Former MLB Manager Ron Gardenhire Visits Okmulgee High School

Students at Okmulgee High School had a special visitor on Wednesday afternoon, who many kids didn’t realize grew up in their hometown.

Ron Gardenhire is a 1975 graduate of Okmulgee High School, who went on to have a massive career in Major League Baseball. Wednesday afternoon, he spoke to both teachers and students about his life and how they too can chase their dreams.

"The biggest thing they need to do is talk to their teachers, talk to their friends, this is what I'd like to do,” said Gardenhire. “Nothing is silly."

After graduating from Okmulgee, Gardenhire, or "Gardy" as he's called in baseball circles, went on to play at the University of Texas and was drafted by the New York Mets.

After a few years playing in the Major Leagues, he made the transition to coaching, where he really made a name for himself, mostly as a longtime, winning manager with the Minnesota Twins and most recently with the Detroit Tigers, before retiring last year.

"It was just too much,” said Gardenhire. “I had been in the game for 42 years, managed a long, long time, I just told my wife it was time."

Gardy now lives in Florida, but still has family in Oklahoma and visits often.

He says he looks back fondly growing up here and wants current students at Okmulgee High to take advantage of the time they have, work hard, and do their best.

"The questions asked today in this group were fantastic, it was really good stuff," said Gardenhire.