When do you fire a manager?

[Rosterman]

Okay.

 

At some point you need to send a message far from "Paul Molitor will remain our Manager. in 2017." I'm sorry. Paul is gifted and talented, but heads do have to roll. No matter how joyful was the spin we had on a few consecutive victories, the success of Kepler (for a moment) and Sano (for a briefer moment) and Polanco (for the moment)...a Message has to be sent to Fans that REAL changes will be happening.

 

Yes, these changes will happen at some point no matter what. But with the season basically floundering, another head DOES have to roll, even if you have to pay him to do nothing next season.

 

Will pretty much reinforce in the minds of the ENTIRE coaching staff that their jobs will also be up for grabs in the new season. And with the minor league season winding down, there are any number of bodies you can move -- temporarily -- into the major leagues to work with new and lasting players.

 

No, I would not name a manager from the minor leagues. I would elevate one of the coaches (probably Gene Glynn) for the moment. I might send a couple of coaches packing early and replace them with a couple of folks from the minors (let's see Cliburn get a chance, or Watkins a call). Again, who knows where ALL these guys will end up in the next season anyways.

 

And, yes...there is a search on. That is the biggest worry of the front office and they have to move faster rather than slower, considering all the jobs involved.

 

The team is searching for a new Co-President to head up Baseball Operations. He will probably oversee a staff that currently has 2 VPs (General Manager and Player Personnel), 2 Extra Special Assistants, 5 former player assistants, 1 Manager of Baseball administration and research, a Director of Scouting, A Minor League coordinator, and a Director of Minor League Players...not to mention the various manager/coaching staffs of 7 teams and the main instructors.

 

Over in St. Peter land, we have 2 Executive VPS, 1 Senior VP, 6 other VPs and one special assistant handling stuff that has little to do with who is who on the field.

 

Hummmmm...quite a few Vice Presidents here. I guess we could use two Presidents to run this country!

 

But back to the headline on this missive. Is it time to sacrifice. We just aren't looking at losing 90 games. We ARE looking at losing 100.

[Ncgo4]

This team is sooo bad that firing of Molitor is hardly appropriate at this time.  It's non-sensical to fire him before you bring in the staff that will be above him.  The entire operation from top to bottom is a cluster mess.  They have done a terrible job of drafting, they've done a terrible job of managing resources (look at some of the ridiculous contract extensions that were given out), they have been almost unbelievably bad in player development, trading and finally game management.

 

Nothing about the Minnesota Twins, beyond their facilities in both Minneapolis and Ft. Myers, is Major league in any sense.  The sooner they begin the process the better.

 

Any one want to wager on whether they get a "President" from a very successful team on the way up, or get some dolt from a crappy, failing team.  I'm betting it isn't the Cubs, but more likely the Red Sox or Yankees.

[Kwak]

Yeah, that'll help--everybody quits! Sacrifice whatever creditability that Pohlad has (remember his statement about Molitor stays?). Molitor can go down with the ship after October 2. Or stay, whatever the new guy wants. What we are seeing is the abject failure of the organization to provide real major league talent (again).

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Why would you fire anyone now? Hire the pres, then the GM, then let the new guys hire the manager they want.

[gunnarthor]

 

Why would you fire anyone now? Hire the pres, then the GM, then let the new guys hire the manager they want.

Yeah, this is exactly what should happen.  But it seems like the Pohlads will keep Molitor

[Pius Jefferson]

 

Yeah, this is exactly what should happen.  But it seems like the Pohlads will keep Molitor

 They've already walked back making a hire immediately after the season. Could still happen but that's probably got more to do with availability than anything else.

[The Wise One]

Speculation then ranting over what the shape of the front office is going to be is pointless when you do not know how they are going to shape the office. Seemingly attacking titles uncreated and, as there are no former players in the current front office, former players not yet involved. People need to just take a deep breathe, drink a beverage, and wait for the front office to take shape. The entertaining twist is that you will not know any more about the front office and structure than Jim Pohlad does about the other teams as MLB.com is the likely source of information for everyone

 

As to the title of the article. You fire the manager when you can't fire the players. As Santana cleared waivers, the only player you can not fire is Mauer. The other long term contract is Hughes and he is on the dl and is as likely to stay there as not.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I think Molitor probably needs to go but I don't see a point in doing it right now.

 

The goal should be to get two new front office voices - president and GM - and let them make the decision about Molitor.

[USAFChief]

I absolutely think The Twins need a new manager.

 

The Twins aren't talented...that's not his fault, mostly. But the Twins are also really bad at things that he influences a great deal. They do not play smart baseball. They are not sound fundamentally. They seem to check out mentally an awful lot, seeming to me to give up and go through the motions when things aren't going well. Pitching changes aren't strategic, but reactionary. Square pegs keep being pounded into round holes.

 

IMO, the manager has made a poor team worse, and it doesn't seem to be getting better, nor do I feel Molitor is growing into the job.

 

They need a new manager. But it can wait till after the season.

[Thrylos]

They do not need to do it right now.  They will let the new person make the decisions about who stays and who goes. That would be unfair to everyone involved.  Plus the minor league teams are in pennant chases.  Do you take Mientkiewicz out of the Lookouts championship hopes to fill in for a fired Monitor? Uncool..

[lukeduke1980]

I'm not sure how you evaluate anyone - bullpen is overworked, everyone tries to play through injuries, young prospects come up and get bad advice from multiple directions, Total System Failure continues.  Everyone must go.  

 

No one's safe players or coaches or HOF managers.  I still think Paul sounds like a smart baseball man, but managing a bunch of 24 year olds is a different task.

[Platoon]

When considering a regime change, I had not considered all the old guard. Kelly, Tony O, Carew, Gardy, et al. There is no doubt that these guys know some baseball, and have their own core set of fundamentals. So what happens to them. If a new FO comes in with new ideas, do they stay? Or are they considered a "threat" to a different orginisational direction? This is not meant to be about right, wrong, or knowledge. This is simply a question about a change in atmosphere.

[Platoon]

From Chief: "?........changes aren't strategic, but reactionary. Square pegs keep being pounded into round holes." This could summarize the entire philosophy of the Twins orginisation from top to bottom. i.e., we just signed a DH from Korea by mistake, what the hell do we do with Sano?

[Thrylos]

 

When considering a regime change, I had not considered all the old guard. Kelly, Tony O, Carew, Gardy, et al. There is no doubt that these guys know some baseball, and have their own core set of fundamentals. So what happens to them. If a new FO comes in with new ideas, do they stay? Or are they considered a "threat" to a different orginisational direction? This is not meant to be about right, wrong, or knowledge. This is simply a question about a change in atmosphere.

 

TK, TO, and RC really are involved very little these days because of health issues and really do not do much.  TK does the most and he is involved with teaching fundamentals.  I don't think that you mess with them.

 

On the other hand, rehiring the fired former manager who could not find a job with any other team in the league, is a symptom of what is wrong with the Twins.  He has to go (again.)

 

Here is a thought:  Imagine if the Twins fired Molitor and got Gardenhire as his replacement. Back to the future...

[Boom Boom]

When considering a regime change, I had not considered all the old guard. Kelly, Tony O, Carew, Gardy, et al. There is no doubt that these guys know some baseball, and have their own core set of fundamentals. So what happens to them. If a new FO comes in with new ideas, do they stay? Or are they considered a "threat" to a different orginisational direction? This is not meant to be about right, wrong, or knowledge. This is simply a question about a change in atmosphere.

Lots of teams bring in their own alumni as special instructors. That seems OK to me, but I wouldn't be opposed at all to bringing in special instructors who have no previous affiliation with the Twins.

 

I hope the new GM and/or Prez of baseball ops will not continue the golden parachute scholarship program that has brought Gardy, Billy Smith and TR (if he wants it) back into the fold.

[Mr. Brooks]

Another nail in the coffin is how the Twins have played since Mollie called the team meeting.

 

This shows one (or maybe a mix of both) of two things.

1) Team meetings have no effect, and the embarrassing effort is just a coincidence.

If this is the case, then Mollie having played 20 years in this league should know better.

 

Or

 

2) They can work, but Mollie has lost the team.

 

Neither scenario is good news for Mollie, IMO.

[Winston Smith]

Sorry, but no manager alive could win with this pitching.

 

Let the new people do the job they are hired to do. It will take a while to weed though the people, replacing some and keeping some but it will take time.

 

Looking at how unprepared most of the young guys look when they come up, position players and pitchers alike, I think the minor league coaching needs a housecleaning.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

They've already walked back making a hire immediately after the season. Could still happen but that's probably got more to do with availability than anything else.

it depends on how quick the dominoes fall. If they hire the pres soon, he/she could come w/ their own pick for GM and Manager

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Yeah, this is exactly what should happen. But it seems like the Pohlads will keep Molitor

they also said they were keeping TR

[TheLeviathan]

It's hard to tell how much of it is the manager when we're giving up 10 runs a game.

[Everyday Eddy]

Keep Molitor around and compete for the 1st overall pick.   Then let the new leadership start from scratch. Molitor can't be here next year though.   This team makes far too many mistakes that I would be upset at a little leaguer for making

[darin617]

Fire everyone and bring back Molitor as hitting coach...

[Doomtints]

Why have the Twins nose-dived again over the past two weeks?

News from broadcasters and writers suggests players are getting different advice from multiple coaches at the same time. 

 

Are the coaches scrambling to save their jobs? 

[Vanimal46]

Has any manager survived to see next season with 3 different losing streaks of 8,9, now 10 games?

 

The MLB team is toxic. There needs to be a clean sweep of the staff.

[Broker]

If you ain't got the horses you ain't gonna win the race.

[S.]

As much as I want him gone, there is no reason not to wait until the offseason at this point. Hire a new GM and president of baseball operations and let them sort out the coaching staffs this offseason.

[USAFChief]

 

If you ain't got the horses you ain't gonna win the race.

I don't see that as the proper evaluation.  Rather, did the horses you got finish as close to first as possible?

[Winston Smith]

 

Has any manager survived to see next season with 3 different losing streaks of 8,9, now 10 games?

The MLB team is toxic. There needs to be a clean sweep of the staff.

Gardy had 3-90+ loss seasons in a row and got a new 2 yr contract. Does that count?

[Linus]

Obviously one can make a great case for firing Molitor. However in reference to the original post, no decision of this magnitude should be done to send a message to fans. That's meaningless.

[Broker]

Finishing close to first place isn't the goal.

 

I don't see that as the proper evaluation.  Rather, did the horses you got finish as close to first as possible?

 

Finishing close to first isn't the goal. While it's nice to not be in last place it's not what the team should strive for. Our horses aren't even really in the race. In a couple of years maybe they will. As of now they are really young.