Tigers Fire Manager Alan Trammell


DETROIT - Tigers manager Alan Trammell was fired Monday after three seasons in which he failed to turn around a franchise without a winning record since 1993.



The Tigers went 71-91 this season and were 186-300 in three seasons under Trammell, a former star shortstop for Detroit. He had one year left on his contract.

Detroit lost an AL-record 119 games in his first season as manager, then improved to 72-90 last year, the biggest turnaround in the AL since Baltimore's 33-game improvement from 1988 to 1989.

With a lineup and bullpen that seemed upgraded, the Tigers thought they had a chance to have a winning season in 2005. The Tigers were 42-44 at the All-Star break and 61-62 in late August before losing 29 of their last 39 games.

"You will not find a more dedicated, hardworking and respected individual that cares more about the Tigers and his coaching staff," Tigers president Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. "However, for the Tigers to reach the next level, I feel it is appropriate to make a change at this time."

The Tigers were set back by injuries this year, but Trammell refused to point to them as an excuse. Outfielder Magglio Ordonez missed about half of the season with a hernia, and closer Troy Percival appeared in just 26 games before an elbow injury ended his season in July. Both were hailed as prized free-agent signings before the season.

"Really, I'm OK," the 47-year-old Trammell said last week. "I'm a big boy. I've been through enough that I understand how things are."

Things were much different when Trammell was a player and he helped the Tigers post 11 consecutive winning seasons from 1978-88.

As a 20-year standout in the field and at the plate, he led Detroit to a World Series championship in 1984 and the American League East title in 1987, when he narrowly was beaten out by Toronto's George Bell for AL MVP.

Trammell was a six-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove and three-time Silver Slugger shortstop.

After he retired in 1996, he was a baseball operations assistant in Detroit for two seasons and was the Tigers' hitting coach in 1999. Then, he moved near his hometown and coached with the San Diego Padres for three seasons.

The Tigers knew Trammell was the popular choice to be their 35th manager on Oct. 9, 2002, and they insisted he was also the right choice. Trammell, Al Kaline and Ty Cobb are the only players to be with the team for at least 20 seasons.

"People don't come to your games to see your manager," Dombrowski said when Trammell was hired. "I can understand why some people will feel that this was based on Alan's popularity here. But really, we could not afford to make this decision based on that, because we need to right this ship."