Article: Twins to Name Paul Molitor Manager

[Nick Nelson]

A managerial search that stretched on for more than a month appears to be reaching its conclusion, with Patrick Reusse reporting that the Minnesota Twins have decided on Paul Molitor as their new manager and will announce the hiring early next week. The 58-year-old Hall of Famer will become the franchise's 13th different manager since arriving in Minnesota.Molitor has been widely viewed as Ron Gardenhire's likely successor ever since he was added to the Twins' coaching staff in October of 2013. He has worked with players and personnel throughout the system over the years as a roving instructor, and he spent the 2014 season working from the Twins dugout and assisting Gardenhire in various ways. In that sense, his transition to the head honcho role should be fairly smooth.

 

His entrenchment within the organization does raise some concerns over whether he will be provide a real change in direction, but there are plenty of signals that Molitor is a unique baseball mind capable of bringing fresh perspectives and ideas to the table.

 

The greater concern might relate to Molitor's managerial experience, or lack thereof. While he's been extensively involved in baseball as a coach and instructor since retiring as a player, he has never managed at any level. This was not the case for any of the other known candidates for the position.

 

How big of a deal is it? Perhaps not very. Molitor has certainly been around the game enough to know what goes into managing a team, and purportedly has all the interpersonal and tactical skills necessary to handle the gig, but you really never know until someone actually steps in and does it.

 

At the end of the day, we've got to show some faith in the Twins' judgment on this matter. They've done pretty well with their last two managerial hires; Tom Kelly guided his teams to two World Series championships and Gardenhire won six division titles in his first nine years.

 

The good news for Molitor is that, much like Gardy before him, he should be positioned to make himself look good because the Twins' roster figures to rapidly improve over the next few years as young stars enter the fray and establish themselves.

 

It might not be the most creative or unconventional choice, but Molitor has plenty of pedigree and if you're under the impression that he falls into that more-of-the-same mold, you may end up being surprised.

 

Stay tuned to Twins Daily for plenty more coverage of the new hire.

 

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[Thegrin]

I am disappointed.  As a staunch Gardy fan, I would be happier to see someone outside the organization get the job. However, perhaps Molly will hire Bruno as the batting coach, and that will make me happy

[Kwak]

What a surprise!  We should all wish him well--even his detractors--because he will need it!  I don't expect a dramatic improvement in wins for next year, but I do expect a "spring in their step" from everyone.  We had better not see "quit" come August!

[clutterheart]

The country club remains intact! Kudos to Terry Ryan for making a big show of looking outside but at the end of the day, we all knew the choice was made last year when they put Moliter on the bench.

[Craig Arko]

Works for me. Looking forward to see how the coaching staff fills out.

[benji21]

At once unbelievable and totally believable. I really believe there was absolutely nothing the other candidates could have said or done to change this outcome. I have wanted ryan out and this further cements that for me. This clubs is either in love with its own brand or deathly afraid of the outside, I really do believe that. I wanted Lovullo, then Mientysjdhdjwitz, then Molly. Best of luck to him, hope he doesn't stay a decade.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

I'm good with this. Here's hoping that Gene Glynn moves up and joins Molitor's coaching staff. That leaves AAA open for Douglas "Eye Chart" Mientkiewicz.

[Brock Beauchamp]

The cynicism of the Twins fan base is disheartening. Do some of you really believe Lovullo got a second interview and regular contact with the FO if they weren't legitimately considering him for the position?

 

What is the end game of Ryan in that move? If he honestly cared what cynics think about him, he wouldn't hire Molitor. It makes no sense to go through all that effort to vet an outside guy to "appease a fanbase" and then turn around and hire the "insider" that fanbase was skeptical about in the first place.

 

For right or wrong, Ryan thinks Molitor is the best guy for the job. I happen to like Molitor but also believe that most managers don't have a ton of in-game impact so overall, it's not an earth-shattering decision to me. Molitor is an interesting candidate and better than Mientkiewicz, who seems to shun any kind of outside thinking and feels "rub some dirt on it and walk it off" is the way to play 21st century baseball.

 

I also was on board with hiring Lovullo.

[Craig Arko]

Assuming this is all true it will be interesting to hear the duration of the contract.

[KGB]

I like the Moliter hiring,but I hope they get some coaches from outside the organization.  If they just start promoting the AAA Manager and other coaches, then I think this is a lost opportunity.  Then it truely is a country club environment.

[TheLeviathan]

Simply by avoiding Doug this was a good decision.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I like the Moliter hiring,but I hope they get some coaches from outside the organization.  If they just start promoting the AAA Manager and other coaches, then I think this is a lost opportunity.  Then it truely is a country club environment.

Bruno deserves the hitting coach job and I think he'll be back. That's the right decision.

 

As for pitching coach, I'm more torn. I like Cuellar but I wouldn't mind seeing outside thinking, either.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Simply by avoiding Doug this was a good decision.

The more I read about Mientkiewicz during the hiring process, the more I agreed with this thinking.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Yes-I'm just as curious about the makeup of the staff. 

[Oldgoat_MN]

Molly was the front runner.  We all knew that.

 

Sometimes the front runner wins. That should not come as a great surprise.

 

Molly has been around. I am pulling for him to do a great job.

 

Go Twins!

[Pius Jefferson]

I think ownership made the final call on this hire. Terry Ryan was open to hiring an outsider but wasn't going to fight hard to change the mind of Jim Pohlad. 

[raindog]

I can understand why people are upset. I would have been with any other inside hire.

 

However, with the amount effusive praise I've read about Molitor, I think he's going to be a good manager. He's a quiet, smart leader, he's open to new ideas and he's a lot different than Gardy.

 

Now I just pray they bring in a great pitching coach.

[USAFChief]

I can't shake the feeling this decision was made a year ago.

 

And I can't help but feel disappointed about the apparent strong phobia over going outside the organization.

 

I've been wrong before, hope I am again and Molitor turns out to be a great hire.

[clutterheart]

The cynicism of the Twins fan base is disheartening. Do some of you really believe Lovullo got a second interview and regular contact with the FO if they weren't legitimately considering him for the position

 

Yes. I think its clear their mind was made up from the get-go. Everyone else was just strung along. Its fine Molly is a fine choice and might be a good manager. But to think anyone else had a realistic chance is bit naive.

[Brandon]

I am kinda disappointed.  but I think it is more important to have a good pitching coach at this point.  Brunansky better be back as well or this is a terrible hire IMO. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

Yes. I think its clear their mind was made up from the get-go. Everyone else was just strung along. Its fine Molly is a fine choice and might be a good manager. But to think anyone else had a realistic chance is bit naive.

Well, Terry Ryan's reputation within baseball circles is that he's a master of deception.

 

Or maybe you're just overly cynical.

[TheLeviathan]

I can't shake the feeling this decision was made a year ago.

And I can't help but feel disappointed about the apparent strong phobia over going outside the organization.

I've been wrong before, hope I am again and Molitor turns out to be a great hire.

One thing you could consider to ease that disappointment is how we know Gardy and Molly got along. By all accounts Molly has been an outsider in the dugout for a year. I truly think he and Luvollo represented outside choices. Mientciewicz was the only real insider and hiring him would've been more of the same.

[brvama]

Yes. I think its clear their mind was made up from the get-go. Everyone else was just strung along. Its fine Molly is a fine choice and might be a good manager. But to think anyone else had a realistic chance is bit naive.

And you know that because......

[twinsnorth49]

I don't think Molitor did much last year to earn wearing the good old boy badge. To overly focus on where he came from and not his acumen for the game is just petulant and unfair.

 

Perhaps the best guy got the job.........nah, that's no fun.

[USAFChief]

One thing you could consider to ease that disappointment is how we know Gardy and Molly got along. By all accounts Molly has been an outsider in the dugout for a year. I truly think he and Luvollo represented outside choices. Mientciewicz was the only real insider and hiring him would've been more of the same.

True enough.

 

Like I said, if Molly is the hire, I hope he does fantastically well.

[jharaldson]

Well, Terry Ryan's reputation within baseball circles is that he's a master of deception.

 

Or maybe you're just overly cynical.

How was Meatsauce able to report from his sources over a week ago and prior to the second interview with Lovullo if the decision wasn't already made?

[Thegrin]

Bruno deserves the hitting coach job and I think he'll be back. That's the right decision.

 

As for pitching coach, I'm more torn. I like Cuellar but I wouldn't mind seeing outside thinking, either.

I agree.   There is no indication that Cuellar is not a good bullpen coach.  Also Steinbach might be a good coach to bring back.

[Brock Beauchamp]

How was Meatsauce able to report from his sources over a week ago and prior to the second interview with Lovullo if the decision wasn't already made?

Because it's possible they made up their mind a week ago and spent the past seven days negotiating terms?

 

Or maybe Meatsauce just guessed and got it right. It wasn't hard, as there were only two candidates.

[one_eyed_jack]

Not my first choice, but not a bad choice.

 

I'm sure there will be more teeth-gnashing over Maddon, but in terms of W-L, I don't think having him manage the 2015 Twins instead of Molitor would make much of a difference.

[Steven Buhr]

I'm fine with Molitor, assuming Reusse is accurate. I'm far more concerned with seeing some new thinking from the manager than whether or not he has had prior roles with the Twins and I am confident Molitor will approach things with a very different perspective.