GardenFired.

The move had to be made, but that doesn’t make it easier to swallow.

For the first time in more than 25 years, the Minnesota Twins have fired their manager.

Ron Gardenhire took the fall for a team that has lost 92+ games for the past four seasons.

But let’s make something clear: He wasn’t driving this train down the wrong side of the tracks, he was doing his best to slam on the brakes while his team shoveled more and more coals into the furnace.

 

Gardy was ejected 72 times in his 13 years as manager

Gardenhire undoubtedly helped to save this team when he was named manager following the 2001 season. Back then, the league was talking about contraction. So what does Gardy do? He leads the team to 94 wins in the regular season, and their first post-season berth in 11 years.

The next manager will surely have a lot of pressure to succeed, but that is chump change compared to what Gardenhire had on his shoulders.

With that in mind, here are a few names to keep an eye on as the Twins seek new leadership.

Paul Molitor

This is the obvious choice. Molitor knows the game, is analytical to the point where he knows every little quirk of opposing players and was crucial to the improvement of the Twins young core this season.

Minnesota native, Paul Molitor

The Hall of Famer is known for his gritty playing style, his attention to detail and aggressiveness on the base paths. His guidance could push the raw talent of the Twins’ incoming talent to the next level.

Current status as candidate for the job: Favorite

Ozzie Guillen

While some Twins fans may hate the idea of bringing the hot-headed former manager back to relevance, he would actually be a solid hire. Guillen has experience managing at the major league level, is extremely popular among players and brings a unique energy that this team hasn’t seen in a very long time.

Ozzie waiting for the call

Though Guillen was fired from his last managerial job with the Miami Marlins, a fresh start with a young team could be beneficial to both parties. For it was Ozzie who lauded the Twins for their scrappy style of scoring runs in the golden days of 2006-2010, notoriously dubbing them the “Piranhas”. Bringing him back could resurrect that style of play for the Twins, one that has been highly successful in the past.

Status as candidate: Strong contender

Tony Peña

While Peña was a decent catcher throughout his 18 year career, his true calling is to be a coach . Known for his defensive prowess and unorthodox batting stance, Peña made his way to coaching in the minor leagues and was later promoted to manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2002. He won the American League Manager of the Year award in 2003 when he led his team to a winning record for the first time in nine seasons.

Managed the WBC team for the Dominican  Republic in 2013

Peña would bring a diversity to a team that has a young Latin-American core. Think about the benefits of having a Spanish-speaking manager who can effectively connect with players such as Danny Santana, Oswaldo Arcia, Kennys Vargas and incoming prospects such as Miguel Sano and José Berrios.

Status as candidate: Medium contender

Terry Steinbach

If the Twins were going to promote from within, my guess is Molitor would be more likely than Steinbach. Though he is highly respected in the Twins clubhouse, my guess is his style of managing would be too similar to that of Ron Gardenhire.

Current bench coach for the Twins chatting with the face of of the franchise. 

Also, I am predicting that Steinbach will interview for the managerial opening with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a very close relationship with Tony La Russa, who will lead the committee that decides Arizona’s new manager, and his style of play fits what the Diamondbacks are looking for.

Status as candidate: Long-shot

No matter who ends up taking the reigns as manager in Minnesota, I hope that they take their time in constructing the rest of their coaching staff. I am personally rooting for Doug Mientkievics to take a base coach position, Gene Glynn to take the bench coach spot and Chili Davis to be the new hitting coach.

It’s been a rough couple of years in Twins Territory. It’s time for change, no matter how bittersweet it may seem.

Let’s hope that the Twins can find a manager as great as their last one.

Thanks, Gardy.