A nice article in USA Today about Gardy and the team:

Three years into his role as manager of a club that was not even sure of its existence the day he took the job, Gardenhire has proved adept at striking the proper balance.

With a revolving cast of players necessitated by tight budget restrictions of a team that was targeted for contraction after 2001, he has won 90 or more games in three consecutive seasons and is a strong candidate for AL manager-of-the-year honors.

"He is the face to the organization," says general manager Terry Ryan, who himself is a candidate for his second executive-of-the-year award for his success filling the holes left by budget-related offseason departures of three front-line pitchers and a starting catcher.

(Thanks to soccerfan for the heads up)