Gardenhire has no intention of stepping down

NEW YORK -- Manager Ron Gardenhire addressed his job security on Friday, saying he has no plans to walk away from the Twins despite their struggles.

Gardenhire's comments came a day after a prominent, longtime columnist for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Patrick Reusse, wrote that it was time for him to part ways with the club. Gardenhire, who has been managing the Twins since 2002, read the article but disagrees with the premise.

"It's never good when somebody starts out with, 'Goodbye, Gardy,'" Gardenhire said. "I think it was an entertaining article, let's put it that way. But as a manager, when people start writing things like that, it's not very good."

Gardenhire admitted that it's been a struggle recently, as the Twins entered Friday's series opener against the Yankees 15 games under .500 after dropping 11 of their last 12.

"It's not easy," he said. "It's a tough go. I feel for my coaches and the guys in the clubhouse, who are trying so hard. I don't get much sleep trying to figure out what to do next to try to turn this thing. So yes, I understand the situation where we're playing some kids, but my job is to find a way to win games, and we haven't been able to do that, so I don't feel too good about it."

Gardenhire believes in the club and said that his goal remains helping to turn it around in the second half of the season. He hasn't talked to ownership about his job status but said he has a good relationship with the Pohlad family.

"As long as they keep me here, I'll try to figure it out," he said. "But if they decide they want to do something, that's what they decide."

He hasn't tired of managing, despite the fact that he's in his 12th season with the Twins, who combined to lose 195 games in 2011 and '12.

"I like managing," he said. "I like running the ballclub. I have a lot of fun doing it. I get to see a lot of really good players on both sides. It's the best seat in the house, but it's also sometimes the hottest seat in the house, too. It goes with the territory."

General manager Terry Ryan gave Gardenhire a vote of confidence before Friday's game, calling reports that Gardenhire and the Twins could part ways inaccurate.

"It doesn't bother me at all, because there's no validity to it," Ryan said. "He and I are the leadership of this organization, and we take accountability. He is basically in the clubhouse and in the dugout, and I'm in charge of the whole operation, and we both are feeling like we're letting the people down. It's as simple as that."