Ron Gardenhire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ron Gardenhire
Gardenhire with the Minnesota Twins, 2013
Shortstop / Manager / Coach
Born: (1957-10-24) October 24, 1957 (age 67) Butzbach, West Germany
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
September 1, 1981, for the New York Mets
Last appearance
October 6, 1985, for the New York Mets
MLB statistics
Batting average	.232
Home runs	4
Runs batted in	49
Managerial record	1,200–1,280
Winning %	.484
Teams
As player New York Mets (1981–1985) As manager Minnesota Twins (2002–2014) Detroit Tigers (2018–2020) As coach Minnesota Twins (1991–2001) Arizona Diamondbacks (2017)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1991) AL Manager of the Year (2010) Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame

Ronald Clyde Gardenhire (born October 24, 1957) is an American former professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played as a shortstop for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1981 to 1985.

After playing, he managed teams in the Minnesota Twins' minor league system. He then became a coach for the Twins from 1991 to 2001. From 2002 to 2014, he was the manager of the Twins, winning the American League Manager of the Year Award in 2010. Later, he coached for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2017. He managed the Detroit Tigers from 2018 until he retired from baseball in 2020.

Early Life and Baseball Dreams

Ron Gardenhire was born in West Germany. His family was in the military. Growing up, he thought he might join the military too.

However, his dad also encouraged his love for baseball. His family later moved to Oklahoma. Ron went to Okmulgee High School and then the University of Texas at Austin.

Playing Baseball

The New York Mets chose Ron Gardenhire in the 1979 baseball draft. He played for the Mets for five seasons, from 1981 to 1985.

During his time as a player, Gardenhire played shortstop, second base, and third base. He often had injuries, especially to his leg muscles. He only played in more than 70 games twice. After the 1986 season, he played one more year in the minor leagues before he stopped playing.

Becoming a Manager

Starting in the Minor Leagues

After Ron Gardenhire stopped playing, he became a manager in the Minnesota Twins' minor league system. This was from 1988 to 1990. He led his teams to good finishes, including two first-place spots.

Managing the Minnesota Twins

On January 4, 2002, Gardenhire became the manager of the Minnesota Twins. He took over from Tom Kelly, who had won two World Series titles. Gardenhire was known for being very active and sometimes arguing with umpires. People even joked that he was ejected from games more often in a season than Kelly was in his whole career! In his 13 seasons with the Twins, Gardenhire was ejected 73 times.

Gardenhire managing the Twins in 2006

When Gardenhire started, the Twins had not been to the playoffs since 1991. The team was even almost shut down. But under Gardenhire, the Twins had a great year in 2002. They won their division and made it to the playoffs.

During his 13 seasons as the Twins' manager, Gardenhire's team had a losing record five times. But they also won their division six times. Even with all their regular season success, the Twins only made it deep into the playoffs once, in his first season (2002). They never reached the World Series with him as manager. In the playoffs, his team won 6 games and lost 21.

Gardenhire won the American League Manager of the Year Award in 2010. He was also a runner-up for the award five other times. In 2009, he received the Chuck Tanner Manager of the Year Award.

On April 5, 2014, Gardenhire earned his 1,000th win as a manager. This was a big achievement. He became only the 60th manager in MLB history to reach 1,000 wins. He was also one of only ten managers to do this with just one team.

On September 29, 2014, Gardenhire was let go after 13 seasons as the Twins manager. His last four years with the team were tough. He was inducted into the Twins Hall of Fame in 2022.

Managing the Detroit Tigers

On October 20, 2017, Ron Gardenhire signed a three-year deal to manage the Detroit Tigers. This started in the 2018 season.

In his very first game as the Tigers' manager, he was ejected! This happened after a play that looked like a win was changed by a video review. On September 19, 2020, Gardenhire announced he was retiring from managing due to health reasons.

Managerial Record Overview

Ron Gardenhire managed for many years. Here is a summary of his record:

Coaching Career

In 1991, Gardenhire became the third base coach for the Twins. He held this job for 11 seasons. This included the year the team won the 1991 World Series.

In November 2016, Gardenhire was hired as the bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, he had to take time off for surgery. He returned to the team in May.

Ron Gardenhire's Family

Toby Gardenhire playing baseball in 2009

Ron Gardenhire is married to Carol. They have three children: a son named Toby Gardenhire, and two daughters, Tiffany and Tara. Toby also played and coached baseball in the Twins organization. As of 2025, he is the manager of the St. Paul Saints.

See Also

• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career ejections
• List of Major League Baseball managers with most career wins