MLB Roster News: Minnesota Twins Fire Manager Ron Gardenhire After 13 Seasons
The Minnesota Twins announced that Ron Gardenhire will not return as manager next season after having another disastrous campaign this year.
The Twins announced the move on Monday after finishing the season with a 70-92 record, which is the third-worst record in the major league this year.
In his 13 years at helm, Gardenhire led the Twins to six American League Central division titles, while also getting the AL Manager of the Year award in 2010 and finished as runner-up for the award in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009.
However, Gardenhire failed to lead the Twins to winning seasons over the past four years. Aside from their 92-loss season this year, the Twins also had 99 defeats in 2011 and 96 losses in 2012 and 2013.
"I'm out of here because we didn't win," Gardenhire said in an interview via MLB.com. "That's the way it works in baseball."
Gardenhire, who succeeded Tom Kelly in 2002, has had run-ins with his players over the past two seasons, but most of his players expected him to retain his post despite having at least 90 defeats over the past four years.
Starting pitcher Phil Hughes recently expressed disappointment with their performance this season, but he reiterated that the blame should not be directed into their staff.
"Sometimes you go out and you don't play as well as you would've liked, but it's not always the staff's fault when it comes to those sorts of things," Hughes said via ESPN. "We have to be better. That's the bottom line."
Second baseman Brian Dozier also expressed full support to Gardenhire last week, saying that he wants the 56-year-old manager back next season.
"As good as it gets in my opinion. Comes to the park ready to win each and every day. Kind of a players' manager," Dozier said of Gardenhire. "Always in good spirits. He knows the game better than anybody I've been around. I 100 percent want him back."
Gardenhire has one year left in his contract before his firing was announced. It is unclear at this point if he will be given a new position in the Twins organization.
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