Jim Rantz Retires

Seth Stohs · October 15, 2012

According to Twins PR Director Dustin Morse, via Twitter:

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

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!!

old nurse · October 15, 2012

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

Mr. Ed · October 15, 2012

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

Jim Crikket · October 15, 2012

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

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!

greengoblinrulz · October 15, 2012

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

MWLFan · October 15, 2012

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.

Mike Sixel · October 15, 2012

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

Winston Smith · October 15, 2012

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.

They traded with the Angels to get Bruno.

Jim Crikket · October 15, 2012

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

twinswon1991 · October 15, 2012

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".

TwinsFanInPhilly · October 15, 2012

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

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

gunnarthor · October 15, 2012

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".

-sigh-

bird · October 15, 2012

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!

Seth Stohs · October 15, 2012

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

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

Mike Sixel · October 15, 2012

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.

MWLFan · October 15, 2012

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

Thrylos · October 15, 2012

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!

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

Thrylos · October 15, 2012

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

"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."

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

Fire Dan Gladden · October 15, 2012

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.

lecroy24fan · October 15, 2012

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!

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

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

Thrylos · October 16, 2012

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.

If one thinks that longevity in a position due to factors other than merit, should demand "respect" automatically, methinks THAT Is a pitiful (and mightly pathetic) outlook on life...

bird · October 16, 2012

You know, thrylos, some of us like to remember and even celebrate some of the good things, like the Rantz connection to Kirby Puckett.

Leave it to you to come along and piss in the punch bowl. I feel sorry for you.

bird · October 16, 2012

The Twins went a full decade not once picking in the top third of the draft (Hicks, 2006, I believe).

If the computerless Rantz (a thrylos rant) was such a big problem, the Twins should certainly have a farm system ranked among the ten worst, right? Instead, the latest rankings will place the Twins certainly in the top third, often higher. Rantz doesn't get all the credit for this, but he deserves much of the praise he gets, most of it coming from people who know what they're talking about. This contrasts with the opinion of some pissant with his snotty little head buried in his little laptop.

twinswon1991 · October 16, 2012

The Twins went a full decade not once picking in the top third of the draft (Hicks, 2006, I believe).
If the computerless Rantz (a thrylos rant) was such a big problem, the Twins should certainly have a farm system ranked among the ten worst, right? Instead, the latest rankings will place the Twins certainly in the top third, often higher. Rantz doesn't get all the credit for this, but he deserves much of the praise he gets, most of it coming from people who know what they're talking about. This contrasts with the opinion of some pissant with his snotty little head buried in his little laptop.

Huh? The Twins have zero, ZERO, pitching prospects in their system other than Berrios. Their top 2 prospects are a free agent purchase (Sano) and last year's #2 pick. They have drafted and developed HORRIBLY. The reason their system has risen so much this year is the #2 pick was signed and they didn't graduate any prospects last year (because they didn't have any good ones) unlike other teams. TB, STL, Oak and other computer literate "new school" teams find prospects every year without picking in the top 1/3 of the draft every year. The Twins under TR have become a good ole boys club with no accountability. They demoted BS to appease the fans even though the astute fans know that TR was behind all of the drafting/scouting when BS was in charge.

I hope this young guy is not just another yes-man who is forced into TR's old school ways of drafting/signing nice guys who are willing to buy into the "Twins Way". The Twins way will be LOSING until they find a way to rid themselves of the old guard who got this organization in this bind.

As a die hard Twins fan I don't want to go another 10+ years without winning a playoff game especially now that payroll is no longer an excuse.

bird · October 16, 2012

Huh? Incredibly, twinswon1991, you were able to avoid facts once again. Congratulations.

old nurse · October 16, 2012

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

"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."

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

Are you even aware that computers are only as good ad the person programming them. The same data about players is available now as when when he started. You remain clueless what people of any age are capable of. Brock can give me a weeks vacation from this boar but Thyrloss's cluelessness about people older than thirty is sickening.

Thrylos · October 16, 2012

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

"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."

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

Are you even aware that computers are only as good ad the person programming them. The same data about players is available now as when when he started. You remain clueless what people of any age are capable of. Brock can give me a weeks vacation from this boar but Thyrloss's cluelessness about people older than thirty is sickening.

hmmmm

I suspect that you are referring to me with that "Thyrloss's"...

Unfortunately, I got to confess that I have been personally so not clueless about people older than thirty for the best part of 2 decades now...

TK10 · October 16, 2012

About time. Guy's WAR has been slipping for six straight seasons.

righty8383 · October 16, 2012

Honest question...how involved is the minor league director with drafting? He's not really a scout anymore right? So does he even have any input on drafts and international signings?

Lesser Dali · October 16, 2012

For the glass half empty guys: he soon will be gone and all of those mediocre years and failed prospects under his reign will be behind you... take a deep breath and enjoy. Savor this moment.

For the glass half full guys: 2 World Championships in 4 years... fantastique! A plethora a very good and a few great great players under his watch... great as well! If you were alive and cognizant of those Championship Years, the joy of those accomplishments remain - an everlasting hangover.

My thought is that it is almost impossible to be a "Arm Chair" Farm Director.

If you are displeased and want to blame someone on the Twin's Mediocrity - blame the owners. After all, they are the ones who have the power to change or not change things.

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