Former Detroit Tigers skipper Jim Leyland was appointed manager of the U.S. national team for the 2017 World Baseball Classic on Friday.
Leyland, 71, was named Manager of the Year three times during his 22-year career in the majors with the Pittsburgh Pirates, then-Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies and the Tigers.
"It's a great honor to be named manager of team USA," he said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to working with USA Baseball on this challenge in my career. I'm excited to get started and flattered with this opportunity."
The fourth WBC is scheduled for March 2017. It is a two-week tournament involving 16 national teams, including Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Team USA reached the semifinals in 2009, but was eliminated in the second round in both 2006 and 2013.
The Team USA roster has yet to be unveiled.