Detroit ? Jim Leyland’s baseball career has come full circle.

The Detroit Tigers hired Leyland on Tuesday as their manager to replace Alan Trammell, fired a day earlier after three seasons.

The 60-year-old Leyland started his baseball career as a catcher in the low minors for the Tigers. He guided the Florida Marlins to the 1997 World Series championship, but has not managed since 1999 with Colorado.

“That passion that Jim Leyland has had throughout his career is back within him to manage,” Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “The decision to name one of the top managers in the game of baseball in recent time, to bring him back to this organization, is a very big day for our franchise.”

In an interview with the Associated Press earlier Tuesday, Trammell said he thought Leyland was a good choice to replace him.

“He has ties with the Tigers. He was there when I signed,” Trammell said. “Whether I’m there or not, I’ll always be a Tiger, and I’ll always root for the Tigers, because I’m a part of their history, and I’m proud of that.”

As a three-sport prep standout in Perrysburg, Ohio, Leyland grew up in the middle of Detroit-Cleveland territory. His first 18 years in professional baseball were in the Tigers’ farm system – six as a player, one as a coach and 11 as a manager.

“I was a Tigers fan growing up because I was a little closer, 90 miles west of Cleveland and 50 or 60 south of Detroit,” Leyland said in 1997.

He was beaten out for Philadelphia’s managerial job by Charlie Manuel last winter. He has said he wanted to manage again close to his Pittsburgh home, which is about a five-hour drive from Detroit.

Leyland was a two-time NL Manager of the Year with Pittsburgh,