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The Tigers will retire Leyland’s No. 10 in a pregame ceremony at Comerica Park, scheduled as part of a celebration of his July Hall of Fame induction.
“The Hall of Fame is an entire baseball career, and that’s one thing,” Leyland said, “but to have your number retired with one team is something a little bit different.
I would never get into choosing one over the other, but this is the highest honor you can get as an individual that plays on a particular team, so I’m accepting that way. I’m truly humbled.”
Leyland, 79, will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, on July 21, alongside players Adrian Beltré, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer.
The legendary skipper was elected by the Contemporary Era Committee in December 2023.
Leyland, who currently works as a special assistant in the Tigers’ front office, managed 3,499 games across 22 seasons.
He picked up 1,769 wins along the way, good for 18th on MLB’s all-time list.
His speech for the Hall of Fame is going to be different than his speech for the number retirement, he said.
In Detroit, Leyland plans to thank the Ilitch family, and he also plans to thank the fans for the way they supported the Tigers when he was the manager.
“It’s going to be a heartfelt thank you to the fans and what they did for me during my time with Detroit,” Leyland said.
“My daughter always gives me the best advice. When I worry about what I have to say, she says, ‘Dad, just tell them how you feel.’ I’m going to try to do that.”
