“Congratulations Gardy”- Ron Gardenhire induced into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame
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Ron Gardenhire
Fans of the Twins have always regarded legendary manager Ron Gardenhire as a favorite, and that history is now indelible in the baseball team’s Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony took place before Saturday night’s Twins game against the Texas Rangers. From 2002 to 2014, Gardenhire oversaw the Twins for 13 seasons.
Tom Kelly holds the No. 2 win total in the team’s history with 1,068 victories. For 11 seasons, Gardenhire also served as the third base coach, notably with the 1991 World Series champions. In 2010, he was voted Manager of the Year in the American League after leading the Twins to six AL Central championships.
Shortly after Gardy’s plaque was placed on Target Field Plaza, Fox 9 caught up with him. “It’s awesome seeing all the fans and so many players and coaches coming back… I think it’s going to hit me a little harder later,” said Gardenhire.
Torii Hunter, a five-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner, was one of his former players who attended the celebration. “He was super cool with the players and at the same time, he wanted perfection… I wanted to play for him. I wanted to win for him, so I’ll never forget the way he made us feel,” said Hunter.
The Minnesota Twins have been through it all with Ron Gardenhire
The Twins experienced numerous milestones with “Gardy.” 1991 marked the year the team won its most recent World Series, during which he served as head coach. He led the franchise through contraction threats, two Game 163s, Target Field’s return to outdoor baseball, and an era of fan favorites and club heroes that are still fondly recalled by Twins Territory supporters. In club history, his 1,068 victories as a manager are second-most.
More than 20 of the hundreds of players who benefited from Gardenhire’s guidance attended to support their former captain on his special day, including Joe Mauer, Denard Span, and seldom-mentioned former Twins Luis Rodriguez, Brendan Harris, and Bobby Keppel.“This group of guys, some of them got me fired, and I still love them to death,” Gardenhire said with a laugh, gesturing at them.
Even his longtime rivals in the American League Central, former Detroit manager Jim Leyland and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, recorded video messages to express their appreciation for Gardenhire’s career and his contributions to those division rivalries of the 2000s. Gardenhire had such an impact on the game during his 13 seasons as the manager of the Twins and three with the Tigers.
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Leslie Savio Baptist
(151 Articles Published)