A ban on cigarette smoking went into effect in the state of Michigan today, and amongst those affected is Detroit skipper/notorious chain smoker Jim Leyland, who tells the Grand Rapids Press’ Chris Iott, “I’m a law abiding citizen.”
œWe’re not supposed to smoke here, and I won’t do it,” Leyland said. “I’ll try to find someplace outside somewhere, I guess, but I think you’re not supposed to smoke at all in the park.
Leyland finds some aspects of the law odd and used the Camacho Cigar Bar inside Tiger Club at Comerica Park as an example.
œIt’s legal to smoke a cigar up there, but you can’t smoke a cigarette in a cigar bar, he said. œI’m not into making the laws and everything. I’m into abiding by them. I’ll just have to do what I can, and I’ll be fine.
œI’ve got till 6 a.m. It might be two cartons. I don’t know.
Someone pointed out a big cigar he had sitting on his desk and asked him whether he planned to light that up before the ban takes effect.
œCigars are legal in that cigar bar, he said, œbut it’s hard to go down there in the sixth inning.
They’re only in the 5th inning at Comerica as of this writing, with Jeremy Bonderman dueling Al Leiter’s least favorite young hurler, Scott Kazmir of the Angels. The manager who really picked the wrong week to quit smoking (assuming he ever started in the first place) is Joe Girardi, currently watching Javier Vazquez serve as a batting practice pitcher for the visiting White Sox.