Sparky, Leyland, and Ausmus

What did George "Sparky" Anderson, Jim Leyland, and Brad Ausmus have in common? They all fell into rose gardens as big league managers.

Consider Sparky. He was but a minor blip on the minor league managerial radar screen when -- wham -- he was named the manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 1969. Sports reporters at the time asked, Sparky who? This was at a time when a team we would later come to know as the "Big Red Machine" was coming into maturity. Sparky inherited enormous talent. Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Ken Griffey Sr, George Foster, etc. Any wino off the street could have managed that team. Pencil in a different starting pitcher every day and turn the rest of them loose. Indeed, few would question that team was considered quite formidable during the mid-70's, but they only ever won two World Series'. Hardly a dynasty. Yet after they peaked, and the players got a few years older, they went downhill fast. Sparky was fired after the 1978 season, a mere two years after the Reds had been World Series champions.

The following year, 1979, he fell into another rose garden. The Detroit Tigers. For whatever reason, the Tigers dismissed then manager Les Moss in mid-season to bring Sparky on board. Like the Reds of a decade before, Anderson inherited a boat load of talent. Jack Morris, Lance Parrish, Alan Trammel, Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, etc. Another team on the rise. At the time, Sparky said if he and that team couldn't win a World Series within 5 years -- he'd quit. Technically, he lied. It would take them 5 1/2 until they won the Fall Classic in 1984. Despite that nucleus of talent, it would be their only championship. Shortly thereafter, like the Reds before under his guidance, the Tigers started heading south and eventually became terrible. The Tigers would eventually ease him out of town in 1995. Sparky won a lot of games as a manager, and even got inducted into the Hall of Fame. Why? Because he fell into a couple rose gardens chock full of talent getting ready to peak. People remember him for the great teams he managed, and tend to forget how terrible his record as a skipper was otherwise.

Enter Jim Leyland. The Marlboro Man was the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates for 11 years (1986-1996). He had decent, but not spectacular talent on those teams, and posted an overall winning percentage of .496. On to the Florida Marlins in 1997 where he also inherited a ton of talent. Leyland and the Marlins would go on to win the World Series that year. When that campaign was finished, Florida ownership decided to dump the ridiculous salaries they had been paying for. Predictably, the team crashed in 1998. Leyland had one good year and one bad year. Then he quit. His overall winning percentage there was .451.

The Colorado Rockies came-a-calling and Leyland signed a multi-year contract with them beginning with the 1999 season. After only one year, and posting a .444 winning percentage, Leyland quit again.

He was out of managing for 6 years. During that time, the Detroit Tigers had been floundering about. Yet Tiger owner Mike Ilitch had lured Dave Dombrowski away from the Marlins to be his general manager. This was the same Dombrowski who had been Leyland's GM during his Marlin days. Combine presto, abracadabra, and a little bit of the "good ole boys" network, and next thing you know Leyland was hired on as the Tigers' manager by Dombrowski. Like Sparky, he fell into another rose garden in Detroit. Lots of great pitching and sluggers galore. Leyland would manage them for 8 years (2006-2013) and even make it into the World Series twice, but they would fall short both times. Indeed, both times the Tigers made it to the Fall Classic under Leyland's watch, they were crushed. Their record was a woeful 1-8. Nevertheless, Leyland's collective Tiger teams won at a respectable .540 clip, which finally pushed his 22 year managerial career winning record above .500. Barely. .506 to be exact. Many think Leyland will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Is he worthy of it with 22 years, one World Series championship and a .506 winning percentage as a resume? You decide.

But finally, after the 2013 season, Leyland got put out to pasture as a Tigers' manager as well.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Tigers turned over the managerial reins to a former back-up catcher.

Enter Brad Ausmus. Unlike Sparky or Leyland, Ausmus had never been a manager at any level in pro baseball before.

And oh my, look at the rose garden he fell into. Arguably the best starting pitching staff in all of pro baseball, including a couple recent Cy Young winners in Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. The most feared hitter in the game, and recent Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera. Just before Ausmus officially arrived, the Tigers managed to obtain All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler. Throw in the supporting cast and, don't look now, the Tigers jumped out to a 26-12 record, the best in all of major league baseball. The wise guys in Vegas have them as favorites to win the World Series this year.

Yep, like two of his more famous predecessors, Ausmus fell into a rose garden as well when he landed in Motown as the field general. This team is loaded with talent. But can he finish? Sparky did once. Leyland never could.

Despite all the hoopla, the fact remains the Tigers haven't won the World Series since Orwellian times -- 1984 -- when a guy named Ronald Reagan was gearing up for his second term in the White House. A full 30 years ago. Before even the most primitive cell phones. Long before the Internet, let alone Facebook, twitter, instagram, and the like. Back when yours truly had a pony tail instead of a bald spot. It seems like a long time ago. Sigh.....

Thing is, with all the talent and expectations, if the Tigers don't win the World Series this year, at some level they will be considered a failure.

Good luck, Brad. See you in October. No pressure.