In today’s Manager of the Year voting, Ron Gardenhire was voted second, perhaps disappointing a few. I think it’s appropriate though, given that the Twins turn around was thanks to Bill Smith’s reaction to Gardenhire’s mismanagement, rather than anything Gardenhire did. Well, that and some dumb luck.
First, let’s take a look at the mistakes he made that Smith turned into benefits.
Gardenhire is incapable of putting together a batting order. The Twins were consistently weak at the number 2 spot in the lineup, mostly because Gardenhire consistently put shortstops or second basemen at the 2 hole, regardless of their ability at the plate. The only time the Twins had a strong hitter in the two spot before Smith got involved was when they put Mauer there. Why Gardenhire didn’t see the light and put a good hitter, no matter the position is beyond me. Bill Smith adjusted and picked up Orlando Cabrera, because he can hit AND he plays the middle infield. I hope the Twins can resign Cabrera, if only because Gardenhire is stupid enough to bat Punto second again next year.
Gardenhire devastated the bullpen. Just a year and a half ago, the Twins featured one of the strongest bullpens in the league, however they eventually broke down as the season progressed. Why? Too many appearances. If individual relievers were allowed to go full innings, rather than one or two outs at a time, the bullpen would have been saved. Instead, Bill Smith had to go out and restock, adding Jon Rauch and Ron Mahay. With the injured Boof Bonser and Pat Neshek hopefully coming back, perhaps more depth will keep the bullpen in tact until about July next year.
Of course, there were a few lucky turns of events that gave the Twins the late season boost they needed. Of course, they had to happen to offset the typical blunders he makes.
Gardenhire is terrible with young players, especially if they aren’t his favorites. Terry Ryan and Bill Smith have always had to contend with this. Kyle Lohse had to be jettisoned, after which he flourished in Cincinnati. Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett didn’t get along with Gardenhire and were packaged up and sent to Tampa, where they became key members of a World Series team. The inability to aid young players in their development continued this year, and would have continued if it weren’t for Justin Morneau’s injury. Because of his typical slow starts, Delmon Young lost a lot of playing time early. When he struggled to rebound after the death of his mother, he continued to lose playing time, and was redressed by Gardenhire. It takes a special lack of awareness or compassion for someone to realize that a kid in his early 20s might not be completely back within two weeks. It’s even more ridiculous that he was left on the bench to dwell on his mother’s passing and his own shortcomings on the field, rather than put in the game to help get his mind back on playing good baseball. When Morneau went down, that meant one player or another would have to get on the field more. With regular playing time, Young excelled.. Somehow, Punto, no matter how bad he is, gets to play every day, so Gardenhire has the capability to let players work through their slumps. Delmon Young never would have had the chance, had it not been for Morneau’s injury.
Gardenhire is terrible with young players Part II Players that have come up with the Twins have always done well, because the minor league system is so well constructed. Players that have come over in trades, left to develop in Minneapolis and not, say, Rochester, have languished. Carlos Gomez was acquired from New York in the Santana trade. He spent very little time in the minor leagues and as a result, he has failed to develop. Smith recognized that Gomez likely never will develop in Minnesota and sent him to Milwaukee to prepare the team for next year. It was the right move, and will be even if Gomez turns into a 30HR type of guy, which he could with the right coaching. It wouldn’t have happened in Minnesota, however. The thing that bothers me is that when it happens, it will be Smith who will be blamed and not Gardenhire. Fortunately, fundamentally sound players whose development wasn’t monitored by Gadenhire, like Jose Morales contributed in the end to the team’s success.
It’s nice to think that the Twins are a cute little story because they keep getting to the playoffs out of the AL Central. Great. It’s been one of the worst divisions in the game since baseball went to 6 divisions instead of 4. The talent the Twins have, especially over the past couple of years, should mean the Twins are winning the division by 10 games annually. They shouldn’t be taken lightly in the postseason. If the Twins are only inching into the postseason because of dumb luck and the gifted General Management of Bill Smith, the Twins will forever be an afterthought.
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