In some major league baseball towns a losing record fuels speculation that the manager will be fired. Not in Minneapolis, though, where the Twins have stuck with two managers since 1986 after Tom Kelly took over for Ray Miller during that season. There have been championship seasons and last place finishes but team ownership and management have employed just Kelly from 1986-2001 and Ron Gardenhire starting with the 2002 season.
Gardenhire has won four Central Division titles in six years. Last year was his worst record, 79-83, and now with a starting pitching staff that could disappoint the 2008 season might be even darker. Won’t matter, though; in good times and bad, the Twins stand by their man.
Gardenhire is second in seniority among American League managers to Mike Scioscia of the Angels, according to www.wikipedia.org. Only Bobby Cox of the Braves and Tony La Russa of the Cardinals have managed teams in the National League longer than Gardenhire has been leading the Twins.
Team president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners it’s the philosophy of the Pohlad family ownership and top management to hire “good people,” provide support, and let individuals like Gardenhire do their jobs in successful and not so successful times. Part of the mantra, too, is to hire and promote from within. St. Peter said all the present Twins coaches, and Gardenhire, came up through the minor league system.
Gardenhire, headed into his seventh season, is tied for second in Twins’ managerial longevity with Sam Mele. Gardenhire is already second in all-time wins with 534. Kelly managed for part or all of 16 seasons under Pohlad ownership. His overall record was 1,140 wins, 1240 losses. Although he won two World Series championships, he lost more total games than he won, an indication of the organization’s patience.
St. Peter expressed admiration for what Gardenhire has accomplished since replacing Kelly who no longer wanted to manage. “He has in a very short amount of time developed a reputation I think as one of the game’s best managers,” he said.
An outsider is immediately impressed with Gardenhire’s upbeat and friendly personality, but there is a will and determination to win and do things correctly that is equally evident. “I think his personality is…certainly somewhat fun loving, but at the same time he can be tough when he needs to be tough,” St. Peter said. “And he certainly demands that his players respect the game and play the game the right way. And those are things that the Twins’ organization are known for throughout the game.”