Detroit Tigers' Ron Gardenhire shaped by past as a 'futility player'

Watch Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire observer players perform drills at first base on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018 in Lakeland, Fla. Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. — There is a street here named after Ron Gardenhire, a strip of dirt called “Gardenhire Way,” one of many strips which bring cars in and out of the Minnesota Twins’ spring training complex. It is sandwiched between other strips named after Twins’ greats, like Rod Carew and Kirby Puckett and Eddie Guardado.

Here, a hundred or so miles away from Gardenhire’s current spring training address in Lakeland, Fla.