The Detroit Tigers are staying within the American League Central for their new manager, reportedly hiring former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire in the same role.
“The Detroit Tigers have identified Ron Gardenhire as the manager they wish to hire, pending the completion of a contract,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday.
Gardenhire managed the division-rival Twins from 2002-14, posting a 1,068-1,039 record in the process. Though, his tenure in Minnesota is mostly defined by a lack of postseason success. He led the Twins to six playoff appearances, posting a 6-21 mark in the process. Outside of taking on Billy Beane’s Oakland Athletics Money Ball team, Gardenhire won a grand total of three playoff games in his tenure.
Gardenhire was fired by Minnesota following the 2014 season. He was out of baseball until this past year, where Gardenhire served as the Arizona Diamondbacks’ bench coach.
He’ll now be tasked with replacing Brad Ausmus for a young Tigers team that’s in the midst of a rebuild. That’s where Gardy had most of his success in Minnesota, so it appears to be a decent fit in this regard.