Jim Leyland on home opener 1st pitch, Hall of Fame election and Pirates’ hot start

For any MLB manager, Opening Days are always memorable. For Jim Leyland, the first of his MLB career with the Pittsburgh Pirates was impossible to forget.

As was the opponent, the fabled 1986 Mets.

“You realized real quick these were the big boys,” Leyland told me Thursday on 105.9 FM. “They won the World Series that year, and they had (defending Cy Young winner) Doc Gooden pitching on Opening Day.”

Thirty-eight years later, every detail Leyland recalled from that game at Three Rivers Stadium was spot-on.

“The one thing that sticks out about that Opening Day: The Mets got two runs in the first off Rick Reuschel. But, our leadoff hitter that year was R.J. Reynolds. And Doc Gooden got two quick strikes on him. Then he hit the third pitch out of the ballpark to make it 2-1. I’ll never forget it. It was an absolute thrill,” Leyland said.

After 11 years managing in the minors, it’s no wonder the memory of that moment resonates so much with Leyland nearly four decades later. For someone whose memory is so crystal clear on the events of that day, Leyland probably doesn’t need me to remind him that Gooden would only allow one more run, and he’d spin a complete game en route to a 4-2 victory.

Nor does he probably need me to remind him that his first win would come two games later against the Chicago Cubs, 3-1, thanks to a three-run homer in the eighth inning by Johnny Ray.

That would be the first of 1,769 wins for Leyland, the first 851 of which happened over 11 years in Pittsburgh. Three of those seasons (1990-92) resulted in National League divisional crowns — an achievement the franchise hasn’t accomplished since.

After his time with the Pirates ended following the 1996 season, Leyland won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997. Following a 54-win season the next year and a one-year stop in Colorado, Leyland spent 2006-13 managing the Detroit Tigers. There, he went to the playoffs four times, including two more trips to the World Series. For those results, Leyland was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in December.

In recognition of that honor, Leyland gets to carve out one more Opening Day moment. The Pirates have asked him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch Friday afternoon at PNC Park before the club’s 2024 home opener against the Baltimore Orioles.

“I didn’t expect it. It’s quite an honor. I’m really looking forward to it,” Leyland said. “The way they’re playing, I think everybody is excited, and everybody is looking forward to it.”

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To Leyland’s point, the Pirates have gotten off to a hot start. Their 7-4 victory over the Washington Nationals Thursday upped the team’s record to 6-1.

“They are very energetic. They are young. They are enthusiastic. They’ve got some really good arms,” Leyland said. “They’ve really got some good players, and I think it’s a nice touch to have (Andrew) McCutchen there to kind of show them the way a little bit, regardless of how much he produces.”

Leyland also brought up the importance of Oneil Cruz’s return to the lineup. Some think Cruz may be the most naturally gifted player the Pirates have brought into the franchise since McCutchen, or maybe even Barry Bonds when he came out of Arizona State. But Leyland isn’t ready to make that comparison just yet.

“Bonds was a college player, so he was a little more polished and, without question, one of the greatest players to ever play. He’s got a lot of numbers in the books that Cruz has yet to accomplish,” Leyland said. “Bonds was instinct. Great offensive instincts, great defensive instincts.”

According to Leyland, Bonds was the first person to call him after his Hall of Fame announcement was revealed, and Bobby Bonilla was moments later.

Leyland also got a first-hand look at first-round pick Paul Skenes in Florida during spring training.

“Pittsburgh played Baltimore in Bradenton,” Leyland said of a game he attended with fellow Hall of Famer Joe Torre. “Skenes started the game and struck out the side and was touching 101-102 (mph). He’s the real deal. There’s no question about it.”

It’s unclear when Skenes’ first pitch off the PNC Park mound will be. But we know Leyland will have one on Friday. And he is promising it’ll be from the top of the rubber.

None of this base-of-the-mound stuff.

“I’ll throw it from the rubber,” Leyland laughed. “I don’t know if I’ll make it. We’ll see.”

Also, during the interview, Leyland discusses when he first felt comfortable as a big league manager, his relationships with Derek Shelton and Chuck Tanner, and why his Hall of Fame plaque will not have a team logo on it.