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KARE 11’s Eric Perkins spent a solid 10 minutes talking baseball with Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire.
Perkins, who also anchors sports for the BringMeTheNews radio network, started the conversation by asking Gardenhire how he feels after a fourth consecutive season with 90-plus losses.
“Tired. Very tired,” Gardenhire told Perkins. “This has been another trying season.”
Gardenhire is signed through next season, but his contract won’t block the Twins from making a change if they feel it’s in the best interest of the team. According to the Pioneer Press, general manager Terry Ryan will meet with the coaching staff soon after the season ends to make a decision.
Brian Dozier said he “100 percent” wants Gardenhire back next season. If he is given an opportunity to manage the Twins for a 14th season, Gardenhire is determined to bring the team back to the playoffs.
“We want to get back to our winning ways,” he said. “There’s nothing better than winning on a consistent basis in the big leagues. Been through that part and there’s nothing tougher going through what we’ve been going through now for four years. I know it runs in cycles – they keep telling me that – but we’re kind of tired of this cycle. We need to turn this thing around and get back to doing what we do best, and that’s making other teams pay.”
It feels like forever since the Twins made teams pay, but Gardenhire’s resume will always include six American League Central Division titles in nine years during the 2000s.
“It’s time. Four years is enough,” Gardenhire said while reiterating his frustration. “We need to win next year. Next year we need to put together a baseball team that competes every day like we have this last month. Offensively scoring runs and finding ways to win games and get that rolling early next year.”
In August, Ryan indicated that Gardenhire will return to manage the team next season, telling a reporter “you don’t have to worry about him.”
