Former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire is retiring from the game of baseball. The 62-year-old announced on Saturday that he is stepping down as manager of the Detroit Tigers effective immediately due to health reasons, ending a 16-year run as an MLB manager.
A message from Gardy. pic.twitter.com/xmkPqLe33I
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 19, 2020
Gardenhire got his first shot as a skipper in Minnesota, where he helped lead the Twins to one of the most successful stretches in franchise history. The Twins won five American League Central division titles in 13 seasons under Gardenhire’s watch and he won the 2010 AL Manager of the Year Award after five runner-up finishes.
The Twins fired Gardenhire following the 2014 season and he resurfaced as a bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017. After a battle with prostate cancer, Gardenhire was hired by the Tigers as their manager prior to the 2018 season.
Gardenhire couldn’t replicate the job he did with a core of young players in Minnesota, with a 132-241 record in three seasons in Detroit. But the Tigers were showing positive signs this season including a 21-29 record.
The Tigers announced that Gardenhire will be replaced by former Pittsburgh Pirates and Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon.
