Home


All-Time Roster Mugshots Player Awards Transactions Managers and Coaches Mets Staff Birthplaces Oldest Living Mets Necrology


Game Results Opening Day Walkoff Wins & Losses Mets in the Postseason No-Hitters and One-Hitters Mets All-Stars Opponents and Ballparks Daily Standings Seasons Mayors Trophy Games X


Leaderboards Yearly Leaders Decade Leaders Postseason Leaders


Ultimate Mets Scrapbook Forum Fan Memories Mets Uniforms Uniform Numbers Baseball Cards This Date in Mets History

Contact Us Frequently Asked Questions

THE ULTIMATE METS DATABASE IS NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH THE NEW YORK METS OR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

• 
  • All-Time Roster Every Met player... EVER!
    
  • Mug Shots The pretty ones and the ugly ones -- we have them all!
  
  
  • Player Awards Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame, and more.
  
  
  • Transactions Over a thousand player transactions -- in chronological order!
  
  
  • Managers & Coaches The men who have led the Mets, and the men who helped them.
  
  
  • Mets Staff Executives, General Managers, Broadcasters, and more. (And Jane Jarvis too!)
  
  
  • Birth Places Perfect for planning your Mets pilgrimages!
  
  
  • Oldest Living Mets See which Mets players have spent the most time walking the Earth.
  
  
  • Necrology Mets players and personnel who are no longer with us.
  
  

• 
  • Game Results
    All the wins, all the losses. Includes box scores and score cards!
  
  
  • Opening Day
    The first day of each season! See the starting lineups, who started at each position year-by-year, and leaders by position.
  
  
  • Walkoff Wins & Losses
    Interactively search for the happiest and saddest endings to Mets games.
  
  
  • Postseason Games How the Mets have fared in the games that count the most!
  
  
  • No-Hitters & One-Hitters See a list of every no-hitter and one-hitter pitched by the Mets, or against them. One of these categories was frustratingly empty for over fifty years, but not anymore!
  
  
  • All-Star Games Mets who have appeared in baseball's Mid-Summer Classic
  
  
  • Opponents & Ballparks See the Mets won-lost record against every team, and in every ballpark in which they've played!
  
  
  • Daily Standings What was the Mets' pennant outlook on any given day in past seasons?
  
  
  • Yearly Finishes The heights and the depths: the Mets won-lost record at the end of each season.
  
  
  • Mayor's Trophy Games A look back at the long-ago annual series between the Mets and their Bronx rivals.
  
  

• 
  • Leaderboards Career, season, and individual game leaders at your fingertips!
  • Team Leaders Players who led the Mets in various categories, from season to season.
  • Decade Leaders Mets history broken down into ten-year chunks!
  • Post-Season Leaders Mets leaders, by category, in post-season games

• 
  • Ultimate Mets Scrapbook The history of the Mets, as it was reported when it happened!
  • Forum Visit the Crane Pool Forum to discuss the Mets and just about anything else!
  • Fan Memories Insightful. Poignant. Thrilling. Somber. Nutty. Our visitors have submitted thousands of thoughts and memories of the Mets and the games they've played.
  • Mets Uniforms It's more than just laundry! Trace the evolution of the Mets official uniform over the years.
  • Uniform Numbers In association with Mets By the Numbers, we present a full history of who wore what number, and when!/li>
  • Baseball Cards Our collection of home-made baseball cards, in the style of the classic Topps cards of the 1970's.
  • This Date in Mets History Births, Deaths, Transactions, Newspaper Covers

• 
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Go

Ron Gardenhire
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 91 of 1252 players
Ronald Clyde Gardenhire
Born: October 24, 1957 at Butzbach, Germany
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 6.00 Weight: 174

Ron Gardenhire has been the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup 14 times, most recently on October 24, 2020.

First Mets game: September 1, 1981
Last Mets game: October 6, 1985

Share your memories of Ron Gardenhire HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY: Mr. Sparkle January 3, 2001 I absolutely dispised this clown when he was playing. He was completly barren of any talent. I remember when the Mets were on Monday night baseball in 84 when they first started to turn it around. Gardy came up to the plate after another light hitting Met and that boozer Howard Cosell took one look at his average which at the time was around .190 and really started lacing into Gardenhire and the Mets as a whole. The other announcer, I forget who it was, stook up for the Mets and explained that Gardenhire was only playing once in a blue moon and the Mets had much more talent and were for real. I hated Cosell for that although watching Gardy play I can certainly understand him jumping to that conclusion about the team. I remember one time when I was at Shea yelling at Gardo every time he came up. Finally he hustled out a tripple ands the place went wild. I yelled "you still suck". The guy in front of me turned and said "Geez give the poor guy a break!" I was a little hard on him but he was really lousy. First German born player to play in the majors. Kooz May 23, 2001 Pulled more hamstrings than any other human being in baseball history. Spent most of his time on the disabled list. Teammates called him "hammy." Jersey Joe August 3, 2001 My friend Don & I drove from Jersey through some horrendous traffic to see a Mets-Pitttsburgh weeknight game, what an ordeal !?!? ..... then the Pirates lit the Mets up for about 8 runs in the first inning and we were in for a lousy night at Shea. ....in about the 8th inning, after most people had left, Don & I were seated in the Field Level, behind the aisle, with our feet up on the seats in front of us ... when all of a sudden Ron Gardenhire hit a looping foul ball down the first base line .... RIGHT AT US !!! We panicked, scrambled to our feet ... then had the ball hit off of Don's hands onto the seat in front of us. A RON GARDENHIRE foul ball !!!! What a great night !! mike November 16, 2001 I remember him as a pretty mediocre fielder. Now, looking at his batting stats, I see he wasn't much of a hitter either. Had a lot of heart and desire as I recall, however. Mr. Sparkle January 4, 2002 I can't believe this clown is manager of the Twins. Now I really want Minnesota to contract before next year. It won't happen but it would be perfect for Gardo for the lousy five years he gave the Mets. Andy from Rego Park January 7, 2002 New manager of the about-to-be-contracted Twins. Isn't that like being made captain of the post-iceberg Titanic? If you look at the photo on the back of the Billy Joel LP "The Nylon Curtain," you'll see he's reading the sports section of the NY Times. Discernable at the bottom is the headline "Gardenhire's wrong guess wins game." Maybe the St. Paul Pioneer Press should set the type for that one right away. flushing flash January 7, 2002 Repeat after me: those who can, do; those who can't, teach. clubhouse report April 25, 2002 of the 17 Mets who went on to become major league managers, Gardenhire is the only one who played just for the Mets and no other team during their playing days. Larry Burns May 20, 2002 Plain and simple---he blew. Now he has duped the Minnesota Twins into believing that he can manage. He either has incriminating photos of the managment of the Twins or they hope to suck so bad that contraction will be a blessing. Gardy, as he liked to be known, will always be remembered for for a bad attitude and a dreadful lack of talent---a true zero! clubhouse report May 30, 2002 No, Gardy didnt have success as player, that's true, but he was good enough to play for Davey Johnson who gave him a second chance with the Mets in '84 and that's good enough for me. By the way, as of this writing the Twins are in first place and like his predecessor Tom Kelly, who wasn't exactly a first-ballot hall of famer as a player either, Gardenhire's playing ability or lack of, has nothing to do with whether or not he'll be a successful manager. Jonah Falcon March 15, 2003 "Plain and simple---he blew. Now he has duped the Minnesota Twins into believing that he can manage." Oh, yeah. He duped them all right - all the way to the AL Central title and an upset of the powerhouse A's to make it to the ALCS. Frank Grimes March 21, 2003 Come on, he did suck! He was one of the lamest position players ever to put on a Mets uniform. He had the bat of Rey Ordonez and the glove of, well, Ron Gardenhire. I can't think of a worse fielder! And the fact that he did well in Minnesota has more to do with the quality farm system developing young talent than it does with anything Gardy did for the team. Randy Jones June 5, 2003 I remenber Ron as a poor fielder (and hitter) for the Tidewater Tides. I was shocked when he got called up to the Mets. It is good to see him having success as a manager. Tim June 10, 2003 I remember that every April he would hit .412 only to finish at .212. Larry Burns June 17, 2003 This guy actually proved me wrong and has done a credible job with the low budget Minnesota Twins----I guess all the 2nd guessers KNEW he would be good. But it does not change the fact that as a ballplayer he was no better than Jeffrey Dahmer. He is another example of those that can't-----teach! Big Vin August 4, 2003 Had heart and little else but not a guy who should be disliked or scorned. But you have to wonder if he ever heard of stretching before a game. He's pulled more ham than a Texas hog butcher! I hear his hamstring treatments are a mandatory course of study at the American School of Sports Medicine! When he passes he will leave his hammies to science! Nishna October 3, 2003 Gardenhire used to keep The Baseball Encyclopedia with him, and he'd have opposing players sign it during BP. My buddy swore it was so he could show it to his grandchildren, because they'd probably never believe he played in the majors. You really don't find too many light hitters who can give games away with late inning errors. Can't argue with the job he's done with the Twins, though. Frank Grimes October 15, 2003 He once kicked a hacky-sack ball into Rusty Staub's eye. Nice going Gardo. Jim June 1, 2004 I heard Ed Randall interviewing Ron Gardenhire during one of Ed's Sunday morning baseball shows on WFAN about a year ago. Ed referred to Ron as "a beloved former Met". My question is "beloved by whom?". That was the moment when I realized that Ed Randall gushes over each and every one of his guests. Bob P September 30, 2004 Brothers and sisters in Orange and Blue misery, let's take a moment to show a little love for Ron Gardenhire, who has now managed the Minnesota Twins--a team that was going to be "put to sleep" just a few short years ago--to three straight AL Central titles. Yes, Gardy was not a good hitter, and by his own admission he had trouble with routine plays in the field (USA Today, 9/28/04). But he has now managed for six seasons (three in the majors and three in the minors) and has made the playoffs all six times. Naysayers will comment that the Twins are a mediocre team in a mediocre division. Well, I don't know about that, but Gardy sure looks good next to Art Howe, Dallas Green, and Jeff Torborg. John October 7, 2004 All the above comments say it all,,, Ron was a hustler with a big heart, that still could not overcome the fact that he blew the big one. No hit, no field baseball players were a fixture for this team years ago. With the aforementioned in mind, the current "BRAIN TRUST" would probably have him at short batting cleanup!! Steven Gallanter October 10, 2004 I write this following Mr. Gardenhire's monumental mismanaging of the Twins defeat in Game 4 of the ALDS. Why in the name of Pedro Martinez did Gardenhire remove Santana after 87 pitches!? Why did he remove Grant Balfour? Why didn't he remove Juan Rincon? I always got all of the Ricons confuse but Juan will be easy to remember as Rob Gardenhire kept him in to allow 5 basrunners! I am not a huge Twin fan but I am a Met fan and anyone who beats the Yankees has my approval. In other words, the enemy of my enemy is my friend! Yes I am the kind of bitter guy who roots for the defeat of others...when they where the pinstripes! I guess Rob's formative experiences as a member of the 1983 Mets determine his strategy...or lack of it! The horror...the horror! DavidC June 10, 2005 In reference to Mr.Sparkle's post from 2001, I do not think Ron Gardenhire is the first German born to play in the majors. Glenn Hubbard of the Atlanta Braves, born in Hahn AFB, Germany started his major league career in 1978. Now, I do not know if there are any precedessor to Hubbard though. Anyhow, I guess Gardenhire is the first German born to play for the Mets. Jonathan Stern March 9, 2007 Protected over Seaver in the 1984 free-agent compensation draft pool. Frank Cashen thought the Chisox would select an infielder. Instead, they took The Franchise, who proceeded to win 31 games for them during the two seasons that followed. Gardenhire, for his part, did nothing for the Mets. Rich W July 21, 2007 I just used to love listening to fellow Oklahoman Bob Murphy pronounce Gardy's hometown of "Okmulgee, Oklahoma" Witz May 29, 2008 I can't believe it took about 25 messages before someone mentioned the Seaver debacle! I can't hear his name or look at his picture without thinking of Seaver leaving a second time. My thoughts that day, and to this day, were that it seems so obvious that if Cashen really treasured Gardenhire so much all he had to do was leave him unprotected and the Mets would have ended up getting to keep both Seaver and Gardenhire. The other unwitting accomplice in this classic Mets blunder was Dennis Lamp, if I recall correctly the Seaver pick was based on Lamp leaving the White Sox as a free agent that winter. So, Lamp and Gardenhire cost us Seaver. The only saving grace is that the way the chips fell, I got to be in Yankee Stadium, front row, one box away from the Seaver family when he won his 300th game! mook December 10, 2009 Who knew? Gardenhire should be a lesson for all of us. He took a job with potentially no future and has done quite a bit with it. Has done quite a bit with fairly good talent as manager of the Twins. Gets by Buckner October 7, 2010 He didn't hit much as a Mets player but I do remember him having a great glove. Too bad he is managing the Twins. I wouldn't mind if he were in the Mets dugout at Citi Field!!!

Meet the Mets

All-Time Roster

Mug Shots

Player Awards

Transactions

Managers and Coaches

Mets Staff

Birthplaces

Oldest Living Mets

Necrology

Games

Game Results

Walkoff Wins and Losses

Post-Season Games

No-Hitters and One-Hitters

All-Star Games

Opponents and Ballparks

Daily Standings

Yearly Finishes

Mayor's Trophy Games

Stats

Interactive Statistics

Team Leaders

Decade Leaders

Metscellaneous

Fan Memories

Mets Uniforms

Uniform Numbers

About Us

Contact us

FAQ