Article: Would You Hire Ron Gardenhire?

[Parker Hageman]

Will Ron Gardenhire ever manage again? Not this season it appears, that is, unless one of his employed colleagues finds themselves on the wrong end of a midseason pink slip.

 

After taking a year off, the former Twins manager was passed over by several clubs this offseason, including the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres. The latter was particularly a surprise considering that it was widely assumed by insiders that Gardenhire’s major league managing experience made him the frontrunner for the Padres opening. "We're betting on a person, we're betting on a guy we feel like can be a leader," Padres GM AJ Preller told the San Diego Union-Tribune before finalizing their decision, "someone who can bring more on the relationship and culture side, more on the day-to-day leadership. The clubhouse, the communication, I think that's going to be the biggest thing."

 

Nevertheless, when the Padres front office made their decision, it was Andy Green, someone with no major league managing experience, over Gardenhire and his track record of 13 seasons including a Manager of the Year award and a five-time runner-up.While Gardenhire had plenty of on-field managerial shortcomings during his tenure with the Twins – including being late to embracing strategy such as defensive shifts, platooning and effective lineup construction -- being a relationship builder and running a clubhouse was never in question. Gardenhire has earned a reputation as being adverse to the analytics side of the game but during the TwinsDaily Offseason Handbook interview with Terry Ryan, Ryan adamantly defended his former manager suggesting that “Gardy is up to snuff on analytics” despite what some outside critics believe. The Twins analytics department incessantly fed Gardenhire reports and data to aid in his decision-making. Of course knowing them and using them are two totally different things.

 

“Believe me, I love to look at numbers,” Gardenhire said in his Hammond Stadium office in his final spring training with the Twins in 2014. “I’ve always been into numbers, I go with match-ups and all these things, I also believe in a starting lineup, trying to put a consistent lineup down. But I use match-ups all the time. I’ve been a little more old school as far as the lineup, one-two-three, that type of thing, the way I grew up playing ball and these things. I see a lot of different lineups nowadays and I’ve been reading into it a little bit more, talking to our people -- it can come up interesting sometimes.”

 

The fact that the Dodgers, with a front office which was remodeled completely with the intention of using an analytical slant, has not even contacted Gardenhire for an interview likely speaks volumes toward how that community views him as a manager. (Naturally, they are set to interview Kirk Gibson who comes from an anti-analytics organization himself.) That is not necessarily a knock – after all, the two managers in this past World Series, Ned Yost and Terry Collins, are not known for being forward-thinkers when it comes to using data – but more clubs are expecting their leadership to have this knowledge to better implement on the field what the front office creates off of it.

 

To be sure, Gardenhire did not lose the position in San Diego so much as Andy Green won it. “I had heard when he interviewed there that he really knocked it out of the park,” Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale told the Arizona Republic. “They were really excited about him. I’m really proud of him. That’s quite an accomplishment at 38.” At his introductory press conference, Preller raved about his attributes. “There have been big-league managers that have been successful from all different paths. We were open-minded to really any of those paths and finding the right person who had presence, energy, was intelligent on the baseball side, was very prepared. He checked all those boxes. He’s a guy who we feel can connect with our organization and players and take us to a different level.”

 

Reportedly, Gardenhire earned enough respect in the San Diego front office that they wanted his experience around the clubhouse, even if it was in a lesser role. According to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune, multiple sources told him that the Padres have offered Gardenhire a bench coach position. On Wednesday, Gardenhire joined MLB Network Radio and told the show that the position was not officially offered. “I don’t think anything has been formerly offered,” he said. “I’ve had a good conversation. The San Diego group was unbelievable.” He also commended Preller on his talents and called him a “brilliant young man”, saying that Preller’s baseball junkie attitude is something that he respects. While most insiders believe Gardenhire would reject the offer, a season tutoring Green while learning the finer points of the National League style of the game would probably be better than sitting out another year.

 

With just the Dodgers’ position open and no other job prospects remaining, unless he is willing to guide Green through his first year as an major league manager, Gardenhire will likely spend the summer waiting for the phone to ring.

 

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[sane]

"Would You Hire Ron Gardenhire?"

 

Are we talking about home improvement?

From  Lowe's? Home Depot? Menard's?

[Seth Stohs]

Would I hire Ron Gardenhire? That's a great question...

 

I'll answer like this... I wouldn't NOT hire him. In other words, I wouldn't take his name off my consideration list because of anything in his managerial career. 

 

I do think there are certain fits that he would be better in than others. I feel like Brad Ausmus is on a pretty short leash and Gardy's relationship with Jim Leyland will likely give him an opportunity for the job he was rumored to be getting late in the season.

 

I personally would look for someone who has been in the game of baseball for 20+ years. I'm less worried about previous managerial service. I want someone who would spend time every day digging into stats and advanced stats, but who would tell me that they aren't afraid at all to go by gut on situations, lineups, etc. And, obviously the unmeasurable clubhouse control factor would be very important as well. 

[bombo]

I definitely would NOT hire him. The game has passed him by. He has appeared unwilling to adapt. In today's game you have to be willing to shift and not always bunt when you have a runner on second with nobody out.

 

He's had more than enough chances. Let others who are willing to adapt have their chance.

[gunnarthor]

This will probably become a flame thread but I hope not.  I would hire Gardy, I think he does a lot of stuff well and the stuff that annoyed people was blown out of proportion.  

I think hiring him as a bench coach would be a pretty good idea for SD.  Torre used to surround himself with former managers on his staffs and an experienced coach might make it easier for the new manager who has a lot to learn.  

[Mike Sixel]

No. While I respect his clubhouse work, his tactics and on field strategy never improved or changed, from what I could see. If I was a GM looking for a manager, he'd have no shot. Bench coach, to help a manager out? Maybe, but probably not that either.

[sane]

I think Gardy should be hired, but not by me. I'm tired of his signature comments and moronic nicknames. No more Hicksie, Zookie, Dozie, Ploofy, Andy, Rosey and Hughesy battling their tails off.

[ThejacKmp]

I think we often assume that a manager is a CEO when in fact, they're really just the sales manager. Gardy wasn't good with stats but that's at least in part because the organization itself was not into stats. I would definitely interview Gardy because he has some obvious strengths when it comes to daily management of a team and then would feel out if he'd fit within the framework I've constructed. People can change, particularly if it involves an entirely new system.

 

How many players have a resurgence when they get a new environment? Why couldn't the same be true for managers?

[Parker Hageman]

People can change, particularly if it involves an entirely new system.

 

 

That's essentially what Clint Hurdle did with the Pirates. In the book "Big Data Baseball" (good read by the way), Hurdle was very much a similar manager to Ron Gardenhire in his days with the Rockies and early with the Pirates. It was only after being confronted by his GM that he embraced more of the overall process that stemmed from the front office's analytics team. He still managed with an old school slant but he was more understanding of the use of the shifts, lineup construction and player acquisition. 

 

[Boom Boom]

I would fire Molitor and hire Gardy today. Not really, though.

 

What does it say about Gary's reputation that he hasn't been able to land a manager job? If he was the front-runner for the Padres at one point, why did he fall behind?

 

LEN3 had a blog recently that said Gary would want to bring in Andy and Scott Ullger. Maybe his demands are unrealistic.

[Parker Hageman]

If he was the front-runner for the Padres at one point, why did he fall behind?

 

 

Seems to be that Andy Green impressed more than Gardenhire fell behind. 

 

[Boom Boom]

Seems to be that Andy Green impressed more than Gardenhire fell behind.

Any way you look at it, it's really kinda both.

[Winston Smith]

I'd hire him, paid with beer, to captain my bowling team.

[drjim]

 

That's essentially what Clint Hurdle did with the Pirates. In the book "Big Data Baseball" (good read by the way), Hurdle was very much a similar manager to Ron Gardenhire in his days with the Rockies and early with the Pirates. It was only after being confronted by his GM that he embraced more of the overall process that stemmed from the front office's analytics team. He still managed with an old school slant but he was more understanding of the use of the shifts, lineup construction and player acquisition. 

 

This also strikes me as a possible outcome for Gardy too. I don't sense he is so pig headed that he wouldn't adjust to a new model of playing if it came from above. Have a bench coach that can help out with defensive alignments and other in game strategy and let Gardy handle other aspects of the job, such as being leader, keeping players motivated, being a public face for the organization.

 

If he has talent he has proven he can lead them to plenty of wins. What happens after that...

[HitInAPinch]

I'd hire Gardy!

[darin617]

 

I'd hire Gardy!

Without a doubt! With all the restrooms in Target Field I am sure they could find him a mop and bucket so he could definitely be a great hire once again.

[nicksaviking]

It's a tough spot for Gardy, he has a rep as an manager from a bygone era.  As mentioned a guy can change, but at the same time, it's also not fair to chastise a GM take for not taking that leap of faith.

 

I think Gardy really liked the "old school" rep he had with the Twins, plenty of people wear that like a badge of pride.  However that's not what most people who do the hiring want to see these days.  Gardy had ample opportunities to change his rep with the Twins.  No one was stopping him from shifting or platooning.  No one was forcing him to bunt.  Perhaps he was better with numbers than everyone thought, but all I can remember is when he sarcastically called them "cybermetrics".

 

I would really like to see Gardy get another shot, but he had to know long ago that a revolution was taking place in baseball.  I like the guy a lot, but I have to say, Gardy probably should have considered the idea that the Twins might not be his retirement gig.  He really should have done more to put down the league-wide idea that he was resistant to new ideas, especially if he really wasn't.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

It's interesting that generally speaking, all the "old school" managers who were let go this offseason were replaced by youngish, analytic-minded guys,* and all the youngish guys were replaced by older guys with experience.

 

If Gardy would be willing to reinvent himself a bit, and be willing to bring on some cyber sabermetric minded coaches, he could be a very appealing candidate. Or maybe after another year off, he will lose the itch to manage again. Time will tell.

 

 

*  granted, everyone should be somewhat analytical-minded at this point

[sane]

It's interesting that generally speaking, all the "old school" managers who were let go this offseason were replaced by youngish, analytic-minded guys,* and all the youngish guys were replaced by older guys with experience.

 

]

It is like the NFL where disciplinarians and "players coaches" are alternated whenever one or the other has a few losing seasons.

[Mike Sixel]

Every company does the pendulum swings, every company.

[Vanimal46]

I think Gardy will be hired as a manager again. The league seems to be cyclical when it comes to their hiring process. The latest and greatest now is to hire that former player/young gun with no managerial experience. It first worked in St. Louis with Mike Matheny, and now everyone wants to jump on that bandwagon. Once there's enough failures out there, or if another team goes back to the recycling bin of former managers and sees success, teams will go back to the old way. 

[Kwak]

The Minnesota background isn't helping Gardenhire.  The Twins are noted as being very "clubby", basically closed to outsiders.  Gardy's experience suggests--"a 'yes' man", a good soldier who follows orders.  That will work in some organizations/situations but not in others.  Gardenhire's public proclamation that  "...re-signing Nick Punto was the twins #1 priority..."  illustrates he might "speak out of turn".  There is also something to be said for hiring a "younger" guy as manager versus the "old guy".  Lest anyone say "Dusty Baker", consider that hiring a Black Man as Manager (and in Washington D.C. !) would be considered "smart".

[Minniman]

Would I hire Gardenhire?

 

No, ... he doesn't know how to set up a lineup card.

[Rosterman]

It's a total crapshoot. Someone like Molitor gets hired, and does what he does, and named manager of the year. We have Dougie abseball in the minors who is itching for a managerial job (not a coaching job) and he should probably get it. It is ncie to see new blood put into the mangerial marketplace rather than managers playing musical chairs. There are more than enough candidates out there to fill any open positions, just in-team manager prospects alone. Gardy's best bet is to become that bench coach and ride the bench for a few years and make the step up when the young manager flames out. I hope he invested his salary wisely.

 

[Thrylos]

Gardy would look really good being the head coach in a semi-competitive college, where he can bring his buddies, Andy and Scotty as pitching and hitting coaches and having a couple cold ones during the game.  That's the kind of country club environment the Twins provided for him.   He'd enjoy it and the college would enjoy having him and his buddies.   Retirement stuff in other words.  

 

For the last 10 years plus, I have been scrutinizing his skill set as a manager.  What does he bring to the table?  I cannot find anything.  Competitiveness?  Please.   Communication with players? Please (Lohse, Garza, Gomez etc.) Building a climate of merit where the best play?  Please.    I just cannot find anything that he brings to the table.   What is his skillset that differentiates him?  All I can see all those years was one thing: Entitlement.   Not many places are going to hire you, if that's the only thing he brings in the organization (and "experience".)

[h2oface]

Never to manage a MLB club. Bench coach maybe, and he could be buddies with the team and add the "y"  or "ie" on the end of all their names. Being buddies might be a stretch, though, as he seemed to make a lot of enemies of some fine players that took their talent and turned it to success elsewhere. But never to manage. AAA, OK. College, I might give it a try. Never to manage a MLB team. 13 years was already 8 too many. Time to sell cars or something.

[Hrbowski]

I believe that Gardy is a better manager than a lot of managers, but I think Molitor is better.

[Pius Jefferson]

I think the window is closing for Gardenhire. Unless he's hired mid=season that would make two full years out of baseball. Not improbable to come back but out of sight out of mind.

[Thegrin]

I'd replace Molitor with Gardy in a heartbeat.  Sadly it will not happen. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

I'd hire Gardy before I hired Dusty Baker, I know that much.