Ron Gardenhire ejections: best-of videos and fun with numbers

Other than his family, winning baseball games, ice fishing, manicuring his Santa Claus beard, and having a cold one, I'm not sure there was much in this world that Ronald Clyde Gardenhire liked more than getting ejected from baseball games. Below are a series of fun numbers, which you should certainly bookmark for later reference. Because people still bookmark things on the internet, right?

• Gardy was ejected five times in 2014. His fewest ejections came in 2012, when he was ejected just three times. He was thrown out eight times in both 2006 and 2007.
• In 13 years, Gardenhire was ejected 73 times. He leads active managers by a healthy margin, with Bruce Bochy (Giants) in second place (63) and Clint Hurdle (Pirates) in third (42).
• How often was Gardy tossed? Every 29 games, or in 3.4% of his games as a manager.
• For total ejections for a manager going back to 1900, Gardy surpassed Jim Leyland's 72 (who was ejected in 2.1% of his games) for eighth place. Gardy's 3.4% ejection rate trails Bobby Cox (161 ejections, 3.6%), Earl Weaver (94 ejections, 3.7%), Paul Richards (81 ejections, 4.4%), and Frankie Frisch (81 ejections, 3.6%) amongst the 27 managers with at least 40 career ejections.
• Ejections by year, from 2002 through 2014: 4, 7, 4, 5, 8, 8, 5, 6, 7, 6, 3, 5, 5
• In spite of his relationship with Joe West (three career ejections) and Angel Hernandez (also three, all in 2006), Gardy's biggest fans were Hunter Wendelstedt (five ejections), Gerry Davis, and Chris Guccione (four each).
• Gardy's first ejection as a Twins manager came on April 11, 2002, when Larry Young threw him out. His final ejection came on August 18, 2014, from Chris Segal.
• Marty Foster actually gave Gardy his first ejection as a coach, back in 1998. Foster was also one of the five umpires who threw him out this season.
• The most popular reason for Gardy getting tossed? Arguing balls and strikes. Between checked swings, issues about specific pitches (like a called third strike), or other balls-and-strikes-related issues, that accounts for roughly 20 of his ejections.
• He was ejected once as the result of a brawl (July 4, 20013).
• In spite of 73 ejections, only once was the reason documented as "asking for ejection" (July 7, 2004).
• Gardy was tossed four times for the ejection of his own player.
• Gardy was tossed five times by causing a ruckus after the umpire warned both teams.
• Only twice did documentation mention Gardy's hat: on May 1, 2006, when Gerry Davis threw him out for kicking his hat as he left the field, and on June 24, 2007, when Larry Young threw him out after Gardy argued about his player getting tossed (listed as "Ejection of player (threw hat)".

Wally Bell got an earful.



This is one from earlier this year. You can hear Gardy chirping from the dugout. And you know what? He's absolutely right in this case.



Gardy wasn't always arguing the right call when he was getting himself thrown out, but he was usually standing up for his players. In this instance he checks both boxes, because Clete Thomas couldn't be ON the baseline any more than he was.



Just for the moment where the ball boy has to pick up Gardy's cap...



I'm not sure why this guy couldn't get his phone to focus, but additional points for being a Dome moment.



Another fan video. Gardy gets up close and personal.



You might know the guy who posted this one.



Because we all want another Joe West ejection, says Joe West.



Here's a playlist, in case you wanted a few more. Enjoy!