Great article. Probably worthy of a move to the front page.

It's a great question you have asked, but the problem is, I'm just not sure we have the answer yet. Perhaps the remainder of the season will help answer.

Despite various lineup/roster short falls and mismanagement in 2015, and a more veteran crew, the Twins played above themselves and had a real chance to make the playoffs with a little more help, most noticeably the bullpen.

As disappointing as this year has been, it's really broken in to two different seasons. More roster shortages, poor performances and injury all lead to massive losing and poor baseball. There were numerous examples of mismanagement in regard to various young players. But the past couple of months have seen some real roster changes, an influx of young talent...playing the right positions...and much better and winning/competitive ball.

Rosario has been much better since he's come back, a day or two off is not a bad thing. Sano is still a young stud. Vargas has playex, is performing, and should play more, but he's not just sitting. Kepler has come a long way. Polanco is now PLAYING. Berrios is up. Duffey has had a long leash, but has also shown promise amidst his inconsistencies. Is this due to Molitor? Was he not allowed to play the kids earlier in the year? Was this a result of Ryan giving Molitor certain directives that are no longer in place? Or did it just take time for the young players to find themselves?

It just feels as though the information to make a decision is not yet complete.

First, thanks for the kind words.

Secondly, that's probably a fair assessment. There's been singular examples of Molitor's issues lately, but the bulk of the incompetent decisions came early on this year. I'm more than ok letting him stick around through the end of the year to make a more complete decision. Giving him the manager role though from the get go for 2017 as Pohlad did was a miss in and of itself in my opinion.

You could've gone outside the organization, but maybe your true answer is sitting right there in Chattanooga, with a guy who has managed these players and seen them progressed and tends to get the most out of them.

From overuse of bullpen, to lineup construction, to not putting down his foot and getting batters to do something (take pitches, maybe work on bunting more, anything to change what they are doing badly)...you can/can't blame the coaches. Ultimately, their work reflects on the manager. Yes, there were lots of new coaches and maybe they all don't mesh, and then that becomes a problem because it is the manager's job to set the overall tone and on-field direction.

2015 was a decent season. We have to remember that the Twins were a tad over .500 and due to the weakness of the division and the runaways at top stayed in the wild card. But there was a lot of smoke and mirrors. They happily produced offense, which is showing up again in the second-half...with a rotation that has totally fell apart.

Even some comments, to paraphrase, that came out of Molitor talk about Nunez NOT being a regular player, or would play rookies but the team still wants to win (sheesh!). 

To saddle a new GM with the old manager is vile! Part of a total system breakdown. You don't require that to happen. 

To saddle a new GM with the old manager is vile! Part of a total system breakdown. You don't require that to happen. 

That's really where the foundation of this comes from. Sure, you can argue Molitor hasn't done anything worthy of being fired, but he hasn't done anything worthy of a vote of confidence or a guaranteed 2017 either.

"Even some comments, to paraphrase, that came out of Molitor talk about Nunez NOT being a regular player, or would play rookies but the team still wants to win (sheesh!). "

This has been a major aggravation of mine, playing these games to win vs a learning and evaluations experience. Others are playing for one run early in a game, with this pitching staff, and seemingly valuing offense over defense, regardless of the position. That said, no matter ones take on Molitor, unless the new GM is completely sold on him, he needs to go. The Twins need everyone to be on the same page, which is hard to do with a manger that is not your choice, on a one year contract, and ownership protection. A recipe for disaster.

I do not know why there is the outrage over the GM not having their guy as manager. Jim Pohlad does not operate that way. Ryan did not choose Molitor. as Pohlad was in on the interviewing process.  If Pohlad didn't leave the choice up to Ryan, he sure is not going to let hiring a manager be the first thing a new first time GM does.  To call it vile is to ignore how a team with an active owner works.  The notion that a first time GM has a clue the day they walk onto the job that qualities of the people underneath them is absurd at best.

If JP is an "active" owner, it's one of two things. Either it's something that was never evident in the last, or it's something one would wish was not evident in the future. And yes, it's his perogative to be an active owner. But if he is going to hire a new GM and tell him Molitor is untouchable, that eliminates any idea of cohesion between the FO and field staff right out of the chute!

Gee whiz.  What an overly negative assessment. I mean, saying Molitor wants to "wash his hands of him" about Bux is absurd. Even the stupidest manager in baseball would not wash his hands of a low 20s player viewed as the number 1 prospect. Bux needs to hit when he is called up, but he looks like the guy we thought he was, defensively, speed wise etc. His hitting will come around.

Lefty Gomez took one look at Tony Oliva and said "The kid will never hit in the big leagues."  Hasty judgments are bitter when you have to eat your words. 

As for Sano, he is undisciplined at the (dinner) plate. He needs to drop 20 pounds and make his swing quicker and be more athletic. Molly basically challenged him, and it worked. 

I  have been saying for two years, "Let the kids play." Well, when the kids play they make mistakes and need to grow and learn. It doesn't happen overnight. The team that was Champs in 1987 and 1991 (so long ago) didn't tear up the league in their rookie years.

Molly worked with the kids on this team as a minor league instructor. He knows them and they respect him. Makes me wonder what Molly could do with even an average pitching staff. But calling for Molly to get fired seems unfair.  He is a brilliant guy who is managing the team based on having kids that still lack baseball IQs in some cases. A manager needs at least 3 years, especially with the mess Molly inherited, and that is without an overall youth movement. 

As for Sano, he is undisciplined at the (dinner) plate. He needs to drop 20 pounds and make his swing quicker and be more athletic. Molly basically challenged him, and it worked. 

 

Makes me wonder what Molly could do with even an average pitching staff. 

Paul Molitor making public comments is the reason Sano's first 162 games included over 40 HRs and a bat that was expected despite the 240+ strikeouts? D'oh'k...

There has never been a Hall of Fame player who has  then won a World Series as a manager.  I've yet to be convinced that Molitor will be the first.

There has never been a Hall of Fame player who has  then won a World Series as a manager.  I've yet to be convinced that Molitor will be the first.

Rogers Hornsby did it, so did Lou Boudreau and Yogi Berra twice go to the world series.  It has not happened recently, but it is really because so few Hall of Famers choose to manage.  

There are few managers who really do it well - Maddon and ????  I have seen every manager since the Twins arrived and I do not know any that would have done better.  

If JP is an "active" owner, it's one of two things. Either it's something that was never evident in the last, or it's something one would wish was not evident in the future. And yes, it's his perogative to be an active owner. But if he is going to hire a new GM and tell him Molitor is untouchable, that eliminates any idea of cohesion between the FO and field staff right out of the chute!

Saying Molitor will be the manager for 2017 in no way makes him untouchable. Utter nonsense. Whatever the background of the new is will be an indication of where the problems in the organization lies. They need to be addressed before you worry about the manager. Secondly, with a new GM, Molitor might not want to manage as a lame duck. I would hope that he isn't doing this for the money.