Just moments ago, the Detroit Tigers held an abrupt press conference to announce that manager Ron Gardenhire has decided to retire, effective immediately.
After the announcement was made by Tigers GM Al Avila, Gardenhire spoke to the media and explained why he made the decision to walk away from baseball before the conclusion of the season.
Gardy noted that his original plan was to retire at the end of the season but that he has not been feeling well as of late, including stomach problems and shaky hands.
Gardy: "This is the right thing for me to do right now. I know I have to get myself feeling better."
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) September 19, 2020
Ron Gardenhire: ‘I know I have to take care of myself.’ Gardenhire, a cancer survivor, said the stress and stomach problems wore him down this year leading to the decision.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 19, 2020
Gardenhire had a bout of food poisoning in Minnesota. Said he also noticed his hands shaking from stress of job. Didn't want to leave the team early but felt like he needed to step away and get well.
"This is the right thing for me to do right now." https://t.co/2ndJwQwsMU
— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) September 19, 2020
We certainly wish Ron the best with his health and we thank him for his time in baseball and especially with the Tigers.