Just before Saturday night’s game against the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers manager, Ron Gardenhire, announced that he will retire, effective immediately. Gardenhire cited his health, as a result of food poisoning, and increased stress levels as reasons for his decision. Before his three-year stint with the Tigers, Gardenhire managed 13 years with the Minnesota Twins. He led the Twins to six postseason appearances and an ALCS appearance over his career. Tigers’ bench coach, Lloyd McClendon, will manage the club for the rest of the 2020 season.
Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire announced his immediate retirement Saturday about an hour before a game against the Indians, saying he has been “stressed out” and not feeling well.
Bench coach Lloyd McClendon is taking over for the rest of the season.https://t.co/Cuce2GsKRH
— Chicago Tribune Sports (@ChicagoSports) September 19, 2020
16-Year Managing Career for Gardenhire
After his 13-year career managing the Minnesota Twins, Gardenhire has managed the Tigers for the last three seasons. He has been part of a large rebuild for the Tigers as they lost 98 games in 2018 and 114 games last season. Entering today, they have a 21-29 record. Despite the rough past three seasons, Gardenhire has a .484 win percentage as a manager. For his career, Gardenhire has a 1068-1039 record with the Twins and a 132-241 record with the Tigers.
With the Twins, postseason success was an issue for Gardenhire. Despite winning six AL Central titles, the Twins got out of the first round just once. Further, Gardenhire’s team was swept in his last three postseason appearances. Following these disappointing appearances, Gardenhire was ousted after four consecutive 92+ loss seasons at the end of his tenure.
Moving Forward with the Tigers
In his first game as interim manager, Lloyd McClendon has surpassed a large milestone by winning his 500th career game after the Tigers beat the Indians 5-2 on Saturday. McClendon managed five seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, but he has never reached the postseason. Although McClendon will almost certainly not be the manager next season, getting his 500th win is still a special moment for him. Entering Saturday, the Detroit Tigers hold a 21-29 record. They are four and a half games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the second Wild Card spot.
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