Chuck Hernandez received word that he was being fired during a Sunday morning conversation with Tigers manager Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski, the team's president and general manager.

Hernandez's reaction to the news he was being replaced as Tigers pitching coach:

"Surprise," Hernandez said Thursday during a phone conversation from his Tampa, Fla., home. "I guess that's the right word -- surprise. I thought we had ample time to re-arm and to get things straightened out."

Hernandez and Tigers bullpen coach Jeff Jones were fired at the end of a 2008 season that saw Detroit finish in last place in the American League Central with a 74-88 record.

Hernandez joined the Tigers as pitching coach shortly after Leyland was appointed manager in October 2005. He was widely credited for helping make Detroit's pitching among the best in the major leagues in 2006 when the Tigers ended a 12-year string of losing seasons to play in that year's World Series.

The Tigers were expected to be a playoff contender in 2008, thanks in part to a pitching staff that was supposedly bolstered during the off-season with the acquisition of left-hander Dontrelle Willis in a big trade with Florida.

But the Tigers staff was a mess from the start, mostly due to physical problems. Right-hander Jeremy Bonderman was lost early in the season to a circulatory problem. Willis ran aground and had to return to the minors for three months because of control issues. Nate Robertson, a veteran left-hand starter, had his worst season in the majors. Bullpen fixtures Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney had health issues that cost them extended time in 2008.

"There's no bitterness, no animosity toward anybody," said Hernandez, 47, who acknowledged that he has been contacted by a number of clubs since word spread of his dismissal. "I understand the profession.

"We'll turn the page. I really enjoyed my time in Detroit. I enjoyed watching the stadium (Comerica Park) go from half-full to all the way full on a nightly basis. That was fun. I got a little taste of what the Tiger passion is all about."

On where your contract extension stands

"I have not been extended and I’m not going to be extended. Dave and I have had a conversation; there was some sense of an offer that I did not accept. I am not afraid of anything; I want to manage the Tigers. I have every intention of managing the Tigers. I’m disappointed that I didn’t get an extension but I understand. But, maybe I don’t understand, but I can’t live with that - I’m not afraid of that. I’m certainly not somebody who is going sit around and worry about that. I made it perfectly clear that I wanted to manage the Tigers. I think we had a great year — I think a good year — and then we had one disastrous year and I think overall we actually have done pretty well with the exception of this disastrous year and certainly I will take my share of the blame for that. I think if you put us all on the dartboard, you know, you can put several people on a dart board and if you threw a dart you would probably hit the right guy with the dart because we were all guilty."

Why they didn’t want to extend your contract?

"Well, I don’t think it will be correct to discuss what Dave and I talked about. I’m sure Dave knows that I’m very disappointed, which I am. I make no bones about that because I want to manage this team. If you’re saying if I have any defense for this year, no I don’t, but I think the overall picture I think it’s pretty fair on my part. But I’m a big boy and I think Dave has tough decisions to make and for whatever reason he chose to go this direction and I respect that. I’m not afraid of anything. I think if I do a good job next year I think I’ll be extended. If I don’t I’ll be fired. If I would have been on the last year of my contract this year I would have been fired instead of the coaches because those guys were the scapegoats for people not doing their jobs, it’s that simple. There is no secret to this stuff. I’m not going to lie to anybody or beat around the bush. Chuck Hernandez and Jeff Jones were basically fired because the pitching was terrible. People have to be held accountable for this. I read one comment where Verlander said something, well I was probably part of the reasons — no, not probably you were one of the reasons. And I’m not picking on Justin Verlander because he is a horse, I think that he is a potential Cy Young winner, I love him. You know it’s not probably, lets all face up to the music here. We didn’t do the job, including me, at the head of the class. There’s no ifs, buts and all that kind of stuff. I can’t stand all that kind of stuff and that’s a fact. "

Does this put you in a tough position to manage the club next year by not knowing your future?

"I don’t need power and I don’t want to get paid when I’m not working by somebody. I don’t want anybody’s money. I’ve never taken anybody’s money. I don’t want an option, I don’t want a buyout. I want to manage the Detroit Tigers. I want a contract and I will try and earn another contract next year. If I do fine, if I don’t then they can make another selection. That is just the way it is. I don’t worry about power. I’m not going to change anything. I’m going to come in and I’m going to work hard. I’m going to try and get the players in the right position, which I don’t think we did this year. We just couldn’t help it the way things worked out but it’s not going to change anything. I’m not going to change how hard I work, how much fun I’m having. I feel great. I got a lot of energy. I think I’m the manager for this team and if they don’t I’m the manger for this team well obviously that’s their business.

If they offered you an extension in the middle of the year next year...

"I would extend tomorrow — I would extend in June — I would extend in July — I would extend in August — I want to manage the Tigers. I can’t make it anymore simple than that to everybody and I think I deserve to manage the Tigers, but if you’re not wanted, you’re not wanted. I don’t want to be anywhere I’m not wanted."

DETROIT -- There are a few Tigers that Dave Dombrowski is not willing to trade this offseason, though the general manager on Tuesday stopped short of identifying those players.

Though not specifically referring to them as "untouchable," Dombrowski made special mention of Curtis Granderson, Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander as talented, young players that a franchise could be built around.

"You always listen at this time, when you are coming off what is considered a down year," Dombrowski said about possible trades. "There will be a few players we will not trade. I won't get into specifics. You listen a lot more (to offers) when you are coming off a down year."

Granderson, the Tigers' center fielder, hit .280 this year with 22 home runs, 26 doubles and 13 triples.

Cabrera hit .292 and led the team with 37 homers and 127 RBI.

Verlander was 11-17 with a 4.84 ERA. He was the only Tiger to log more than 200 innings (201).

Ramirez set a rookie record with his fourth grand slam of the season, and Chicago beat Detroit 8-2 in a rainout makeup Monday, forcing a one-game tiebreaker against Minnesota for the AL Central tie.

The Twins will visit the White Sox on Tuesday night. The winner then opens the first round of the playoffs at Tampa Bay on Thursday.

A day after the regular season ended for everyone else, the White Sox and Twins found themselves tied at 88-74.

Washed out earlier this month, Chicago and Detroit waited through a rain delay of more than three hours before starting. Gavin Floyd (17-8) won on three days' rest.

Detroit, with nothing really to play for, took a 2-1 lead into the sixth. But former White Sox ace Freddy Garcia, who'd allowed only two hits to that point, had to leave with tightness in his right shoulder with a runner on second and no outs.

And then things got wild.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland summoned Armando Galarraga (13-7) -- the team's best starter this season -- and he threw two wild pitches that allowed the tying run to score.

After Jermaine Dye walked, Bobby Seay relieved and threw Detroit's third wild pitch of the inning.

Jim Thome struck out, but after an intentional walk to Paul Konerko, Seay also walked Ken Griffey Jr. to load the bases.

Ramirez sent the first pitch from Gary Glover, another former White Sox pitcher, into the left-center field bleachers, setting off a happy trip around the bases for the rookie from Cuba, whose nickname is "The Cuban Missile."

* Detroit will buy out the $12 million contract shortstop Edgar Renteria has for next season for $3 million, but could bring him back for less money.

"We have advised him that we are not going to pick up his option," Dombrowski said, "but we are not going to close the door. We have to get better at shortstop."

* Ramon Santiago could end up handling the shortstop position with a "mix-and-match" approach. He does not want to get a "long-term" shortstop because he is so high on Cale Iorg, 23, whom they drafted out of the University of Alabama in 2007.

"Cale Iorg is going to be a superstar," Dombrowski said, "and real soon."

* Dusty Ryan, who has had an impressive September, is being considered as the primary catcher.

"It might be Dusty Ryan," Dombrowski said. "We've got to bring some young guys in here."

* Obtaining a closer appears to be one change almost certain to come from a player not in the organization, though he is not totally ruling out Fernando Rodney.

"Fernando is the leading candidate with the team we have," said Dombrowski, adding that he can't count on the injured Joel Zumaya at this point. "But I'd really like to find someone else to do that."

The mid-season trade of catcher Ivan Rodriguez for Kyle Farnsworth did not end up being a solution.

"The move of Kyle Farnsworth did not work out for us," Dombrowski said.