This could go either way: Detroit Sports Rag has a scoop or a bold prediction that turns out wrong.



Ron Gardenhire, a 58-year-old former Mets shortstop, reportedly talks with the Tigers about becoming manager.

Though the lively blog peppered with colorful language isn't necessarily a go-to source for reliable sports news, Justin Spiro's post Tuesday about Brad Ausmus' successor -- attributed to an unnamed insider -- is share-worthy.

The search for the next manager of the Detroit Tigers is effectively over. . . . The team expects to hire Ron Gardenhire shortly after the conclusion of the 2015 season. . . . “It’s pretty much done,” a source within the organization said. The source indicated that Gardenhire was the choice of team owner Mike Ilitch, but new President and General Manager Al Avila is fully on board with the expected hire. . . . “(Hiring Gardenhire) is a formality,” the source said. . . . Gardenhire is expected to sign a three- or four-year contract.

The 58-year-old managed the Minnesota Twins from 2001 until last September. His major league career began as a New York Mets shortstop from 1981-85.

Spiro, a 28-year-old Bloomfield Hills native and MSU graduate now in Chicago, looks at Gardenhire's record during 13 seasons as manager:

He won the AL Central crown six times, despite relatively meager team payrolls in most seasons.

The blogger, a John Marshall Law School student, signals that we could know as soon as four weeks whether he has this first and has it right:

The source indicated the Tigers will move quickly to secure their new manager at season’s end.

This reaction is from a veteran WWJ radio reporter:

@karlhenk @JeffMossDSR I hope its true. I've been a Gardenhire fan for years. His teams always did the basics well. — Jeff Gilbert (@jefferygilbert) September 8, 2015

-- Alan Stamm