DETROIT (AP) — Jim Leyland's No. 10 was retired by the Detroit Tigers, putting the Hall of Fame manager's name and number in white on a brick wall next to World Series winner Sparky Anderson.
“When I look out on that wall and see my name with the Tiger greats, it’s hard to believe,” Leyland said Saturday night during a pregame ceremony before Detroit played the Kansas City Royals.
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DETROIT (AP) — Jim Leyland's No. 10 was retired by the Detroit Tigers, putting the Hall of Fame manager's name and number in white on a brick wall next to World Series winner Sparky Anderson.
Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Jim Leyland speaks at the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland, right, talks with Miguel Cabrera after being honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Leyland arrived for the on-field presentation after a slow ride in a white Corvette, giving him a chance to wave to fans from the foul pole in right to Detroit's dugout along the third base line.
He was voted into baseball's Hall of Fame last December, two weeks shy of his 79th birthday and last month became the 23rd manager inducted.
Leyland won 1,769 regular-season games over 22 seasons, including a 700-597 record from 2006-13 with the Tigers. He led Detroit to the World Series in 2006, his first season as the team's manager, and in 2012 when the franchise won its second of four straight AL Central championships.
“Jim Leyland came to the Tigers at the at the perfect time,” said Todd Jones, the Tigers' career saves leader and Leyland's closer in 2006. “The city was on the way up, culturally and economically, and the team was reflecting that because Mr. (Mike) Ilitch had invested in Pudge Rodriguez and then in Magglio Ordonez. He then hired Jim Leyland, who put it all together for a group of guys who for the most part hadn't won much.”
“He was the calming presence in that locker room for the guys at that time, and that’s what that’s what we needed.”
Early in the 2006 season, though, Leyland thought the Tigers needed something else.
He was so upset with the team after losing a home game, and before going on a road trip, that he screamed at them in a tirade that was so loud reporters outside the clubhouse could hear what he was saying.
“Guys were disrespecting other coaches and he just wasn't going to put up with it," Jones recalled. “He said, `You guys make all the money and you got all the fame, but I have the lineup card and you'll never play if you do that again to one of my coaches or if you disrespect the game.'”
The three-time Manager of the Year also led Pittsburgh, Florida and Colorado, helping the Marlins win the World Series in 1997. He managed the U.S. team in 2017 when the Americans won their only World Baseball Classic title.
The Tigers have also retired No. 1 (Lou Whitaker), No. 2 (Charle Gehringer), No. 3 (Alan Trammell), No. 5 (Hank Greenberg), No. 6 (Al Kaline), No. 11 (Anderson), No. 16 (Hal Newhouser), No. 23 (Willie Horton) and No. 47 (Jack Morris).
Jackie Robinson’s number was retired throughout the major leagues in 1997 and his No. 42 is next to Anderson and Leyland beyond the right-field seats in Comerica Park.
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Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Jim Leyland arrives at the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Jim Leyland speaks at the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Sunday, July 21, 2024, in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland, right, talks with Miguel Cabrera after being honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Former Detroit Tigers Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland is honored with his number 10 being retired before a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
DILI, East Timor (AP) — The people of East Timor gave Pope Francis a rousing welcome Monday as he arrived in the Southeast Asian country to encourage its recovery from a bloody and traumatic independence battle and celebrate its development after two decades of freedom from Indonesian rule.
Timorese jammed Francis' motorcade route into town from the airport, waving Vatican and Timorese flags and toting yellow and white umbrellas — the colors of the Holy See — to shade themselves from the scorching midday sun.
“Viva el Papa!” they shouted as he passed by. At one point his open-topped car slowed enough so he could bless a baby who was presented to him in the middle of the crowd.
The occasional Timorese guards along the motorcade route were no match for the throngs of people, many donning T-shirts with Francis' face on them, who slowed the convoy of cars and vans to a crawl. The 87-year-old Francis seemed to relish the greeting, smiling broadly from the car and waving as he passed by billboard after billboard featuring his image and words of welcome.
Francis arrived in Dili from Papua New Guinea to open the third leg of his trip through Southeast Asia and Oceania. President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao, two of East Timor's most revered independence heroes, greeted Francis at the airport and were meeting with him privately.
The pope was to address government officials and diplomats later Monday after an official welcome ceremony.
The overwhelmingly Catholic East Timor, one of the world’s poorest countries and Asia's youngest, eagerly awaited Francis’ arrival, which came on the heels of the 25th anniversary of the U.N.-backed referendum that paved the way for independence from Indonesia.
“Our great hope is that he may come to consolidate the fraternity, the national unity, peace and development for this new country,” said Estevão Tei Fernandes, a university professor.
It was a far different atmosphere than when the last pope visited. St. John Paul II came in 1989, when Timor was still an occupied part of Indonesia and fighting for its freedom. A decade later, after Timorese voted overwhelmingly for independence, Indonesia’s military responded with a scorched-earth campaign that destroyed 80% of the country’s infrastructure and shocked the world. Overall, as many as 200,000 people were killed during the 24 years of Indonesian rule.
John Paul's visit, which culminated with a massive Mass on the seaside near Dili, helped draw international attention to the plight of the Timorese people and shine a spotlight on the oppressiveness of Indonesia's occupation.
“That was a different time,” said Vicente Oliveira Soares, 42, owner of a digital printing business. "Now we are happy because we are free, we as a new nation we are very happy to receive and to meet with Pope Francis.”
Francis will confront Timor's traumatic legacy, and another one closer to home involving Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo, the Timorese bishop who, along with Gusmao and Ramos-Horta, is regarded as a hero for his efforts to win independence.
Belo won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 with Ramos-Horta for campaigning for a fair and peaceful solution to the conflict.
But in 2022, the Vatican acknowledged that it had secretly sanctioned Belo two years earlier for sexually abusing young boys. The sanctions included limitations on his movements and exercise of ministry and prohibited him from having voluntary contact with minors or contact with East Timor itself. The sanctions were reinforced in 2021.
Despite the sanctions, which were confirmed at the time by the Vatican spokesman and reaffirmed last week ahead of Francis’ trip, many people in East Timor have stood by Belo, either dismissing, denying or diminishing the victims’ claims. Some even hoped Belo, who lives in Portugal, would be on hand to welcome Francis.
Another priest, American missionary Richard Daschbach, who is also revered for his role in saving lives in the liberation fight, is serving a 12-year sentence in a Timorese prison for molesting disadvantaged girls. He was defrocked by the church.
Ramos-Horta, for his part, told The Associated Press last week that Francis’ visit was not the time to revisit the church’s scandals. While saying it was for the Vatican to manage, having the pope raise the matter of abuse during his visit “would be like trying someone twice,” he told AP.
Only about 20% of East Timor’s people were Catholic when Indonesia invaded in 1975, shortly after Portugal abandoned it as a colony. Today, some 98% of East Timor’s 1.3 million people are Catholic, making it the most Catholic country in the world outside the Vatican.
Francis will celebrate that heritage on Tuesday especially, when he celebrates a Mass on the same seaside esplanade where John Paul celebrated Mass in 1989 and encouraged the Timorese people. Authorities expect some 700,000 people will attend Tuesday's Mass.
Pope Francis arrives at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People wait for Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis in a car, is welcomed in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis is greeted by East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta during a welcoming ceremony at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People try to film Pope Francis with their mobile phone through a fence in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People wait for Pope Francis' arrival at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
People wait for Pope Francis' arrival at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
East Timorese women weep after Pope Francis's motorcade passes by in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
A child holds a welcome sign for Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
East Timorese gather to see Pope Francis in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis waves from the car, in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
An airport staff kisses the Pope Francis' foot at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Pope Francis in the car, is welcomed in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Pope Francis gestures from the car, in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Nuns wait Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
The honor guard await the arrival of Pope Francis at Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
A mother helps her son to wear a traditional outfit to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Security stand guard to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Women with traditional dress prepare to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Pope Francis waves after giving an address during meeting with young people in the Sir John Guise Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Security persons stand near banners to welcome Pope Francis' visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
People with traditional dress hold banners of Pope Francis as they prepare to welcome the pope's visit in Dili, East Timor Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
People wait Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
Nuns wait Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
East Timorese wearing traditional dresses wait for Pope Francis' arrival outside of the Dili Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport in Dili, East Timor, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)
