Leyland to return as Tigers manager
DETROIT – Jim Leyland is returning next year as manager of the Detroit Tigers.The team and its manager quickly ended any remaining speculation about his status by announcing Tuesday that Leyland’s contract was extended through 2013. He managed on a one-year deal this year and led the Tigers to the World Series, where they were swept by the San Francisco Giants.The team said Leyland’s coaching staff also has been invited to return.Next season will be Leyland’s 22nd as a major league manager and his eighth in Detroit. He’s led the Tigers to the postseason three times and the World Series twice.The 67-year-old Leyland leads all active managers with 1,676 wins, a total that puts him 15th on the career list.Detroit faced high expectations this year after signing slugger Prince Fielder in the offseason. By mid-September, Leyland’s future seemed uncertain as the Tigers struggled to keep pace in the AL Central, but they overtook the Chicago White Sox to win the division and then beat Oakland and the New York Yankees in the American League playoffs.