While the Twins have initially denied reports that a manager has been chosen, a source has told Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter) that Paul Molitor has been offered a contract. In an earlier tweet, Berardino noted that GM Terry Ryan referred to the search process in past tense, indicating that a decision has been reached. Contractual details are still being worked upon, per Berardino’s source (also twitter).
Earlier Updates
The Twins appear likely to name Paul Molitor as their next manager, Patrick Reusse of 1500 ESPN reports. There could be a press conference Monday.
The Twins have already informed Class A+ Fort Myers manager Doug Mientkiewicz that he is no longer a candidate, leaving Molitor and Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo as the finalists for the job to replace Ron Gardenhire. Molitor, a coach with the Twins in 2014, had been widely considered the favorite for the job. The report notes that the Twins also spoke to Joe Maddon, but even then he seemed likely to be heading to Chicago.
Molitor was born in St. Paul and had a Hall of Fame career as a second baseman for the Brewers, Blue Jays and finally the Twins, with whom he collected his 3,000th hit. After retiring, he served as a bench coach with the Twins before becoming hitting coach for the Mariners, later returning to the Twins to coach in the minor leagues.
Well, there goes my interest in the team…
If that’s all it took I’m guessing your weren’t all that interested to begin with!
Not in the past four years, nope. I just think it’s disappointing, yet expected because it’s such a Twins-y move on their part.
This sure feels a lot like paralysis by analysis. Molitor has always been on the radar so what’s the real hold up? It’s not like there’s anything new to learn about any of these guys that the Twins don’t already know.
Gardy 2.0, only with no experience.
Way to think outside the box, Twins!
When all of this started I was excited about Paul Molitor as manager, so long as he was really willing to make the commitment to the grind that comes with managing. The way this search drug on has now gotten me concerned about this choice. It didn’t take this long to come to the obvious conclusion without a reason. Either Molitor isn’t really fully committed (which many wondered about at the start of the search) or Lovullo was actually the far superior candidate (in which case this is another example of the Twins taking the country club approach again).
Reading the article linked and finding out Jim Pohlad went to California to interview Lovullo because he was pushed by their baseball department to do so, but Pohlad continued to support Molitor, is very alarming. I wish Jim Pohlad (who has never shown any real interest in baseball; besides the profits the team generates) would let the baseball people make these key decisions. I hope this turns out better than when the marketing department decided to over rule the scouts and sign Tsuyoshi Nishioka.
I’m not sure exactly what to make of the Pohlad trip to see Lovullo. Is that the baseball side saying…”we want him…please go see him for yourself.” Or is that just due diligence. I know how it APPEARS. It appears like ownership taking their guy….but that doesn’t necessarily mean the baseball side is totally opposed to Molitor.
The source article was written by Zulgad, not Reusse. Incidentally, that makes the article 1000 times more informative and likely to be accurate.
He never played a single game at second for either the Twins or Blue Jays. WAY more games at DH and third.
Quite why some baseball clubs (and the Twins in this case) think playing for an organisation means you will be one iota better than someone who hasnt at managing them is beyond me.
Molitor might do better than Lovullo, but, if he does, i can assure you its got nothing to do with his playing there many moons ago.