Need For Consistency: Why Jim Leyland's Time in Detroit Has Passed

Frustration.

This is the only word that can describe the opening month for the Detroit Tigers.

The anticipation of the 2011 season had most Tigers fans salivating at another chance at the postseason, legitimizing a team that desperately wants to go from "lucky wannabes" to baseball's elite.

The acquisition of key free agents (Victor Martinez, Joaquin Benoit and Jhonny Peralta) and the re-signing of Tiger's regulars (Magglio Ordonez and Brandon Inge), plus the maturity and development of the next generation of stars (Austin Jackson, Brennan Boesch, Will Rhymes, etc.) made it easy for fans and writers to feel like the Tigers were finally ready to turn the corner.

Instead, the Tiger's have ran right into the wall.

Other than the consistency that all-world first baseman Miguel Cabrera brings, the 2011 version of the Tigers brings the same doubts and reservations that fans have had since our memorable run in 2006.

Every winter since 2006, we have been given the same promises that get Tigers fans in the seats, only to receive nothing back in return.

With a 12-17 record and a seven-game losing streak, the Tigers look mediocre at best, and another season with empty promises wait before us.

Tiger's fans are getting frustrated and want answers. For those answers, we need to look no further than the skipper: Jim Leyland.

Leyland will forever go down in Detroit sports history for leading the 2006 Tigers to the American League pennant. The passion for baseball in Detroit was rekindled, and gave people a relief from thinking about the hardships that were affecting our friends and families during the economic downturn.

Unfortunately, the inconsistencies of his tenure have reached its pinnacle.

How much longer can Tiger's fans sit idly by and allow our team to continually underachieve?

Leyland is famously known for sticking by players because of their career track records. He firmly believes that the production of his players typically will work out to reflect their career averages.

Let's take a quick look at Jim Leyland's career averages. Fans will see that these statistics simply cannot be ignored and demand immediate attention by General Manager Dave Dombrowski and Owner Mike Illitch.

The Tigers have ranked in the Top 10 of Major League Baseball's payroll since 2007, with no postseason appearances to speak of.

Numerous scouts and baseball minds around the league consistently have ranked the Tiger's farm system among the best in baseball over the past five years.

Jim Leyland's career record: 1505-1535 (.495 average)

Postseason achievements: Three division titles, five playoff appearances, two pennants and one World Series.

These statistics scream "underachiever." The average Jim Leyland season will produce only 81 wins. 81-81 seasons don't produce playoff births. However, it does provide frustrating seasons that continually end short of the goal.

This could be the result of Leyland's managerial philosophy and strategy.

In today's baseball world, with all the superb athletes and coddling of million dollar players, teams typically will trot out nearly 100 different lineups throughout the 162-game season. Jim Leyland, however, is notorious for switching his lineup nearly every day and continually searching for the right combination of players.

According to D-townbaseball.com, during the 2006 season, Leyland penciled in 120 different lineups. I have not been able to find the statistics for the past five seasons, but Tigers fans will agree, it's certainly ridiculous to hope for any type of consistency from the Tiger's lead man.

Through 29 games this season, Detroit has already used 21 different lineups. At this current pace, Leyland will trot out nearly 125 different lineups this year. There have been only three lineup combinations that have been repeated, and only once has the lineup been the same for back-to-back games.

For a team that is desperate for consistency, wouldn't having running the same team onto the field an average of 20 more times help a team notoriously lacking production?

With Jim Leyland you know what to expect. He plays to his career averages. Until he is fired, this is what Tiger's fans can expect:

We can expect a team with potential to win, but will inevitably hover right around the .500 mark.

We can expect to see mind-boggling lineups that will inexplicably change over 120 times per summer.

We can expect one division championship every 7 years (although Leyland has not won a division since 1992).

We can expect one pennant every 10 years.

And finally, we can expect one World Series title every 20 years.

These statistics are unacceptable for an organization that is looking for its first championship since 1984.

He may have brought Detroit baseball back to relevancy, but the skipper's time has come and gone.

A new generation of Tigers baseball has been born, with an energized fanbase and a team that is oozing with potential—one that has left Jim Leyland in the dust.

Detroit is ready for a winner.

It's time for new concepts, new coaches, new philosophies.

Leyland can't get us there—just look at the averages.