Tigers Manager Ron Gardenhire Announces Retirement
With only an hour left until game time, Tigers GM Al Avila and manager Ron Gardenhire stood side by side to deliver the news.
At 5 p.m. on Saturday, Gardenhire, who has been the Tigers manager for the past three seasons, announced his retirement.
The decision is effective immediately due to stress and health concerns.
A message from Gardy. pic.twitter.com/xmkPqLe33I
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 19, 2020
Lloyd McClendon will become the team's interim manager, manning the ship for the season's remainder.
Gardenhire, also known as "Gardy," completes his managerial career with 1,200 wins, ranking 46th in MLB history.
"First off, I'd like to congratulate Gardy for having one of the best managerial careers in baseball history," said Avila. "His leadership and hard work over three seasons with our ballclub has helped move us towards our goal of bringing winning baseball back to Detroit. His positive impact on our young players will be felt for years to come."
It was an emotional decision for the 62-year-old. However, Gardenhire shared it was for the best.
"This is a bittersweet day for myself and my family," said Gardenhire. "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the countless players and coaches that I've had the honor of working alongside for the last 16 seasons as manager. I'd also like to thank the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins for giving me the privilege of leading their clubhouses."
Making us smile since 2017.
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) September 19, 2020
Thank you, Gardy. #DetroitRoots pic.twitter.com/a11f40oI1p
In October of 2017, Gardenhire became the 38th manager in Tigers history. He finished his tenure in Detroit with a record of 132-241.
In his 16 seasons of managing, Gardenhire worked 2,480 games in total during his career.
Gardenhire was the first manager in MLB history to lead a team to the postseason in six of his first nine seasons. He spent 13 seasons with the Minnesota Twins.
The Tigers franchise wishes nothing but the best for Ron Gardenhire.
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