Gardenhire to lead Twins

[CubFan7125]

I like this move a lot. Gardenhire is a long time assistance who was TK's 1st choice to take over team. The popular community sentiment was for Paul Molitor, but I think he has a front office position waiting somewhere whenever he wants it. I also think he didn't want to be involved in this whole contraction quagmire. Now hopefull this will get the ball rolling toward singing some minor league FA's. Montreal has already signed a few, so when this become official we can get in the game, so to speak.


Twins likely to select third-base coach as manager Friday
MINNEAPOLIS -- In another sign that baseball's contraction plan may be in trouble, the Minnesota Twins on Thursday announced plans to name a new manager.

The team called a news conference for Friday morning and was expected to name third base coach Ron Gardenhire.
After longtime manager Tom Kelly resigned in October, Gardenhire and bench coach Paul Molitor emerged as the top candidates. But Molitor withdrew in December because of uncertainty over baseball's plan to eliminate two teams, likely including the Twins, before next season.

"The consensus is it's going to be Gardy," hitting coach Scott Ullger, who also had interviewed for the job, said Thursday. "It's a good choice and I'm really happy for him."

Twins general manager Terry Ryan refused Thursday to say who the new manager would be. Calls to Gardenhire's home in the Twin Cities were unanswered.

Ryan put the managerial search on hold after baseball's owners voted Nov. 6 to eliminate two teams. He said Thursday he couldn't wait any longer.

"We're under the assumption that we're going to play and eventually we've got to have a manager and a coaching staff to direct this team," Ryan said. The Twins announced a 2002 schedule on Dec. 21 and a spring training schedule on Wednesday.

Earlier Thursday, testifying before a state task force examining new stadium options, Ryan was asked about the odds that the Twins would be eliminated. He said Commissioner Bud Selig recently told the team, "Go about your business and assume that the season will be played, but stay flexible."

Gardenhire was a successful minor league manager for three seasons before joining the Twins' staff in 1991.

Last month, he admitted he was antsy about the wait.

"I try to get out of the house," Gardenhire said. "I'm in a bowling league with Kent Hrbek. Chasing my kids around."

Ullger said the new manager might inherit a group of players that, if the team survives to play this season, is highly motivated.

"It's a good young team, and they've played together a long time, and they're hungry," he said. "All this talk all winter long ... has been hurtful to the group."

Originally posted by CubFan7125
I like this move a lot. Gardenhire is a long time assistance who was TK's 1st choice to take over team. The popular community sentiment was for Paul Molitor, but I think he has a front office position waiting somewhere whenever he wants it. I also think he didn't want to be involved in this whole contraction quagmire. Now hopefull this will get the ball rolling toward singing some minor league FA's. Montreal has already signed a few, so when this become official we can get in the game, so to speak.

I didn't read the full article, but didn't Paul Molitor decline the Twins managerial spot due to uncertainty of the contraction? I think I only glimpsed at the article in BaseballWeekly.com.

[LeGrandOrange]

Can you give me a background on Gardenhire? I know he played SS for the Mets for some of 5 years, but I kinda wonder about other stuff. Quite honestly, I wonder him so it can lessen the blow of Molitor not being the manager.
Anyway, at least they're staying in the organization. Which is the best idea for a team like this. I still want Molitor, but Gardenhire will work. (Even if I think all managers must be guys I'm familiar with)

[Xanadu Dragon]

I liked Gardenhire as a Met - and I'm a Yankee fan.

I'm sure with his first win, he'll set the record for MGRs native of Butzbach, West Germany.

[CubFan7125]

Gardenhire shouldn't have any issues with Molitor pulling his name for the job. He has been on the Twins major league staff since 91 & managed in the Twins farm system for the 3 seasons before that. He is also TK's best friend, and as long as Carl Pohlad owns the team Kelly will have a lot of influence over the team, no matter what title he has. For reasons only Tom ^ his maker know, he is extremely loyal to Carl & they are actually good friends. I don't get it.

I've heard Jacque Jones and Doug Mientkiewicz say they would like to play for Gardenhire. I think he will do a pretty good job, he knows all the players & there probably won't be too big of an adjustment from Kelly's style to his. That can often be a worry when a long-time manager/coach leaves.

[Duque]

I've read that Gardenhire might be better suited for a manager, at this point, than Molitor, because he wasn't a superstar and had to coach in the Minors. This has been discussed before, but the great managers are often the ones who don't have things come easily to them.

Originally posted by Duque
I've read that Gardenhire might be better suited for a manager, at this point, than Molitor, because he wasn't a superstar and had to coach in the Minors. This has been discussed before, but the great managers are often the ones who don't have things come easily to them.

I wouldn't always agree with this. I like & respect your point but while Yogi Berra never made such a good manager, if we look to the NBA, Magic Johnson never made a good manager, but Larry Bird made an excellent one, taking Jordan's Bulls to game 7 in the NBA Finals, if I'm remembering correctly. He had to work to make that happen, and even Reggie Miller said that Bird knew it all in the game. I liked one philosophy of Bird's: one game at a time.

[LeGrandOrange]

You mean he took the Lakers to 7 games, right?
Larry Bird was a decent head coach, who's NOT a decent head coach is Isiah Thomas. I liked Isiah Thomas as a player, but he makes a lousy head coach, and has made me sever ties with the Pacers, even though I grew up in Pacer country. Also, he killed the CBA, that's bad enough...

(back on-topic)

Back to big stars being managers...there's not a real documented history about great players being managers. Closest to it is John McGraw, who might be the baseball equivalent to John Wooden or Lenny Wilkens, great players who were legendary coaches/managers. Fred Clarke was also a decent manager to go along with his hall of fame playing career, and Clark Griffith was a decent player who became a hall of fame manager. Joe Torre has become a great manager in recent years to go along with his hall of fame snub as a player.
Now, there's a documented history of slightly better than average players being great managers, Bucky Harris, Leo Durocher, Casey Stengel, Miller Huggins, and Al Lopez come to mind. Billy Southworth was also good, Frank Chance made a good manager, heck, Bill Terry was a good one (although a much better player). Davey Johnson's another example, and we can even put Cap Anson here (see Terry's parenthetical comment). We can also put Steve O'Neill and Patsy Tebeau here as well.
What's the point of that? Well...I'm trying to figure it out. I guess I was trying to prove the point that good players don't make good managers and I failed at that.
I'm not an Allman brother, so I wasn't born a ramblin' man. I guess I wanted to say something and I just kept going and going and going until I was totally off-topic.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

LGO, please visit this thread about baseball players who became managers. It seems right up your alley, and I like what you're saying.

[SmedIndy]

In the early days, good players made good managers. A lot of times they were playing managers.

It used to be that most managers were mediocre or worse playes (Herzog, Anderson, et. al.)

Now with Torre and Baker and Baylor, the pendulum may be swinging a bit.

[CubFan7125]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
In the early days, good players made good managers. A lot of times they were playing managers.

It used to be that most managers were mediocre or worse playes (Herzog, Anderson, et. al.)

Now with Torre and Baker and Baylor, the pendulum may be swinging a bit.

Baylor, Baker & Torre in the same breath, almost choked on my coffee. Torre was a good player who also is a good manager, same story for Dusty. Don Baylor was also a good player who manages.

Your right though, a productive career seems to be a pre-req to manage these days(Bell, Lopes, Baylor,etc.........).

[SmedIndy]

How does that explain Buck Martinez?

Joe Schultz: "Anyone hear know John (Buck) Martinez? Well, we'll just zitz him. Now get out there and pound that Budweiser".

[SmedIndy]

Don Baylor was also a good player who manages.

You and I are going to have a lot of fun with Baylor this year. Especially when he expands the staff to 13 again and presses to sign Troy O'Leary or Darren Lewis.

Baylor's idea of a young player is 29 who has spent four years at AAA.

[pathogan]

He played part of 5 seasons with the mets, hit in the low .230's, with no speed, was a mediocore defensive player, and it appears, a baseball lifer. Who knows? who can tell who would be a great manager, earl Weaver or Dave Bristol? Frank Robinson or Joe Torre? Hard to tell what the baseball gods have in mind....by the way, does anyone know anything more about the Twins sale?

[CubFan7125]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
You and I are going to have a lot of fun with Baylor this year. Especially when he expands the staff to 13 again and presses to sign Troy O'Leary or Darren Lewis.

Baylor's idea of a young player is 29 who has spent four years at AAA.

Smed, your preaching to the choir on those points. I felt Baylor did as much to retard Corey Patterson's process as Patterson himself. There's little doubt Baylor would rather have a "Michael Tucker type" over a prospect like Patterson.