Jim Rantz Retires

According to Twins PR Director Dustin Morse, via Twitter:

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Senior Director of Minor League Operations & #MNTwins HOF'er Jim Rantz will retire after 52 years with the club. Congrats Jim!

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52 years of time with the Minnesota Twins. He's been there for some downs, and he's been directly responsible for most of the ups. It's hard to argue that he has has as much impact on the Twins organization as anyone. I'm glad he is able to retire on his own decision. He's earned it!! Best wishes to Jim and his family!!

He developed the talent he had as well as anyone could have.

A new face/new ideas in this position, please.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Ed

A new face/new ideas in this position, please.

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I will be absolutely shocked if the Twins don't promote from within to fill this position, as well as backfill from within to replace whoever gets promoted.

Nevertheless, Seth, get your resume in there!

Glad he went out on his own terms, but glad he's gone as he's one of the most conservative farm directors in baseball.
Time for new blood but im sure Mn will just promote from within again

Jim Rantz is a guy that embodies baseball in Minnesota, his roots trace back to Dick Siebert and the 1960 Gopher National Championship Team. He was involved in bringing countless Minnesotan's into professional baseball, including Goltz,Hrbek, Laudner, Perkins, Neshek and some guy named Mauer.

His time with the Twins involved a lot of low times, Calvin Griffith's later years and the the 1990's post 1992. But his tenure also featured 2 World Championships with mostly homegrown talent. Yes you had the guys that came in from other organizations, but Herbie, Bruno, G-Man, Sweet Music and Puck all came up with the Twins...as did the manager.

So Jim Rantz, my Uncle Ken's 1960 teammate, has done pretty good for Minnesota baseball. Was he perfect, no. Will we in retrospect look back and wish we had him back becasue the new guys is terrible. Probably for some folks this will be true, though probably unfair to the new Farm Director.

Thanks Jim! Enjoy the time away from the grind of the office. My advice. Find a place with great golf, good fishing, good college baseball and a minor league team near by and enjoy the sun and dodge the showers.

Wow. Overall, he has done a good job. Good luck to him in his next phase of life.

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Originally Posted by MWLFan

Jim Rantz is a guy that embodies baseball in Minnesota, his roots trace back to Dick Siebert and the 1960 Gopher National Championship Team. He was involved in bringing countless Minnesotan's into professional baseball, including Goltz,Hrbek, Laudner, Perkins, Neshek and some guy named Mauer.

His time with the Twins involved a lot of low times, Calvin Griffith's later years and the the 1990's post 1992. But his tenure also featured 2 World Championships with mostly homegrown talent. Yes you had the guys that came in from other organizations, but Herbie, Bruno, G-Man, Sweet Music and Puck all came up with the Twins...as did the manager.

So Jim Rantz, my Uncle Ken's 1960 teammate, has done pretty good for Minnesota baseball. Was he perfect, no. Will we in retrospect look back and wish we had him back becasue the new guys is terrible. Probably for some folks this will be true, though probably unfair to the new Farm Director.

Thanks Jim! Enjoy the time away from the grind of the office. My advice. Find a place with great golf, good fishing, good college baseball and a minor league team near by and enjoy the sun and dodge the showers.

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They traded with the Angels to get Bruno.

Rantz's assistant, 36-year old Brad Steil, will serve as interim farm director. http://www.startribune.com/sports/tw...174229601.html

Not terribly surprising, especially given that Rantz informed the top brass a year ago that 2012 would be his last year on the job.

One thing in Joe C's linked article that I found interesting was Rantz's comment that now was a good time to make the announcement at the organizational meetings, where, "we have about 85 people here." Sounds like a lot of people to me.

Great news! This org is in desparate need of new blood and a new way of thinking. What TR and Rantz have been doing the last 10 years has been a disaster.

Please go outside the org instead of taking the easy/cheap way and promoting another one of TR's "Good Ole Boys".

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Originally Posted by greengoblinrulz

Glad he went out on his own terms, but glad he's gone as he's one of the most conservative farm directors in baseball.
Time for new blood but im sure Mn will just promote from within again

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Would love to see some empirical evidence to support this claim.

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Originally Posted by twinswon1991

Great news! This org is in desparate need of new blood and a new way of thinking. What TR and Rantz have been doing the last 10 years has been a disaster.

Please go outside the org instead of taking the easy/cheap way and promoting another one of TR's "Good Ole Boys".

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-sigh-

Just heard Reusse tell the story of when, during the baseball strike, Rantz went off to Illinois to watch his son play baseball, and was told about a chubby little player named Kirby Puckett. Thanks, Mr. Rantz!

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Originally Posted by Jim Crikket

Rantz's assistant, 36-year old Brad Steil, will serve as interim farm director. http://www.startribune.com/sports/tw...174229601.html.

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Hopefully he'll remove the "interim" label soon!! This is the right choice to succeed Rantz. I have no doubt.

Based on what, Seth? I mean, it isn't like this system is churning out players at the MLB level or that are fundamentally sound, as you yourself have stated.

Winston..you are correct sir. I would like to replace Bruno with Randy Bush, Gene Larkin, Scott Leius, Scott Erickson and Bert Blyleven.

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Originally Posted by birdwatcher

Just heard Reusse tell the story of when, during the baseball strike, Rantz went off to Illinois to watch his son play baseball, and was told about a chubby little player named Kirby Puckett. Thanks, Mr. Rantz!

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um
this could have been true other than a little detail: When he was young and in the Twins' minors Kirby was about as "chubby" as Ben Revere is ;)

So file that with the other suburban legends

Interesting quote in that linked Strib article about what Rantz has done to this organization, by the former interim GM:

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"You talk about a face of a franchise," General Manager Terry Ryan said. "Even though Jim’s not out there in the public view very much, inside this organization, the roots of the organization -- it is Jim. He hired Gardy. He was part of hiring Billy [Smith]. He was part of hiring me and almost all of our major league coaches and managers and trainers."

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So part of the root cause of the Twins' problems is thankfully gone. A few more remain...

Good to see a young 30 something replacing Rantz. At least he grew up with computers

Wow. Not even 24 hours and the same old haters can't even give the guy a little respect.

Jim Rantz spent over two/thirds of his life working for the Twins. He was a major part in virtually everything that is and ever has been a part of this team. He was here from Killebrew to Mauer, from the Met to Target Field, from Sam Mele to Gardy, and everything in between. Regardless of what you think he brought to the table, or whether you think he did a good job, you have to respect what he personally gave to this franchise.

For those of you that can't understand this, I am very glad that I don't wake up in the morning with your pitiful outlook on life.

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Originally Posted by thrylos98

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Originally Posted by birdwatcher

Just heard Reusse tell the story of when, during the baseball strike, Rantz went off to Illinois to watch his son play baseball, and was told about a chubby little player named Kirby Puckett. Thanks, Mr. Rantz!

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um
this could have been true other than a little detail: When he was young and in the Twins' minors Kirby was about as "chubby" as Ben Revere is ;)

So file that with the other suburban legends

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Kirby told the story once that I remember. Except the chubby part of course.