The Minnesota Twins announced the firing of long-time head coach Ron Gardenhire after thirteen years at the helm. The move comes one day after the Twins wrapped up their dismal 2014 campaign finishing in last place in the American League Central. This was the third last place finish for Gardenhire’s Twins in the last four seasons. But make no mistake. Ron Gardenhire is an outstanding manager who will not be unemployed for very long.
During his tenure as the Twins skipper, the fiery Gardenhire guided the Twins to the AL Central crown six out of his first nine seasons as Manager. Incredibly, Gardenhire would finish runner-up in Manager of the Year voting five times before finally breaking through to capture the Award in 2010.
The Twins only advanced to the ALCS once in Gardenhire’s six playoff appearances. In his first season the Twins defeated the Oakland Athletics in the ALDS before falling to the Anaheim Angels in the 2002 ALCS. The next five series appearances would result in first round exits, including four times at the hands of their nemesis, the New York Yankees. One must also consider the massive difference in payrolls between the Yankees and Twins in those series. Despite the lack of post-season success, Gardenhire exits with an impressive resume. The lack of a World Series appearance should not diminish what Gardenhire was able to accomplish with the Twins.
In terms of wins and losses, Gardenhire certainly won’t be leaving on a high note. The past four seasons have been trying on this proud organization. But to be fair, yours truly thinks the manager played his cards to the best of his ability considering the hand he was dealt. A rash of injuries to several key cogs in the lineup derailed this franchise. GM Terry Ryan needs to share some of the blame for what has transpired since 2010. Gardenhire could only do so much with a roster that was thin at almost every key position. Pitching wins championships and the Twins have not had much on that front. Offensively, the club is not in much better shape. The only star remaining from the glory days is catcher Joe Mauer. There are a few promising young players who made strides in 2014, such as pitcher Kyle Gibson and first basemen Kennys Vargas but other than those two, the cupboards look pretty bare. The question now becomes, who will the Twins tab to right the ship. Whoever they select will certainly have his work cut out for him.
As for Ron Gardenhire, if we were the Toronto Blue Jays' GM Alex Anthopolous, we would be on the phone right now. The Blue Jays are once again coming off a disappointing season. The club sat at atop the division early in the season, before the all too predictable second half swoon. Manager John Gibbons is certainly a nice guy. But nice guys usually finish last. Or third place. What’s the difference? The fact is the laissez-faire attitude of Gibbons is precisely what allowed this group to let their grip on the playoffs easily slip away. Gibbons calm demeanor might make him a favorable manager to play for but it also does not produce results. Great ball clubs need to have a manager which the players somewhat fear. They have to know that if they don’t produce and do things the right way, they won’t be playing. End of story. It was a curious decision by Anthopolous to bring back Gibbons for a second stint as manager of the Jays in the first place. Now it’s time for the GM to correct his own error.
Gardenhire would be ideal for the Blue Jays. The offensive firepower is there with Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, and the pitching staff certainly has some potential. Marcus Stroman is a stud to build around in the rotation. Sure, holes remain in the Jays roster, but don’t forget that just last year many had the team North of the Border pegged to reach the World Series. Much of that roster is still intact. Under the tutelage of no-nonsense Manager like Gardenhire this club could finally find their way back to the post-season for the first time since Joe Carter took Mitch Williams deep in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series.