NEW YORK – The Chicago Cubs fired manager Dale Sveum on Monday after finishing last in the NL Central for the first time in seven years, ending a two-year run that produced more losses than any other stretch in the team’s cursed history.

Chicago went 61-101 in Sveum’s first season, and then stumbled down the stretch in 2013 while some of its best players were traded away for prospects. The Cubs dropped 41 of their final 59 games, including six of their final seven, finishing with a 66-96 record.

In other managerial news on Monday, the Minnesota Twins and manager Ron Gardenhire agreed on a two-year contract extension through the 2015 season.

Gardenhire was in the final year of his contract and his 12 years with the Twins make him the second-longest tenured manager in the big leagues.

With three straight seasons of at least 93 losses, Gardenhire’s job was thought to be in jeopardy. Instead, the Twins brought back the 2010 AL Manager of the Year along with his entire staff.

Gardenhire has a career record of 998-947 (.513) as a major league manager, and trails only Tom Kelly on the Twins all-time win list (1,140).