Kelly Retires After 15 Years With Twins

Tom Kelly wanted one more chance to turn the Minnesota Twins around.

He did. And now he’s done.

“I heard more than once that some people had thought the game had passed me by,” said Kelly, who retired Friday after 15 seasons managing the Twins--the longest current tenure in major pro sports.

“That really upset me some. I knew I wanted to do it for one more year.”

The Twins did not announce a successor immediately, but bench coach Paul Molitor and third-base coach Ron Gardenhire are possibilities.

Molitor, a Minnesota native, got his 3,000th hit as a member of the Twins in 1996.

“It’ll take some time,” said General Manager Terry Ryan, who along with owner Carl Pohlad and President Jerry Bell tried to talk Kelly out of retiring several times after he told them of his decision two weeks ago.

Kelly plans to remain with the organization in some capacity and will help Ryan choose his replacement.

“We’ll try to find the best person for the job,” Ryan said. “I will certainly consult and discuss with Tom the various things he has a better feel for as a manager. That’s going to be invaluable for me.”

The 51-year-old Kelly, who led the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, has long been one of baseball’s most respected managers, but there was some sentiment in the organization to get rid of him after Minnesota’s eighth consecutive losing season in 2000.

After persuading Pohlad to bring him back on a one-year contract, Kelly guided the young Twins to an 85-77 record and a second-place finish in the American League Central--their best since 1992.

“It was a lot of hard work, but I think we’ve now found the right combination of people,” Kelly said. “I believe the ballclub is now set and ready to go in the right direction, as exemplified by what they did this year.”

Pohlad ordered the small-market Twins’ payroll slashed in 1998 as the losses piled up and attempts at funding for a new ballpark stalled, and Minnesota wound up using 18 rookies in 1999. The Twins led the AL in losses in two consecutive seasons, and Kelly seemed to be losing patience with the inexperienced, low-budget club.

But Kelly was invigorated in spring training and said he had grown attached to his young team. The Twins started 18-6 and led the Cleveland Indians by five games at the All-Star break before slumping.

Kelly was ready to retire.

“It’s just been a fantastic ride for me,” Kelly said. “Everybody’s been wonderful to me.

“It’s a good time for me to step aside and let somebody else take over.”