RON GARDENHIRE NAMED TIGERS MANAGER

The Detroit Tigers today named Ron Gardenhire as the 38th manager in franchise history, agreeing to terms on a three-year contract.

Gardenhire, 59, has 25 years of managing and coaching experience at the Major League level, including 13 seasons as the manager of the Minnesota Twins. Gardenhire joins the Tigers organization after spending the 2017 season as the bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who captured a National League Wild Card spot and advanced to the National League Division Series.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to be named manager of the Detroit Tigers. After managing against the Tigers for so many years, I know first-hand what a great baseball town Detroit is and that the fans here are some of the most passionate in all of sports. I’m truly grateful to Christopher Ilitch and Al Avila for entrusting me to lead the team back to competing for American League Central Division titles and to our ultimate goal of winning a World Series.” – Ron Gardenhire

“We are very excited to introduce Ron Gardenhire as the new manager of the Detroit Tigers,” said Al Avila, Tigers Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager. “After an extensive search, we are confident ‘Gardy’ is the right person to lead our ballclub in our pursuit of World Series championships. Ron has extensive managerial experience at the Major League level and has a proven track record of player development.”

Gardenhire spent 24 seasons on the Major League coaching staff for the Minnesota Twins, including the final 13 as the club’s manager. During his 13-year tenure in Minnesota, Gardenhire posted a 1,068-1,039 record and is one of 10 managers in baseball history to win 1,000-or-more games with a single team. Gardenhire led the Twins to six postseason appearances, including a berth in the 2002 ALCS. He was the first manager in MLB history to guide his team to the postseason in six of his first nine seasons. Gardenhire was named the 2010 BBWAA AL Manager of the Year and finished runner-up for the honor five times.

Prior to joining the Twins coaching staff in 1991, Gardenhire spent three seasons as a manager at the Minor League level, managing Single A Kenosha in 1988 and Double A Orlando in 1989-90. He was named the Southern League Co-Manager of the Year in 1990 by Baseball America.

A sixth round selection by the New York Mets in the 1979 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Gardenhire played five Major League seasons with the Mets, hitting .232 with four home runs and 49 RBI in 285 games.

A native of Butzbach, West Germany, Gardenhire and his wife, Carol, reside in Fort Myers, FL. The couple has three children, Tiffany, Tara and Toby. He will wear jersey #15 for the Tigers.

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