MINNEAPOLIS -- Tom Kelly wanted one more chance to turn the Minnesota Twins around.

	Tom Kelly won a pair of World Series titles as manager of the Twins.

He did. And now he's done.

"I heard more than once that some people had thought the game had passed me by," said Kelly, who retired Friday after 15 seasons managing the Twins -- the longest current tenure in major pro sports.

"That really upset me some. I knew I wanted to do it for one more year."

The Twins did not announce a successor immediately, but bench coach Paul Molitor and third-base coach Ron Gardenhire are possibilities.

Molitor, a Minnesota native, got his 3,000th hit as a member of the Twins in 1996.

"It'll take some time," said general manager Terry Ryan, who along with owner Carl Pohlad and president Jerry Bell tried to talk Kelly out of retiring several times after he told them of his decision two weeks ago.

Kelly plans to remain with the organization in some capacity and will help Ryan choose his replacement.

"We'll try to find the best person for the job," Ryan said. "I will certainly consult and discuss with Tom the various things he has a better feel for as a manager. That's going to be invaluable for me."

The 51-year-old Kelly, who led the Twins to World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, has long been one of baseball's most respected managers but was faced with some sentiment in the organization to get rid of him after Minnesota's eighth consecutive losing season in 2000.

After persuading Pohlad to bring him back on a one-year contract, Kelly guided the young Twins to an 85-77 record and a second-place finish in the American League Central -- their best since 1992.

"It was a lot of hard work, but I think we've now found the right combination of people," Kelly said. "I believe the ballclub is now set and ready to go in the right direction, as exemplified by what they did this year."

Pohlad ordered the small-market Twins' payroll slashed in 1998 as the losses piled up and attempts at funding a new ballpark stalled, and Minnesota wound up using 18 rookies in 1999. The Twins led the AL in losses in two consecutive seasons, and Kelly seemed to be losing patience with the inexperienced, low-budget club.

But Kelly was invigorated in spring training and said he had grown attached to his young team. The Twins started 18-6 and led the Cleveland Indians by five games at the All-Star break.

A second-half slump dropped the Twins out of the pennant race. Kelly, though, was satisfied with what they accomplished and the way they closed the season by beating the Chicago White Sox for second place.

"Unfortunately the manager couldn't find a way to stop that prolonged bump," Kelly said. "It was really important that we won (the Chicago series). Yes, it was for second. But it was for something."

Even with the Twins' success this year, Kelly said he started to wear down physically.

"I felt somewhat tired," said Kelly, whose career record is 1,140-1,244. "Maybe it was all the young players the last three years, maybe they took their toll on me."

But if they tired him out, they're appreciative of his guidance. Even if he did have a reputation for being a rookie's toughest critic.

"We had our tough times, we argued with daddy," center fielder Torii Hunter said. "But he's closer to us. He built this. He raised us."

With several of those core young players tied to long-term contracts, the Twins' future looks bright. Because of that, Kelly's decision to step aside was a surprise to most.

"I was in shock," third baseman Corey Koskie said. "Saddened is a better word. He's helped us out in so many ways."

Other teams felt the same way.

"I'm kind of surprised because I know how much Tom loves the game," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "If you looked at his teams, he always got the most out of his ballplayers."

Kelly said he's done managing, except for his bank account and his golf score.

"It's a true testament to Tom's ability to stay here with the troubles we've had," Ryan said. "He certainly had the opportunity to go elsewhere. He chose to stay here where he was most comfortable to see it through."

Kelly replaced Ray Miller as an interim manager on Sept. 12, 1986, and coached the last 23 games of that season.

In 1987, the Twins surprised baseball by winning the AL West and beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

After falling to last place in the division in 1990, the Twins won another championship in 1991.

"He did his job, and he let us play," said Kent Hrbek, Minnesota's first baseman from 1982-94 and one of five Twins to have their number retired. "It seemed like TK was always a step ahead of the other manager. He made the other guy walk up and down the dugout steps a little more."

Kirby Puckett, a recent Hall of Fame inductee, remembered Kelly keeping the Twins out in the Florida heat in spring training doing drills until they got them right.

"TK's a fundamental freak," Puckett said. "He was so excited to see a guy tag up on a ball."

Kelly kept his excitement to himself, preferring to let the players get their glory. When the Twins mobbed each other on the pitcher's mound after winning the World Series, he watched from the dugout.

"The game is about the players," Kelly said. "It's not about the manager."

Pohlad said he was as surprised as anyone else when Kelly told him he was retiring.

"There's no ego in him," Pohlad said. "I've met a lot of people in business and in sports, and there's no one I have more respect for than Tom Kelly."

Kelly seemed just as satisfied that the Twins drew an average of 9,000 more fans a game than last season as he did with the team's success.

"I believe we generated interest again," Kelly said. "The last few years, we probably lost some. That was very rewarding for me."

Still, Kelly is ready to retire.

"It's just been a fantastic ride for me," Kelly said. "Everybody's been wonderful to me. It's a good time for me to step aside and let somebody else take over."