Murphy: Bruno In and Vavra Out

Brian Murphy dives into the new roles that Joe Vavra (the old hitting coach) and Tom Brunansky (the new hitting coach) have, and how that will work. I gotta say, I respect the hell out of Vavra's attitude:

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"I'm going to try to stay out of that as much as possible and turn it over to him. Yeah, there's going to be players I have tremendous relationships with -- you don't just end that because you changed positions -- but you don't interfere, either," Vavra said.


"I think Tom's the right guy for the role; his personality, energy, all that stuff, stays positive. I'll endorse whatever he wants to do. Maybe there's some things he'll do that'll help. Bottom line is, we've got to win ballgames. I want to be part of the solution, not the other way around."

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That's impressive. There will likely be some issues here, but it sounds like they're all prepared to tackle them.

Minnesota Twins: Tom Brunansky in a tricky spot as new hitting instructor - TwinCities.com

What exactly will Vavra's new role be?

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Originally Posted by John Bonnes

Brian Murphy dives into the new roles that Joe Vavra (the old hitting coach) and Tom Brunansky (the new hitting coach) have, and how that will work. I gotta say, I respect the hell out of Vavra's attitude:



That's impressive. There will likely be some issues here, but it sounds like they're all prepared to tackle them.

Minnesota Twins: Tom Brunansky in a tricky spot as new hitting instructor - TwinCities.com

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I find it interesting that someone would take what someone told a sportswriter as an indication of their attitude.

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Originally Posted by luke829

What exactly will Vavra's new role be?

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infield and third base coach

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Originally Posted by Kobs

I find it interesting that someone would take what someone told a sportswriter as an indication of their attitude.

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Having your old role taken away from you, accepting a lesser role and staying with the team while being positive and supportive about it isn't an indication of his attitude?

Good lord, it's odd what you find interesting.

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Originally Posted by twinsnorth49

Having your old role taken away from you, accepting a lesser role and staying with the team while being positive and supportive about it isn't an indication of his attitude?

Good lord, it's odd what you find interesting.

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What were his options? He didn't accept a lesser role out of the goodness of his heart, he did it because no one would give him a better job.

Vavra was the hitting coach for two reasons: he was a firm believer in "The Twins Way", and he built astrong relationships with those in charge. If there was a deficiency in hitting by the Twins, I seriously doubt it was Vavra's fault. Blame the system, blame the individual player, Vavra was simply following orders--and quite likely "to a T".

Vavra is a terrific baseball man who knows the game like few others. He may have been a little quiet for some in the hitting coach role, but he understood video and found mechanical things, and he reviewed stats and worked very hard. The reason Brunansky is the right guy right now is because the team will have to count on some younger players this year, several that have worked with Bruno in the past and have a strong relationship with him. He does have a good personality for the job.

But guys like Mauer and Morneau and Willingham have a ton of respect for Vavra, and Vavra has the right personality to do the right things. And Bruno is smart enough to let him help where appropriate. It shouldn't be a problem at all.

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Originally Posted by Kobs

What were his options? He didn't accept a lesser role out of the goodness of his heart, he did it because no one would give him a better job.

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What I found impressive is that he makes no bones about bowing out. And then goes a step further in praising Bruno as the right guy for the job. he doesn't need to do either of those things.

You see this in the business world all the time. A new manager comes in, but the old manager is still around, and if the old manager doesn't actively work on staying clear, his previous employees will often naturally gravitate back towards him. To actively stay distant, to give the new person their own working space, and to support them even if they do something different, is impressive. Not everyone can so easily do that. Just recognizing that he needs to do it is admirable.

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Originally Posted by Kobs

What were his options? He didn't accept a lesser role out of the goodness of his heart, he did it because no one would give him a better job.

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Exactly how do YOU know what's in this man's mind and heart, Kobs?

One of Vavra's options may have been to choose to have a good heart and a good attitude. I choose to believe what he says and accord him some respect. Check your mirror, Kobs.

There are going to be a lot of young hitters on the 2013 Twins, one man can't watch all the tape and give these youngsters all the attention they need. Multiple coaches will be needed for this.

Edit: While Vavra is probably the leading candidate for the secondary hitting coach, I'm throwing Parker's hat into the ring too.