MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN ¨C The Minnesota Twins, in partnership with the Minnesota Twins Community Fund and the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America, announced today that former Twins manager and Twins Hall of Famer Ron Gardenhire has been named the winner of the Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024. Additionally, Michael Beier is this year¡¯s Terry Ryan Play Ball! Minnesota Award recipient.

The duo will be honored alongside the Twins¡¯ other 2024 award winners at the 20th annual Diamond Awards presented by Schneiderman¡¯s Furniture, set for Thursday, January 23, 2025 at The Armory in Minneapolis and benefitting research, education and care in brain, nerve and muscle disorders at the University of Minnesota. Since its inception in 2006, the event has raised nearly $4 million through a combination of corporate sponsorships and money raised through auction items.

Gardenhire managed the Twins for 13 seasons from 2002-14 and compiled a record of 1,068-1,039 (.507) for the second-most wins in club history, trailing only Tom Kelly (1,140-1,244, .478). Prior to taking over the helm of the Twins, ¡°Gardy¡± was the club¡¯s third base coach for 11 seasons, including during the team¡¯s 1991 World Series run. Gardenhire managed the club to 90-plus wins five times (2002, ¡¯03, ¡¯04, ¡¯06 and ¡¯10) and won the American League Central division title in six of his 13 seasons (2002, ¡¯03, ¡¯04, ¡¯06, ¡¯09 and ¡¯10); he was also the first manager in Major League Baseball history to lead his team to the Postseason in six of his first nine seasons. Gardenhire was named the American League Manager of the Year in 2010 and finished as runner-up for the award in 2003, ¡¯04, ¡¯06, ¡¯08 and ¡¯09. He was also recognized as the Baseball America AL Manager of the Year in 2008 and The Sporting News AL Manager of the Year in 2010.

Beyond his accomplishments on the field, Gardenhire¡¯s ongoing legacy includes a heartfelt commitment to those around him. One of the most revered leaders in team history, he has been a mentor for generations of Twins players, field staff and front office executives, and remains an annual presence at TwinsFest, interacting with fans from across Twins Territory while raising money for the Minnesota Twins Community Fund. Gardenhire has been a supporter of, and participant in, the Black Woods Blizzard Tour for over 20 years, joining Twins alumni Kent Hrbek and Terry Steinbach in support of those afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and research for a cure. A native of Butzbach, Germany, Gardenhire was born on an army base and grew up in a military family, mostly in Oklahoma, instilling in him a deep respect for the armed forces and law enforcement. During his playing and coaching days, he visited hospitals and engaged with veterans and active servicemembers whenever he could. In 2022, Gardenhire partnered with local company Gray Duck Spirits on a special edition vodka bottle, with $2 from every bottle sold benefitting the Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He also donated the funds to install a new batting cage at his former high school in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and has been known over the years to get involved in various charity auctions whenever a cause touches his heart.

Beier is in his 29th season as an amateur coach, currently leading four different teams ¨C high school, VFW, amateur and American Legion in Foley, Minnesota. He began his coaching career as a pitching coach at Southwest State University in 2005 and joined the Foley programs in 2005 when he took over the Foley High School baseball team. In the 20 seasons since, Beier has transformed the program from a small group with limited resources and a poor playing surface to a baseball powerhouse. Thanks to his tireless efforts, the team installed seats from the former Metrodome in the grandstand and rebuilt the field to be one of the best in the area. In addition to his high school duties, Beier took over the area¡¯s American Legion team, started a team through the Minnesota VFW league and began another youth amateur team.

Since his time with the Foley programs began, Beier has managed over 150 games per year, guiding young athletes while also serving as unofficial head groundskeeper, to ensure his teams have safe and suitable fields to play on. The results of his efforts speak for themselves and his accomplishments include eight conference championships (2015, 2017-19, 2021-24); Foley High School¡¯s first state tournament appearance (2019); Section Coach of the Year honors (2019, 2023-24); State Consolation Championship and the most wins by any team in Minnesota (2019; 26 wins); Class AA Minnesota State Coach of the Year accolades (2020); a perfect 20-0 regular season (2021); a 43-game regular season win streak (2019-22) and a Minnesota State High School League VFW state tournament second place finish (2024).

The 20th annual Diamond Awards will honor the Twins¡¯ award winners from 2024, including those awards voted on by the Twin Cities Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. All proceeds from the event will benefit the University of Minnesota¡¯s innovative research and patient care focused on ALS (Lou Gehrig¡¯s Disease), ataxia, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson¡¯s disease. The 20th anniversary edition of the Diamond Awards presented by Schneiderman¡¯s Furniture will take place on Thursday, January 23, 2025 at The Armory in Minneapolis. For more information on the event, please visit diamondawards.umn.edu or call (612) 626-6430.