Leyland Is Tigers’ Choice to Take Over for Trammell

Jim Leyland’s baseball career has come full circle.

The Detroit Tigers hired Leyland on Tuesday as their manager to replace Alan Trammell, fired a day earlier after three seasons.

Leyland, 60, started his baseball career as a catcher in the low minors for the Tigers. He guided the Florida Marlins to the 1997 World Series championship but has not managed since 1999 with Colorado.

“That passion that Jim Leyland has had throughout his career is back within him to manage,” Tiger President and General Manager Dave Dombrowski said. “The decision to name one of the top managers in the game of baseball in recent time, to bring him back to this organization, is a very big day for our franchise.”

Leyland was a two-time NL Manager of the Year with Pittsburgh, where he won three division titles with teams that featured Barry Bonds.

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John Hart stepped down as general manager of the Texas Rangers, clearing the way for 28-year-old Jon Daniels to become the youngest GM in major league history.

Hart’s resignation came two days after the Rangers finished 79-83, their third losing season in four years under Hart and their fifth since winning their last AL West title in 1999.

Hart, whose teams won six division titles and twice went to the World Series in his last seven years in Cleveland, ending in 2001, will be replaced by Daniels, who at 28 years 41 days is about 10 months younger than Theo Epstein was when he became Boston’s GM on Nov. 25, 2002. Daniels was promoted from assistant GM, and Hart will remain as a team consultant.

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Injured right-handed reliever Carlos Almanzar of the Rangers was suspended for the first 10 days of next season for violating baseball’s steroid policy. Almanzar is the 10th major league player banned 10 days this year under the sport’s new policy.

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The Colorado Rockies exercised their $500,000 option on outfielder Matt Holliday for next season and declined their $800,000 option on catcher Todd Greene. Holliday hit .307 with 19 home runs and 87 runs batted in in his second season. Greene hit .254 with seven homers and 23 RBIs last season.