The simple answer on this, and many other subjects, is no ... Gardenhire doesn't see a lot of things that most MLB managers (and amateur fans) see. He didn't quite see that Nick Punto was one of the worst everyday hitters in baseball history last year, and kept running him out there anyway; ... he doesn't see the stupidity of leaving Nathan to rot in the bullpen of a tie game going into extra innings, then needing to throw him into a blowout a few games later because he "needs work," (see last weekend's series in Texas); ... he doesn't see the folly of having Brendan Harris (or Nick Punto last year, or any number of other inferior, slap-happy middle infielders) batting before Mauer, Morneau et al, thus ensuring they get more at-bats than his best hitters.
I could go on.
Good guy, good at uniting a ballclub, ... horrible tactical manager. Unfortunately because they have been pretty successful, often in spite of him, there's little chance they'd get rid of him any time soon.
