DETROIT -- Give Lloyd McClendon credit: As he made his way through TigerFest for the first time in three years, he didn't need cajoling to find a sense of humor about returning to his old hitting-coach job under a new manager.
"Baseball's the only sport where you can get fired, rehired and promoted to your old position," McClendon said with a chuckle last month.
He was the hitting coach for seven seasons under manager Jim Leyland, overseeing such feats as Miguel Cabrera's Triple Crown, Magglio Ordonez's batting title, Curtis Granderson's 23-triple season and Prince Fielder's 30-homer campaign in Detroit.