Over the past few weeks, the Minnesota Twins have resorted back to their old ways of the past two seasons which has been hallmarked by long losing streaks and feelings of inadequacy. While the team searches for answers to solve their many ailing problems, the media around the Twin Cities and around the nation have started to clamor for a change at the top with the firing of manager Ron Garenhire. While this may be the popular move at a time like this, it certainly isn’t the correct one.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4799[/ATTACH]

Photo Courtesy of: Kim Klement- USA TODAY Sports

Typically when a team struggles, the first person who takes the brunt of the criticism and responsibility for the team’s mishaps is the manager; whether or not that criticism is justifiable or not is another matter. While the manager is the face of the team, he by no means is the sole reason why the team struggles. He does not make the plays on the field, he does not hit with runners in scoring position and he doesn’t get hitters out on the mound. Instead, he manages the game and attempts to put players in the best position to succeed. The managers who do these things the best, the most often and with the greatest efficiency are the ones who stick around the longest and are remembered as “great managers”.

Up until 2011, Gardenhire was characterized among the best managers in baseball. His teams were wining division titles under the financial constraints of playing in the Metrodome and he had to often put together a team with an organization unwilling to go out and spend money on players who could take the team to the next level in the playoffs. Instead, Gardenhire and his staff relied on a strong farm system and a strong core of young players. Because the Twins continued to compete, win division titles and make the playoffs—despite not performing well in the playoffs—Gardenhire’s ability to manage was rarely questioned; yet, over the last three seasons, the name that often gets thrown into the blame game first is Gardenhire’s. That, Twins’ fans, is utterly ridiculous in my opinion.

Gardenhire has won six division titles, Manager of the Year in 2010 and a total of 969 wins compared to 903 losses during his 12 year tenure. In addition, 247 of those 903 career losses have come over the past three seasons. While Gardenhire’s poor record over the last three years should not be excused, it by no means indicates that he has lost his ability to manage. Sometimes in sports, a team fails to respond to a manager’s message and style after a certain period of time. This results in a lack of effort and poor performances. Because of this, teams normally fire the manager in hopes of reigniting the team and bringing in a new person with a fresh message that the players may be willing to embrace. In the Twins’ case, this would not be the correct move.

If you look at the Twins this year, they certainly have played poorly, but they have continued to play hard and haven’t complained about playing for Gardenhire. The losing streaks and poor play haven’t been Gardenhire’s fault. The reason the Twins have struggled is simply been due to a lack of talent at the majors. There certainly is talent on the way headlined by Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano and I’m confident that once Gardenhire has the full array of talented players on his roster—most importantly a competent starting rotation—he will again return to his consistent winning ways. Changing managers now would not alter the team’s success this year or next year because this team is built to contend two years from now, not this season. Unless the organization decides to spend big in free-agency this winter, that plan will not be altered; thus, it won’t matter who is managing the Twins because they will continue to lose.

Unfortunately for Gardenhire, he may not have that long. Instead, he may need to rely on the 2013 version of the Twins to turn it around in order to save his job. If the Twins decide to part ways with Gardenhire, it will be a horrible mistake for the organization and will simply be a public relations move. Gardenhire knows how to manage and do so effectively and if longevity—in addition to six division titles in 12 overall seasons—is any indicator, Gardenhire deserves to stay; firing him would solve nothing.

Brian Wille is a Minnesota Twins writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @BeeWill15 or “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google

To view more articles by Brian Wille, click here

Sorry my friend, this is a sad apology for a manager who does not deserve his job. I keep hearing this, "Well, he doesn't make the plays, he only fills out the lineup card and makes pitching changes".

Well, SSSSSOOOOORRRRYYYYY. Life ain't fair. Period. If it were, we would live in a more egalitarian society. We don't, and Gardenhire is sitting in a position, managing a team, that, by any measure, is truly awful. There is this thing in the professional ranks called accountability. You may have heard of it.

It means that if you are a teacher and your student's test scores don't measure up, you can be let go. If you are a CEO and your company's earnings fall off, you can be fired. It's life. Functional organizations follow these basic precepts.

A truly dysfunctional organization continues to do the same thing, year after year, and expects a different result. That is the definition of denial. Gardenhire, in his best years, did not advance in the playoffs, and in fact, are you even aware of the Twins record the last three trips to the post-season? What are you trying to preserve exactly -- the Twins right to be doormats for the Yankees?

After 10 years plus, his team is rotten. It doesn't matter if it's his fault or not. All that matters is that the Twins take up a new direction. It ain't going to happen with Gardenhire as coach.

In particular with all the new players expected to emerge in the next few years, it is exactly a new coach that will allow the cream to rise and keep old habits, losing ones, from being ingrained in younger players.

If you could cite some metrics for your praises of Gardenhire, like numbers, or I'd even take anecdotes, anything besides the fact that the Twins won 6 division titles in the worst division in baseball AND NEVER ADVANCED TO THE WORLD SERIES as rationale for keeping him.

So changing managers wont change the way the team plays??? So Baltimore shouldn't have fired the manager they had before Showalter? Or Boston should have kept Valentine?? Cuz I am sure both the manager before Showalter(and I don't remember who it was) and Valentine don't know how to coach. I think it is time for a new manager, whether who we hire is better or not, but I don't want Gardenhire managing the new blood coming thru the system. Its the Twins way or no way it seems, like they did to Gomez, don't go for the fences, hit it the other way, look at him now, I think it was the same for Ortiz, but I really don't remember that. I am just tired of the monotone Twins every single day. And if it makes anyone feel any better or worse, Tom Kelly wasn't a good manager either, they were player managers, but I don't feel they were good game managers. I am a Twins fan, but the Twins won those years because of home field advantage. Great at home and just barely good enough on the road.

I think we have to look at this "Twins Way" thing, rather than if Gardenhire (and before him, Kelly) was doing their jobs right or not.

The Twins have always relied on the farm system and homegrown talent. They might take a stab and bring in some free agent (Morris, Chili Davis) but often they brought in on-the-fringe type free agents (you can say Molitor, Steinbach, Monroe).

They have a tendency to make good trades when they do (Knoblauch, Viola, should've ben Santana) which bring in multiple pieces that soemtimes turn into multiple pieces. THAT is the direction they go, pulling the plug on players earlier (Cudddyer, Nathan, Kubel...now Perkins) rather than let them walk.

The Twins have always, when possible, been willing to field a team that they think will compete in the division. After all, these re the teams you have to face and beat more often than not, and the central ahs been notoriously weak.You would think that they would take the plunge and go all out and spend bigtime and get superstar pieces and totally destroy the division (no, it isn't as easy as all of that).

Like the Oakland 's, the Twins like to field a team based around certain fundamentals (the Twins way). Both rely on a farm system. Oakland turns 1/3 of their roster over every year, it seems, and still manages to compete in the West more often than not. You are not going to compete every year unless you can throw money away at, say, a disabled list -- how much are the Yankees paying players not to play this season, anyone know?

The Twins now have a unique opportunity to continue to build their farm system, by raiding the system of others (getting those 26th and 41st players) and scoring good drafts picks for the third straight year. With the return of Ryan, the Twins could've done a little better purchasing free agents, perhaps, that they could flip. Again, that is a crap shoot. Look at Willingham this year and Pavano and Capps last year. Yet the Twins have to do more of what they did with Span and revere...trade them for others after they have posted respectable numbers. Why they didn't do that this winter/spring with Willingham, or a couple of years back with Young, is beyond me.

We have to also rememebr that if a team comes calling on some, like they may on Worley or Pelfry, they are seeing something in those players. Don't sit back and say...hey, I'm going to keep these guys because so-and-so wants them. Move on. Do it to someone else.

Bringing us back to Gardy. Like Kelly, he wants the team to play fundamental ball. To take a led and hold it. Move runners around. Don't walk batters. Don't give those extra outs. Hit some homers. Steal some bases. Put a good show on the field. He can only do that if he has the players. Unlike maybe a handful of teams, I don't really see Gardenhire having a lot of say on who comes up and goes down or how the roster will be designed until he gets his Twins media guide in the spring. All those decisions seem to be made by the front office. Like Kelly, he's given a whole bunch of players and has to make some eliminations...win some, lose some.

It be more of a time to make a major change in the Twins organization -- going outside of the home office for a GM, Manager, Scouting Director, Farm Director. Bring in someone who is a real baseball man as president or player personal director. Looking at the Twins front office, there are a lot of people there that look good in suits. They hang around the coffee room together, get their contract renewed every season, know that when so-and-so leaves I will be considered (and probably get) the job, happy and content to be a part of the Twins...because that is the Twins way...keep happy employees in certain positions and jobs.

I like Terry Ryan. I think he is an excellent evaluator of talent, coupled with opnions from another. As a manager, Ron Gardenhire surrounds himself with people that he trusts to keep the fundamentals of the game in place, playing good-cop bad-cop when necessary. He seems to run a decent clubhouse when egos aren't involved, and places a lot of trust in his various lieutenants.

Who would the Twins get to run the ship. Is there another Bill Rigney out there? Do we want a Gene Mauch? Again, these guys would only be as good as the talent that the team puts on the field. That comes from drafts, system development, trades, and purchase. With a close eye on those 26th and 41st players in other systems -- but no matter how good those players may be, they are still more often placeholders than superstars.

The Twins need change for the sake of change. But they need it above and beyond the clubhouse. It has to go all the way into the front office. I won't say that the people in the Twins organization are horrible, no. But they are like the team on the field. They do enough to give an impression of a finely tuned and happy and "Twins Way" organization.

We need someone to make statements...not just money!

I truly believe Gardenhire isn't the problem and i've stated why in my article, but you both bring up valid points about what has gone wrong with the Twins. I still tend to believe that it is the personnel moves, or lack there of, that have put the Twins in the funk they are currently in which is characterized by a lack of starting pitching depth. With a rebuilt farm system and a consistent flow of talent to the majors, Gardenhire will succeed once again. Certainly changing managers will have a short-term affect on a team by re-energizing them, but will it sustain over a long period of time. In my opinion, Gardenhire has a proven enough track record that indicates he can manage; firing him would solve nothing with the team.

I truly believe Gardenhire is not the only problem.