What is the story about?
The Minnesota Twins announced Derek Shelton as manager yesterday. So, it’s a good time to look at the last four MN baseball skippers and see how they fared in Year 1. Surprisingly, the results have been almost exclusively positive in my lifetime (1985+)…
Tom Kelly
- Previous Season (1986) : 71-91 (full disclosure: TK coached the ‘86 squad to a 12-11 finish). The Twins had not made the playoffs since 1970.
- First Full Season (1987): 85-77; won the World Series.
Ron Gardenhire
- Previous Season (2001): 85-77. The Twins had not made the playoffs since 1991.
- First Season (2002): 94-67. Won AL Central title and advanced to ALCS.
Paul Molitor
- Previous Season (2014): 70-92. Four consecutive 92+ loss seasons in a row.
- First Season (2015): 83-79. Competed for a Wild Card postseason berth until the season’s final weekend.
Rocco Baldelli
- Previous Season (2018): 78-84.
- First Season (2019): 101-61. Won AL Central title with second-best record in franchise history.
The four newest Twins managers all produced instant success from the dugout’s top step.
Of course, one could argue that TK, Gardy, & Molly all inherited a youthful nucleus of talent, while Rocco had the rabbit ball in ‘19. Shelton will have a collection
of spare parts and an ownership group that likely wants to remove the engine & transmission. But perhaps the Beginner’s Luck will continue in 2026.
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