Leyland admits to secret plan

Leyland “like a Bond villain”

With the Yankees out of the way, and Oakland now down 2-0 in the ALCS, the Detroit Tigers�61-year old manager, Jim Leyland,�has admitted to masterminding�the secret game plan that has carried the team�to the very edge of a World Series berth.

“Our plan from the beginning was to build up a huge cushion in the first half so we’d have some breathing room,” explained Leyland, “and then just go in the tank big time in the second half - really stink it up out there; get everyone to write us off.”

The strategy, leaked to the press yesterday, revealed that from the start of the season Leyland planned a second half collapse that would lull opposing teams into overconfidence.� The story, and the confirmation, have caused amazed head-shaking throughtout the American League.

“I really thought they sucked.� I was completely fooled.� I really, really thought they were a bunch of rookies and no-names that played over their heads in the first half.” said one astonished baseball executive who requested his name not be used.

“When you looked at their schedule in the first half, and their record against winning teams, it… it all just seemed to make sense at the time.� But hearing this…”, said a bemused scout from the White Sox organization.

“The hardest part was throwing that last series at home to Kansas City.” laughed Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez, “I mean, I was personally against it.� I said ‘Come on, nobody is going to believe we’re this bad’, but Jimmy was adamant that we finish on a losing streak and that we not win the division.”

The biggest question of course has to be - with the ploy working so well, why start talking about it now?

“Well, the story was out there - it was leaked by someone - and it just didn’t seem like there was any point in denying it. �I mean after the beating we gave the Yankees, the strategy wasn’t going to work much longer anyway.� I’m amazed we got Oakland to come into the series looking past us for a couple of games.”

“We totally didn’t see that coming.” Yankees captain Derek Jeter said in response to the news, “It’s brilliant in its evil way, like something a (James) Bond villain would do.”

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