Gardy declines position in Twins' organization -- taking year off

[glunn]

This is from MLB.com

 

"Gardenhire has indicated that he's not done managing and is open to finding a managerial position with another organization."

 

http://m.twins.mlb.com/news/article/110043252/former-twins-manager-ron-gardenhire-declines-position-in-organization

[Physics Guy]

Can't say as I blame him.  He's getting paid well to do nothing this year if he chooses.  He's had three crappy seasons in a row.  I might want to step away as well.

[Seth Stohs]

Yup, I don't blame him. He needs a year to just get away. I wouldn't be surprised to see him do some TV work nationally, maybe ESPN or something. I think he'd be terrific!

[ashbury]

 He's had three crappy rosters in a row.   I might want to step away as well.

FTFY.

[gunnarthor]

Good luck to him.

[Halsey Hall]

Gardy's got the good life now.  He almost ran us over friday with his jeep and stopped to chat.  He was headed for his boat.  Can't get any better than that. 

[tobi0040]

To each its own, but if I was his age and have career earnings in the 8 figures.....I would be on the boat for good.

[Kwak]

It's not as if Gardenhire wasn't aware of the roster (and the rest of the franchise) when he re-signed.

So, did he sign for 2 years pay to "fall on the spear" for the organization's faults or did he believe that

he had a "lifetime contract"?  Because I don't think he had that much hubris to believe he could turn that bunch into winners.

[ashbury]

To each its own, but if I was his age and have career earnings in the 8 figures.....I would be on the boat for good.

My experience with people at the top (of my profession) is they have a burning desire to prove the first time wasn't a fluke.    Gardy didn't get a WS but I'm sure he's pleased with reaching the postseason several times - not my intention to yet again open that can of worms for us to determine whether the pleasure is justified - but that was with a certain core of players.    He would have liked to stay through the complete roster turnover and reach success again; lacking that, he wants to do it again somewhere else.    That's my read.

[Danchat]

I wouldn't be surprised if he managed a team in 2016.

[tobi0040]

I wouldn't be surprised if he managed a team in 2016.

 

I think Gardy may have a tougher time than he thinks.  I think the game is changing and he never changed with it.  Nothing in his history suggests he is open to changing, IMO.

[gunnarthor]

I think Gardy may have a tougher time than he thinks.  I think the game is changing and he never changed with it.  Nothing in his history suggests he is open to changing, IMO.

Oh, that's not remotely fair but it's not really worth getting into another Gardy bashing thread.  

[tobi0040]

Oh, that's not remotely fair but it's not really worth getting into another Gardy bashing thread.  

 

I think it is completely fair.  I think the same reasons why the Twins needed a change are reasons that would give some teams pause of hiring him. I think minor league and bench coaches under people like Maddon, Boston, etc. would be higher on the pecking order than Gardy.

 

To my knowledge, nobody reached out to him this off-season.

[EephusKnuckler]

So will it still be a Gardenhire/Anderson package deal in the future? What if a team wants Gardy but tells him he has to hire a different pitching coach? Will he tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine?

[USAFChief]

I would also be mildly surprised if Gardy got another managing gig.

[jimmer]

I would also be mildly surprised if Gardy got another managing gig.

I remember when people were adamant that if Gardy got fired he'd get a new manager job like super quickly.  There were a good chunk of manager jobs open and he didn't get hired.  Did he decide to take a year off from managing before or after all the jobs were filled?

 

I imagine he'll get hired as a bench coach or the like if he leaves the organization. If he goes to TV, I hope it's ESPN since I watch MLB Network :-)

[gunnarthor]

I would also be mildly surprised if Gardy got another managing gig.

If he wants another managing job, he'll get one.  (Although at 58 he is a bit older than I think he is).  But a lot of managers don't get hired the same year they get fired.  

[tobi0040]

If he wants another managing job, he'll get one.  (Although at 58 he is a bit older than I think he is).  But a lot of managers don't get hired the same year they get fired.  

 

As far as I can tell, seven openings appeared this year.  Here were the hirings.  Seems like teams are going for younger coaches.   Only three are over 50, one worked for the A's, Molitor who is thought of as a smart guy, and Banister who really likes SABR metrics.  Just seems like this trend does not favor Ron Gardenhire.  Ten years ago it seemed the Sparky Anderson types just rotated seats every year but not anymore.

 

Chip Hale   51.    Never a head coach before.  In the A’s minor league system from 2011 to 2013.

 

Maddon – not a new hire, per se.  Thought of in high regards of the SABR community

 

Ausmus  - 46 years old.  Coached in SD’s organization. Never a head coach.

 

Hinch   41 years old.  Never coached before.  Scouting background as well as coaching

 

Molitor – 58.  Never coached before.  Thought of as a smart baseball mind.

 

Cash.  38 years old.  Never coached before.

 

Banister  - 51 years old.  Wiki says he got farmiliar with SABR metrics working closely with the Pirates Quant guy as early as 2010.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/managers

[jimmer]

'Maddon – not a new hire, per se.Thought of in high regards of the SABR community'

 

I think he's well regarded throughout baseball. There was a poll conducted with players from across MLB and he was voted as manager they'd most like to play for. His players love him for his out of the box thinking.

[gunnarthor]

As far as I can tell, seven openings appeared this year.  Here were the hirings.  Seems like teams are going for younger coaches.   Only three are over 50, one worked for the A's, Molitor who is thought of as a smart guy, and Banister who really likes SABR metrics.  Just seems like this trend does not favor Ron Gardenhire.  Ten years ago it seemed the Sparky Anderson types just rotated seats every year but not anymore.

 

Chip Hale   51.    Never a head coach before.  In the A’s minor league system from 2011 to 2013.

 

Maddon – not a new hire, per se.  Thought of in high regards of the SABR community

 

Ausmus  - 46 years old.  Coached in SD’s organization. Never a head coach.

 

Hinch   41 years old.  Never coached before.  Scouting background as well as coaching

 

Molitor – 58.  Never coached before.  Thought of as a smart baseball mind.

 

Cash.  38 years old.  Never coached before.

 

Banister  - 51 years old.  Wiki says he got farmiliar with SABR metrics working closely with the Pirates Quant guy as early as 2010.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/managers

Again, I don't think it's a big deal for managers to not be hired the same year they were fired.  IIRC, the Twins will pay Gardy somethings like 2.5m this season so any team hiring a new manager would have had to top that unless Gardy didn't care about it.  I think several of those teams are also paying the new manager + the old manager (for instance, Diamondbacks have to still pay Gibson while paying Hale) so I would doubt, without looking it up, that any of these new manager positions were paying that kind of money.

[jimmer]

This is going to sound mean but it's absolutely not meant to be.  What Gardy really needs to do is use this year off and lose a good chunk of weight.  He looks unhealthy.

[gunnarthor]

This is going to sound mean but it's absolutely not meant to be.  What Gardy really needs to do is use this year off and lose a good chunk of weight.  He looks unhealthy.

Actually, I would agree with that.  Both professionally and just for his own health.  I mean, being a baseball manager would be a great job but it's gotta be insanely stressful.

[tobi0040]

Again, I don't think it's a big deal for managers to not be hired the same year they were fired.  IIRC, the Twins will pay Gardy somethings like 2.5m this season so any team hiring a new manager would have had to top that unless Gardy didn't care about it.  I think several of those teams are also paying the new manager + the old manager (for instance, Diamondbacks have to still pay Gibson while paying Hale) so I would doubt, without looking it up, that any of these new manager positions were paying that kind of money.

 

But would you agree that the type of guy hired this off-season is a different guy than Ron Gardenhire?  Even the guy that was #2 on our list (Luvollo).

 

And the dynamics about owing the old coach money happens every year.  And it didn't seem like any of the old school guys fired two years ago were much of factor this year.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Gardy does not strike me as ambitious enough to work at getting a job outside the Twins (and that goes for national broadcasting work too).

[Thrylos]

Kinda glad that he (and Andy & Co) are not parts of the organization any more.  The Twins got to turn the page here and change philosophies.  With those guys around it would had been harder.   And this is Molly's team now.

[tobi0040]

Kinda glad that he (and Andy & Co) are not parts of the organization any more.  The Twins got to turn the page here and change philosophies.  With those guys around it would had been harder.   And this is Molly's team now.

 

I have to say he would probably love to be out on the field in spring training working with guys, but realizes that he would be a distraction and the players need to see Molly as the guy.  Pretty commendable.

[jctwins]

I believe Gardy and Anderson were on the same timeline with the MLB pension. Their years of service combined with age were a big factor in their decisions. Does anybody know where they sit on this? Sure, Gardy has made good money, but Rick Anderson probably really isn't set, and would love to have that lifetime pension locked in at the highest possible rate.

 

This is from a reliable source.

[gunnarthor]

But would you agree that the type of guy hired this off-season is a different guy than Ron Gardenhire?  Even the guy that was #2 on our list (Luvollo).

 

And the dynamics about owing the old coach money happens every year.  And it didn't seem like any of the old school guys fired two years ago were much of factor this year.

I disagree very strongly with several of the themes posters have on Gardy - he's dumb, uneducated, lazy, content, stubborn, stuck in his ways, etc, etc.  I also think that teams are starting to realize the ability to manage a clubhouse might be the most important thing the manager does.  You started reading that in Posnanski's stuff last year and he's pretty plugged in - I believe he quoted Bill James a few times on it.  So, no, I don't really buy into your thesis.  Many of the things Molitor has said and done - including pushing hard for Hunter - would be similar things that Gardy would have done.  Molitor will be a new voice and that should change the dynamic on its own.

 

The money thing wasn't as much for the team as it was for Gardy.  If he sits out the season, he makes 2.5m or so.  It's doubtful that other teams would pay him that much.

[jctwins]

I think it's pretty fair to say Gardy lost control of this clubhouse, so I'm not sure you'd say that is a strength of his.

[JB_Iowa]

I think it's pretty fair to say Gardy lost control of this clubhouse, so I'm not sure you'd say that is a strength of his.

I just think he stayed too long. I know I had a tendency to tune him out. I would guess there was a bit of that with some players as well.

 

I always thought Gardenhire's greatest strengths were the ability to maintain an even keel over the course of the season and his unwavering loyalty to his cadre of coaches and to some players.

 

I also thought that his greatest strength became one of his greatest weaknesses when he seemingly was willing to fall on his sword for some of his staff (particularly Rick Anderson). I also thought he struggled with the even keel over the last couple of seasons. He just seemed tired to me. I hope his wife puts him on a healthy diet and gets him into relaxation mode.

 

I look for a comeback next season. I really think he needed a change of venue.