point, with the spotlight shining on him thanks to the Detroit Tigers' postseason run, the 66-year-old skipper's own Hall of Fame candidacy looks even stronger than Piniella's, not to mention many of his peers'.

To read how Jim Leyland's career stacks up to all-time great managers and why he should be Cooperstown-bound, sign up for ESPN Insider.

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