Report: Tigers to hire D-backs’ Ron Gardenhire as next manager
Oct 19, 2017, 2:29 PM
Former Minnesota Twins manager and now Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire laughs as he visits with former Twins player Nick Punto prior to a baseball game between the two teams Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)
The Detroit Tigers will reportedly hire away Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire to be the team’s next manager, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Gardenhire joined the D-backs organization last November and was the team’s bench coach for just one season.
The Tigers had been searching for a replacement for recently-departed manager Brad Ausmus. In 2017, the Tigers — who last went to the playoffs in 2014 — finished 64-98 for last place in the AL Central.
Gardenhire has significant major league management experience, having served as the Minnesota Twins’ skipper from 2002 through 2014. In that stretch, he compiled a .507 win percentage and won more than 1,000 games. Upon assuming the job in Detroit, he’ll have the ninth-most wins among active managers.
The Twins reached the playoffs six times in Gardenhire’s 13 seasons with the team.
