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MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 12, 2018

Ron Gardenhire

Las Vegas, Nevada

Q. Following up on what we were talking about last night about the impact of the manager in today's baseball, with the analytics and all the information that you are fed and that goes into the decision-making, how often do you find yourself weighing the data versus your gut and your instincts in the game?
RON GARDENHIRE: That's a constant because you grow up one way in the game, and you always -- you have a feel for how a guy's going that day, and analytically it's just straight numbers. But during the course of the game, you can see if a guy's really struggling, a hitter, not seeing the ball that day and maybe it says in the numbers that they give us that this guy should kill this guy.

Sometimes you have to use your brain and say right now he sucks. He's swinging like I do. And so you always have to use your brain, and you always have to make adjustments.

But I also found it's a lot of fun in talking with the analytics department and the information they're sending us. We go back and forth on it. They're pretty strong about things.

But it's really helped. It was fun defensively last year, and I have a good relationship with Jay and his group. And it's honestly a new way. You always like something new. I enjoy it.

Q. You don't think it lessens -- I think when people start thinking that way, in terms of analytics driving the managerial role, I don't think they're taking into account how you manage the clubhouse and deal with the egos and all the frustrations that are within that group.
RON GARDENHIRE: That's going to be, I guess, for us all to see. Hiring guys that don't have any experience, didn't manage in the Minor Leagues even, those are things that they're going to have to adjust to. There's a lot that goes on that people don't understand about managing in the Major Leagues, managing 25 guys with all personalities, young guys that have been given a ton of dough and trying to make them all understand how you're going to make them work together as a group.

People that have never managed in the Minor Leagues getting jobs like this, it's not easy. There's a lot they're going to figure out that they have to do and learn. That's not saying they won't be successful. Because most of those guys are pretty intelligent baseball people.

And we'll see. We'll see how it goes. There's a lot to be said for experience.

Q. Longevity is one of the big reasons Harold Baines went into the Hall of Fame, had over 2700 hits. And Omar Vizquel, same thing, not in the Hall of Fame, but over 2700 hits. How important is longevity when you're assessing how great a player's career was?
RON GARDENHIRE: If you're not any good, you're not going to stay around. I'm proof of that. I sucked and I didn't play very long. But longevity is one thing, but to be consistent like he was for his whole career, that's why he stayed in the Big Leagues, because he could hit. He could flat-out hit. He was a very professional hitter, and he worked at his craft.

So I'm really happy talking with Jim Leland, who knew him a lot better than I did. Those are things that make us all feel good, a guy like Harold Baines getting into the Hall of Fame, because of everything he's done for the game and how consistent he was at everything he did. The guy could flat-out hit.

Q. And what about Vizquel?
RON GARDENHIRE: I've always said he's got to be in the Hall of Fame. One of the best shortstops I've ever seen. He does things that you don't see other shortstops do. And defensively was spectacular, he could bunt, hit. He knew how to beat you with his glove and even at the plate with his bat.

I know his numbers aren't going to be anything like that, but sometimes those Gold Gloves ought to be enough to get in, because you were the best at your craft, and he was definitely that.

Q. One follow-up on that. If you look at Baseball-Reference under list of [inaudible] extensive list of shortstops and [inaudible] Vizquel and Iglesias are right up on top. Where does Vizquel rank to you among [inaudible] that you've seen?
RON GARDENHIRE: As I have said, I haven't seen all the shortstops even way back, but I know some of the guys that played when I was there, Ozzie Smith, Garry Templeton, these guys could do things at shortstop.

I would tell you this: He ranks as good as I've seen defensively. Going back on fly balls, all the little things. Catching a ball. He was a wizard with a glove. One of the best -- softest gloves I've ever seen in my life. And he's got my vote, a thousand times over, as being one of the best I've ever seen.

Q. What do you think of the moves you've made this offseason, it's only -- only got two -- what do you think?
RON GARDENHIRE: I think it's a slow process. But as they did last year, by the time I got to Spring Training, we had pitchers. We had people, enough people to compete. We got six guys now that are going to compete. We even have an opener if you want.

When I look at that, you can never have enough starting pitching, and that's really important. We have holes to fill in the infield, and we're working diligently at that, really trying to get some people that can solidify everything and they can calm down in the middle of the field to go along with some of our kids.

So they're working up there. It's fun to be in that room. They're talking to a lot of people. People are coming after us about a couple of our guys. It's not been one of these situations where we're doing nothing. There's a lot of conversations going on, a lot of hard work.

Q. How much have you kicked around the idea of an opener, is that serious talk or just kicking around the ideas?
RON GARDENHIRE: You know what, I've watched it. I don't have a problem with it. I saw the Twins do it to us seemed like every game. They got through it. Tampa Bay made it an art form. So if it's part of the game, it's part of the game.

If you have six dominant or five dominant starters, probably makes a difference. But if you don't feel you can do that and compete, then it makes sense to try something different.

There's nothing wrong with trying different things. I kind of enjoyed watching them do it. It irritated me, as old-school manager, trying to figure out how the hell to write a lineup out with a guy that pitched maybe two innings, maybe one inning. But it's an advantage for them because we didn't know how far he was going to go or how long he was going to go to set a right-handed lineup, left-handed lineup. Made you think a little bit, which is entertaining. That's what you want in baseball.

Q. The depth of your bullpen, do you feel you need to have at least three starters that you can count on going five, six for 30 starts a year? Is that part of the equation?
RON GARDENHIRE: Yes. You hope to. You always hope to. We didn't know that going in last year. I mean, we had -- health was an issue, couple of our guys. And even through Spring Training. So we weren't guaranteed anything.

But as you go along, it all worked out. And we got some of our starters in the second half of the game, and that's important. And then you can set up a bullpen and run a good bullpen. But if your starters don't get you past three or four innings, you're going to kill them. We needed the innings, and we were lucky. We got through it with some pitchers that had great performances.

Q. Is there any one of your guys now that you look at as being particularly well suited to being an opener?
RON GARDENHIRE: An opener? No. I think I'd tell them before I tell you anyway. But, no, it's just something out there that everybody's doing it, and I'm not afraid to try it if that's the way it would have to be.

And we've made -- I don't think we've told anybody you're definitely this starter or that starter. We've told them all when we've signed them that you're going to get an opportunity to be a starter, and it's up to them on how they do in Spring Training and how they go about their business.

No matter how we look at it, we've got to find five starters. We've got a good start going here by picking up some pretty good pitchers.

Q. You said teams are coming after a couple of your guys. What guys?
RON GARDENHIRE: A couple of them. Just think about it. We don't have that many guys. I know they're not coming after me. They're coming after the guys that you think they would be coming after.

Q. Not coming after a shortstop either?
RON GARDENHIRE: We don't have one right now.

Q. How different is this for you? In past years I'm sure at this meeting you're asked questions about position battles and you're asked real specific questions. But the roster is so in flux right now, how different is that view in terms of preparing for Spring Training?
RON GARDENHIRE: You know what, we'll set forth a program, a worksheet. We'll have it all mapped out on what we want to do and how we want to do it. It's just the pieces that are going to be in that worksheet is what we're trying to figure out.

Like I said, if you watch those guys up there in that room, they're on their phones making calls to everybody and they're in the lobby trying to get some things going here to try to make sure we have a competitive team, and then you go from there.

Q. How beneficial was the -- when you guys and the coaching staff went down to [inaudible] at the end of the season, kind of had the state of organization, talked to players during the instructional league? How beneficial was that in terms of getting kind of everybody on the same page and talking to those guys?
RON GARDENHIRE: It was great baseball conversation, which we like. It wasn't pointing fingers. It wasn't any of that. It was just some of the things that we saw that we want to get better at. And I think you guys saw it on the field, cut-off relays, things like that.

It was simple things about holding players accountable. I think that's the biggest thing that came out of the whole meeting. It was all about we want these guys to understand we're not going to just let it go if they don't run a ball out or if they overthrow a cutoff man. We have to be forceful in what we expect them to do with the little things in the game, to make them respect every bit of it.

And it's the simple things. Running them out, getting the guy that's standing there with his glove up rather than throwing over his head. We want our coaches in the Minor Leagues along with my coaches in the Major Leagues not to just let it go.

We had a lot of conversations about it. It's not trying to tell every player to run a ball. And I know what Miguel Cabrera is going to do going to first base. I don't want him to blow a hamstring out trying to go crazy. But there's certain guys that we expect them to run the balls out and hustle and all those things.

It was the little basics of the game that we can think we can make our whole organization better; by the time they get to the Big Leagues, you won't ever have to scold a guy for not doing something. He'll be ready.

Q. Speaking of Cabrera, with the DA spot open, have you had thoughts on how much you would like him to play first base or versus getting him off his feet?
RON GARDENHIRE: I talk with him about it. The best thing for me to do with Miggy is, by the time we get to Spring Training, see how he's feeling and go day-by-day with him throughout the course of spring, giving him enough work and letting him get things, and we'll figure it out as we go along.

There's been no set of anything. He's going to play one day a week, two days -- we're just going to let it all happen out and see how he feels when he gets there and see how healthy he is. He's doing good right now, which is a good sign for us.

Q. Niko Goodrum played a variety of positions this year. Is that the best role for him going forward, or ideally would you put him in his best defensive position?
RON GARDENHIRE: I like seeing him on the field. I like seeing him in multiple positions. But we have to see how our roster breaks down by the time we get to Spring Training. If we fill holes with people we think could go out there and help you every day in the middle, but he can spell people throughout the -- because he can play anywhere. We've seen that. I haven't tried him at catcher yet. But we've seen that.

It's fun to have a guy like that. You need versatility. But if I need to plug him into a spot that we think he's better than the person that we tried to pick up and put out there, I'll do it because I have a lot of confidence in him. He showed us a lot this year.

Q. Where do you think Jeimer is coming into this, given his struggles last year, and given the wrist worry that you had, how much do you think he grew from that, and how much do you think is -- on the other side of that, how far can he go?
RON GARDENHIRE: I think him getting stronger physically, all those things is going to help him. Went through the injuries. So now it's a matter of him going out and improving. He needs to improve. He needs to keep working hard. Can't sit back and say now I'm a big hitter and guaranteed a spot. He has to go work.

I think he will. He's a worker. He did all of his work all year long. Had a few injuries. Played through some injuries. Put the ball in the seats quite a few times.

I think he's going to get better. The kid can do some things. And he has a lot of improvement to do defensively. But as long as you keep working on it, I'm on your side, and he does it.

Q. Can he improve in terms of approach at the plate? Do you think he's caught between having to yank the ball all the time or be more of an average on-base guy?
RON GARDENHIRE: I think he'll learn. He'll learn what he can get away with and what he can't get away with. I think he got a little goosy at times trying to hit the ball in the seats.

I think he'll learn. That's part of the process. You don't become a good Major League hitter -- I mean, it takes 2,000, 2,500 at-bats. He's not there yet. But what he did last year says that this kid has a chance.

Q. Has your preparation offseason changed at all now compared to [inaudible]?
RON GARDENHIRE: About how I prepare?

Q. Yes.
RON GARDENHIRE: When you're in one place, like I was with Minnesota, it was a lot easier, I knew exactly what we had. There's going to be a few changes, but we've come here and I know we're in a rebuild. So it's a little different. We're kind of a wait-and-see.

We're going to set up a wait Spring Training to make sure they're ready to start the season. We know how to do that. We've done that. Everything we need to touch on and from the shifts and everything else, we have a nice program, we'll be ready for that part of it. But still waiting for a roster to show up and how we're going to go about it is a little more difficult.

Q. Things like the analytics, like shifts and all that, do you have to spend time in the offseason and how do you do it?
RON GARDENHIRE: Not so much during the offseason. You get to Spring Training, you start going through it. We learned a lot during the season last year. It was our first year really going through the whole process. And my coaches really got into it. I got into it. I got all the information.

We had good arguments about it from old school to this stuff. And I think it was healthy. And I think it will continue to get better.

Our department is growing now. We still have a young analytic department, brought people in from other organizations so it's still growing, and hopefully we'll grow with them.

Q. Speaking of shifts, seems to be at least some support within the league for banning shifts to improve -- would you put yourself in the camp?
RON GARDENHIRE: Yeah, I like two guys on each side. I've always said that or at least keep them all in the dirt rather than in the grass.

Ask Victor Martinez. He might have hit .300 this year if they just had them on the infield. Yeah, I am old school in that respect. That shifting and everything is all good and fine, but I think Abner, when he set this game up a long time ago, he set it up the right way. Boom, boom, boom. You know?

I don't think you can take in football and put the whole line on one side, can you? Can you do that? Can you put everybody on the left side of the field from the center? Are you legal -- would that be legal?

Q. Defense you can.
RON GARDENHIRE: Defense. But on offense, can you set the whole team on one side and hike the ball? I just want to know.

Q. I don't think so.
RON GARDENHIRE: Can you?

Q. But that's on offense.
RON GARDENHIRE: I'm asking you, on offense can you do it?

Q. Baseball shifts are on defense.
RON GARDENHIRE: It wouldn't work too well on defense, if they had their line all over here and you put your team all over here. It just wouldn't work. It's a little different.

I'm just saying, let's try to keep it normal here. But I'm kind of having fun with it. I'm old school. Back nine. And I'm enjoying it. This has been fun for me. It was a fun season with a bunch of young guys that really played. I'm learning a lot. And I'm not fighting against it.

But there's still certain parts of it that, you're damn right, I think they should be -- I was a shortstop. Right? If you stuck me on the other side, then I became a second baseman, played a shortstop as a second baseman. That's confusing. That's Laurel and Hardy stuff.

Q. When you guys are coming up, looking at the roster heading into next season, do you see Shane Greene as your closer again?
RON GARDENHIRE: Yes, absolutely I do. Unless they trade him. Never know.

Q. How hard is it for you to sit there, when they're talking about trading some of your best players, knowing how that might impact the team next season, from your perspective?
RON GARDENHIRE: I'm telling you, it's not fun. When you got people that can play like Nicky and guys like this, their names are coming up. There's a reason their names come up, because they're good. They made a name for themselves. So their names start coming up. And it's not easy.

And it makes it harder to figure out the team. You start thinking he's here, he's here. And then it kind of goes awry, when they trade him. So you start having to look at it again. It's been part of the game, always been part of the game.

Q. I don't know the first year you actually ran a Spring Training, but if we had video of that first camp and the camp that's coming up in 2019, how different would it actually look for you?
RON GARDENHIRE: Well, shifting made it different from the get-go for us. We had a nice program when I was with the other ballclub that we sat in and we got all of our work done. We kind of brought this over with us.

But you add in analytically the shifts and all those things, and it is different. Taking a simple infield, working from the shift, turning double plays.

So we had to add and incorporate all that stuff. We've made a coaching change. Boz had a different way with the pitchers that he liked to run that. Now Rick Anderson's as a pitching coach, and he had a program when I was with the other ballclub with him. So it will be different.

This year's Spring Training will be different than the way the whole camp goes because of -- a little bit new personnel. And then more analytically, more changes, again.

So it will be different than last year, which is good. Players don't always want to be stuck in the same thing. We always change things up and we'll do it again this year.

Q. Time, I don't know if it's changed -- most guys will tell you if the work is done, we get out of here. Was there something a little bit --
RON GARDENHIRE: Players stay a long time now. We always tell them be careful early in spring, don't kill yourselves. It's a long Spring Training. But these players are different animals now. They don't really stop. They never take a break. They continuously keep their bodies in shape, which is the way of the world now.

So, yeah, our workouts, we get it done and get it over with. But there's a lot of extra work that goes on. We used to have 10 days before the first Spring Training game. Now it's down to six or seven workdays before the first game. That's big. We had a full ten days. Five days with the pitchers to get them ready so when the players got there to throw BP right away. And they've taken that away. So it's a little different. You just have to adjust to it.

Q. Watching the young guys now, whether it's because they play more ball year-round, whether it's because they've had more one-on-one training, can I ask, when you broke in, the idea that a young guy can make an impression on the big field as opposed to just trolling way out there where nobody sees them for a few years --
RON GARDENHIRE: We're not afraid. Nowadays it used to be get the guys in camp and that's about the only guys you saw. We constantly bring our players over during those Spring Training games.

We'll ride three or four kids that we want to see and bring and put them in games on our side. Didn't used to be that way. The guys that were in camp were the guys that played. Very seldom would you ever go get a Minor Leaguer from the other side to bring them over. We do that all the time now. So we get a look at a lot of different people, which is really important to put a face with a name. For me especially being last year my first year here.

And that's kind of the way of the world now. And it's really actually a nice thing.

Q. What are your expectations for Christin Stewart, coming off the surgery or whatever, is it his time to sit out there and sink or swim?
RON GARDENHIRE: Well, no. He just got a shot for the last month of the season. We didn't have him in camp last year, which was a hard thing. But it was the way the organization wanted it.

I think he's going to have a full Spring Training with Dave out there in the outfield now. And really get after the work that we expect him to do in the outfield. The kid can hit. He's a strong kid. He's going to hit, that's my opinion.

Now it's about that defense. We need him to get better defensively. I think we saw some of the struggles over the last year. We just need to teach them to pick the ball up, take your time, and let's just not try to be Superman and get the ball back in. And that's what Dave will work on all Spring Training.

Q. Doug (indiscernible) how impressed were you with the job he did last year?
RON GARDENHIRE: I've known the guy for a long time. I had him as a player and I coached alongside of him. As a special assistant, I went in and watched him do his thing. I've seen him a long time, great baseball player, great motivator, very intelligent. Nothing surprises me what he does. He'll be in the Big Leagues some day. He coaches that good.

And we're lucky to have him in Triple-A with us right now because he can do some things. We killed him -- the other team was battling for the playoffs, we were taking two starters at a time from him. He was out ad libbing and still just went about his business. He's an impressive young man.

Q. Are you looking at the catching job as a platoon most likely?
RON GARDENHIRE: No, Greiner is going to be our starter. Greiner should get that job. That's what we're working on. He's going to be our starter. Hicksy will be a backup, maybe play -- depends on how they get through Spring Training. They have to do their job, trying to add some more catchers. Got one, trying to add another veteran catcher. And competition's good.

But our thoughts are Greiner's going to be the guy. We think he can handle it. He did some pretty good things last year. It's his turn. We've got to see what happens and we'll go from there.

Q. What impressed you about him in the limited time you saw him last season?
RON GARDENHIRE: He studied the game. It was -- when you have some veteran pitchers, you could see a little, but he'll be fine. I mean, he learned and he talked. He was open about it. And that's all you can ask for a catcher. You'll learn that way, if you don't say anything and don't tell us you're struggling here or there, but he was open to us. That's all that matters.

Q. Do you like Hicks as -- obviously you have a DH spot open right now. As of right now would he be a guy that would play a lot of DH?
RON GARDENHIRE: Depends. Depends on how it all breaks down. I'm one of those guys, your DH, want your back-up catcher -- if you have your starting catcher in the lineup, your starting catcher goes down, now we've got the pitchers hitting in that spot.

I've never been -- I'm not afraid to do it. But I don't like that. So if I play him at first base, a little bit easier. Then I can just slide him right in without losing that DH slot. So there's things you have to worry about, things you work on. We'll go with it. I hope he's healthy. I think he is. He says he feels great.

Q. In a perfect world, DH spot, would you rather have kind of rotate guys use it --
RON GARDENHIRE: I like to do that.

Q. On every day --
RON GARDENHIRE: Gives you opportunities to kind of move them around. It's all going to depend on Miggy more than anything else. If he can go out and play some first base, then we can use that spot for other guys. And we'll just have to see. That's one of the jobs of the manager, try to figure out how to make it work with the roster you get.

Q. Heading into the second season of the rebuild, what is maybe your message to Tigers fans who are wondering when this thing is going to turn around and frustrated with perhaps another season of losing on the horizon?
RON GARDENHIRE: Patience is something that everybody has to have. I think the one thing that just has happened here is as Al's stated, told everybody what's going on here. Whether you put a timeline on it or not. He's told us this is going to be a real -- a little bit of work here. Could be some rough times.

The one thing I've seen from Tigers fans, yeah, they can get a little vocal but they're still great baseball fans. And they get it and they understand what we're doing. And they want to win, like every other team in baseball. And we're going to try to put together a group that's going to give that back to, what they deserve here and that's a winning baseball team. It's just going to be you have to be patient right now.

I have to be patient. I want to win right now. And that won't stop me this year. I'm going to try to figure out a way to win every game. It's a rebuild and you have to go through some tough times to get where your want to get.

Q. The point of using relievers more on shorter starts, do you view Triple-A pitchers more and more of an extension of the bull to shuffle them when you're short on arms?
RON GARDENHIRE: We've had to do that a lot. We had to make a lot of changes this year. We had so many injuries. That's the benefit of having some veteran guys that pitch in Triple-A; if you have the roster space, that you can bring them up and they're not going to have a heart attack.

They're just going to give you some quality innings and get you through some tough times. So it's really important that the people you have down there have a little experience for the most part that can help you in these situations. We'll see that in Spring Training.

We'll kind of pick out the guys that we think can do that. And hopefully it works out.

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