On Saturday, September 19th Tigers manager, Ron Gardenhire announced that he would be retiring immediately due to ongoing health problems. Obviously is this very sad and Tigers fans wish him the very best. Tiger’s Hitting coach Lloyd Mclendon will be the acting manager for now. The season is coming to a close and the Tigers are out of the playoff picture so many fans including myself have started to look into who the Tigers should HIre to become their new manager. This is a very important hire that could shape the future of this franchise.
A.J. Hinch
A.J. Hinch will by far be the most qualified man for the Tigers manager. The 46-year-old has won a World Series with the Astros in 2017 and made the playoffs many other times. If you want to say that championship doesn’t count because of the sign-stealing scandal I understand. The point is, this guy knows how to manage a baseball team. Plus, A.J. Hinch is familiar with the Franchise as he had a short stint with the team in 2003 where he played in 27 games for the Tigers.
Marcus Thames
Marcus Thames has no managerial experience but his resume is still pretty solid. Currently, Thames is the New York Yankees hitting coach and has done an amazing job. He has developed so many hitters including Aaron Judge, Luke Voit, and Gleyber Torres. In 2019, the Yankees hit a record-breaking 306 home runs which would place them at number 2 all-time for most home runs hit in a season by one team. He appears to be a well-liked gentleman in the Yankees organization. Thames played for the Tigers from 04-08 so he is pretty familiar with the franchise as well.
Don Kelley
Don Kelley is easily the least qualified man for the job but I still think there is a solid chance the Tigers hire him. Kelly played for the Tigers from 09-16 (was a fan favorite) making him very familiar with the organization. Kelly as a play played almost every position so he knows a lot about the game. Currently, he is a bench coach for the Pirates after just two years of coaching. Kelly is said be an up and coming manager. I could definitely see Al Avila hiring Kelly.
Photo: Business Insider
