NY Post: Viola would like MLB opportunity

[Seth Stohs]

http://nypost.com/2017/02/23/coach-responsible-for-grooming-mets-rotation-wants-mlb-shot/

 

Frank Viola is credited for helping that vaunted group of starting pitchers in the Mets system. The AAA Las Vegas pitching coach has helped the likes of Noah Syndergaard, Jacob DeGrom, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler. 

 

I know he was a candidate when the Twins hired Neil Allen a couple of years ago. He's applied for a couple other MLB pitching coach jobs. He would love that opportunity. 

 

 

“After being in Vegas for four years, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t love to have an opportunity to make a difference in the big leagues,” Viola said Thursday. “If it happens, it happens. If not …”

 

[gunnarthor]

Well, this is a make or break year for Allen and I suspect Lavine will hire a new manager and pitching coach next year.

[DaveW]

 

Well, this is a make or break year for Allen and I suspect Lavine will hire a new manager and pitching coach next year.

It's really absurd that the new leadership wasn't able to bring in their preferred coaching staff. It's more than apparent that Allen is out of his element in Minnesota, and Molitor is a mess as well. Very frustrating that they are going to basically waste a year as a lame duck duo.

[DaveW]

I would definitely take a look at Viola though, what he has done in NY has been pretty impressive.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

It's really absurd that the new leadership wasn't able to bring in their preferred coaching staff. It's more than apparent that Allen is out of his element in Minnesota, and Molitor is a mess as well. Very frustrating that they are going to basically waste a year as a lame duck duo.

Given Allen's track record, I think there's a good chance Falvey and Levine wanted him to stay on. Allen fits much better in a Falvey system than he did a Ryan system, especially if Allen starts receiving pitching prospects ready for his coaching style. Given a few of the comments made over the past several months, it's possible a large part of Allen's frustration came from having to retrain pitching prospects on the fly because they weren't ready for Allen's preferred approach.

 

Given Molitor's recent comments, I have to wonder if the same isn't true for him, too. I've been encouraged by Molitor's recent complaints about the old system, as it may indicate he's willing to adapt to a new, more analytics-driven, system.

 

I hope that's the case. I don't really want to see Molitor fired, I just want him to stop doing stupid things.

[DaveW]

 

 

 I don't really want to see Molitor fired, I just want him to stop doing stupid things.

Seems like a good reason to fire someone

Molitor can blame the old regime all he wants, but let's not pretend he was doing himself any favors with his bizarre in game strategy, deployment of defense, etc I don't think TR was the guy forcing him to bunt in the early innings for instance.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Seems like a good reason to fire someone

Molitor can blame the old regime all he wants, but let's not pretend he was doing himself any favors with his bizarre in game strategy, deployment of defense, etc I don't think TR was the guy forcing him to bunt in the early innings for instance.

I agree but I hope the new front office gives Molitor better tools to realize those things are counterproductive to winning baseball games. I'm not sure the old front office really hammered away at stuff like that. Molitor is a smart baseball guy; if you give him sufficient evidence that something is a bad idea, I'd hope he would take that evidence and change his approach.

[Mike Sixel]

Molitor blaming others for bad outcomes.... That's leadership? Where has he discussed his failings sry all? He managed just as badly in year two as year one. Who can point to improvements?

[Vanimal46]

 

Well, this is a make or break year for Allen and I suspect Lavine will hire a new manager and pitching coach next year.

 

Concur. I suppose Allen could make a case to stay if he vibes with Falvey + Levine. I'm convinced this is Molly's last year managing any MLB team, and will transition back to minor league instructor or something like that. 

[TheLeviathan]

 

I agree but I hope the new front office gives Molitor better tools to realize those things are counterproductive to winning baseball games. I'm not sure the old front office really hammered away at stuff like that. Molitor is a smart baseball guy; if you give him sufficient evidence that something is a bad idea, I'd hope he would take that evidence and change his approach.

 

Well, or maybe he just felt hampered by his roster and thought that was the best way out.  Or he might have just made bad decisions he needs to learn from.  

 

But I agree with you Brock, his recent comments indicate there was more disconnect/disagreement there than many thought.  

[gunnarthor]

I don't see how Molitor wasn't public enemy #1.  Our roster wasn't that bad.  This team massively underperformed.  It wasn't ready for opening day.  Nearly every single group of players - vets, rookies, position players, starters, bullpen - looked lost.  Sure it sucked that Nolasco was on the roster but May and Jepsen were completely lost in the bullpen.  Dozier struggled for months to start the season.  Sano and Rosario were called out by Molly. He didn't stick up for players - including vets like Plouffe and Mauer - when they were getting squeezed by the umps or arguing with the home plate ump when he wasn't giving Gibson the low strike.  Hell, at least Gardy would have gotten ejected a few times to defend his guys.  It was a **** show.  

[TheLeviathan]

 

I don't see how Molitor wasn't public enemy #1.  Our roster wasn't that bad. 

 

Our pitching was.  And it wasn't his call to sign a DH and move a DH to RF.

 

And your bias is showing.  You fault Molitor for Dozier's first few months, does that mean he gets credit for his last four?  C'mon, you're just pulling stuff out to make the list longer at this point.

 

Whether you want to accept it or not, Ryan has been the primary problem for awhile.  I'm going to judge everyone else anew now that his influence is gone.

[DaveW]

If Molitor wasn't "one of us" the sentiment towards him would be a helluva lot different, Molitor has not been a good manager or even an average manager so far. Can he improve? Sure, but color me skeptical. 

[Willihammer]

Maybe Viola's a genius, but he had a lot of raw talent - Wheeler was a #6 pick, Thor throws 100, OTOH DeGrom is a 9th rounder who they turned into a solid starter, although its not like he turned it around in AAA. He was lights out starting in A-. Same with Matz. Not sure how much credit Viola deserves for that rotation.

 

Plus there are those schticky "lose 45 pounds in 2 weeks" commercials. The ones where you take a magical pill and don't exercise or change your diet, and the guy pimping them is clinically obese.

[gunnarthor]

 

Our pitching was.  And it wasn't his call to sign a DH and move a DH to RF.

 

And your bias is showing.  You fault Molitor for Dozier's first few months, does that mean he gets credit for his last four?  C'mon, you're just pulling stuff out to make the list longer at this point.

 

Whether you want to accept it or not, Ryan has been the primary problem for awhile.  I'm going to judge everyone else anew now that his influence is gone.

Can you think of one positive thing that Molitor did to help this team last year?  Vets were under-performing and were just lost for months at a time without any clue.  It wasn't just rookies not figuring things out, which is the standard manager defense.  Cripes, Kepler said it was Reggie Jackson who explained to him how to use batting practice to work on things rather than just ripping it.  And sure, the pitching staff sucked but it shouldn't have been that bad.  Jepsen shouldn't have been a DFA guy.  Milone and Hughes and Gibson and Nolasco weren't expected to all have their worst years ever.  Santiago basically said he stopped listening to the coaching staff here.  And Molly kept throwing Duffey out there but had pretty quick hooks with Meyer and Berrios and never moved May back into the rotation.  

 

Molitor bunted too much, threw players under the bus, played favorites and his players sure didn't seem ready to run through a wall for him.  I cannot think of one reason - other than the owner said so - that he is still the manager.  

[TheLeviathan]

I think Molitor did plenty wrong....but how is it fair to say Molitor is to blame for two months of Dozier's season?

 

That argument is so freaking ridiculous.

[Willihammer]

At the very least if they're going to roll with Molitor in 2017, then extend him now so he can at least play the kids and not play for his job. A lame duck manager on a team that should be giving a new wave of talent its lumps seems counter-productive.

And if they're not going to roll with him for the next 2-3 years, then they should have replaced him.

[Vanimal46]

 

Can you think of one positive thing that Molitor did to help this team last year?  Vets were under-performing and were just lost for months at a time without any clue.  It wasn't just rookies not figuring things out, which is the standard manager defense.  Cripes, Kepler said it was Reggie Jackson who explained to him how to use batting practice to work on things rather than just ripping it.  And sure, the pitching staff sucked but it shouldn't have been that bad.  Jepsen shouldn't have been a DFA guy.  Milone and Hughes and Gibson and Nolasco weren't expected to all have their worst years ever.  Santiago basically said he stopped listening to the coaching staff here.  And Molly kept throwing Duffey out there but had pretty quick hooks with Meyer and Berrios and never moved May back into the rotation.  

 

Molitor bunted too much, threw players under the bus, played favorites and his players sure didn't seem ready to run through a wall for him.  I cannot think of one reason - other than the owner said so - that he is still the manager.  

Yeah last year was a complete disaster. It falls on the manager to get a team prepared for an upcoming season, and they fell on their face from the get-go. Everything that Molitor could control, such as in-game strategy and lineup decisions was backwards thinking. The lineups he was submitting from July - September was basically throwing up the white flag on letting any rookies get a chance. Jordan freaking Schafer started 20+ games in September. 

 

If the Pohlad's would have accepted paying 2 salaries this season, he would be gone already. 

[DaveW]

Exactly, in any other org in any other sport Molitor would have been canned, even moreso after they fired the front office and brought in a new one. 

It's so backwards that before they even hired a GM the Pohlads more or less said "Molitor is our manager" and honestly, it's not crazy to think it was 100% money related.

[gunnarthor]

 

Exactly, in any other org in any other sport Molitor would have been canned, even moreso after they fired the front office and brought in a new one. 

It's so backwards that before they even hired a GM the Pohlads more or less said "Molitor is our manager" and honestly, it's not crazy to think it was 100% money related.

I don't think it was money related.  Apparently, Jim is a huge personal fan of Molitor.  Their daughters own a business together. Molitor (apparently) spent a lot of time the last seven years explaining baseball with Jim.  As much as I want to rip the owners for being cheap, I don't think this is one of those times.

[Blake]

 

Yeah last year was a complete disaster. It falls on the manager to get a team prepared for an upcoming season, and they fell on their face from the get-go. Everything that Molitor could control, such as in-game strategy and lineup decisions was backwards thinking. The lineups he was submitting from July - September was basically throwing up the white flag on letting any rookies get a chance. Jordan freaking Schafer started 20+ games in September. 

 

If the Pohlad's would have accepted paying 2 salaries this season, he would be gone already. 

I do not dispute anything you've said. I think, however, the only reason Molitor is still around is due to the complete disarray of the entire organization last year. 

 

I think Mr. Molitor needs to show he's a big league manager this year or he's gone. Of course, Molitor probably would be gone if the Twins hadn't also realized their entire system needs to be rebuilt.

[DaveW]

 

I don't think it was money related.  Apparently, Jim is a huge personal fan of Molitor.  Their daughters own a business together. Molitor (apparently) spent a lot of time the last seven years explaining baseball with Jim.  As much as I want to rip the owners for being cheap, I don't think this is one of those times.

Thanks for that info, I didn't realize that.

In fact, that makes it potentially even worse IMO, they are letting him run things because of nepotism and friendship.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

I don't think it was money related. Apparently, Jim is a huge personal fan of Molitor. Their daughters own a business together. Molitor (apparently) spent a lot of time the last seven years explaining baseball with Jim. As much as I want to rip the owners for being cheap, I don't think this is one of those times.

nepotism, even better!

 

 

Ah crap, Dave beat me to it

[DaveW]

 

nepotism, even better!


Ah crap, Dave beat me to it

You gotta wake up pretty early in the morning to beat me to a Molitor is a bad manager take

[Richie the Rally Goat]

You gotta wake up pretty early in the morning to beat me to a Molitor is a bad manager take

i thought I had a shot at beating you to a "Pohlad is a bad manager" take

[Doomtints]

 

Yeah last year was a complete disaster. It falls on the manager to get a team prepared for an upcoming season, and they fell on their face from the get-go.

 

The team had a great spring. They thought they were ready. Anybody would have made that same conclusion. None of us expected the team to be so bad so fast.