Article: Could Mientkiewicz Be The Next Twins Manager?

[Brandon]

If you look at what's coming for the future.  If Gardy leads the Twins to winning seasons for the next 8 seasons or so ....and that is possible with he talent coming up the pipe the Gardy could end his career with over 2000 managerial victories and potentially make the hall of fame as a manager.  Why would he walk away from that?  Just because Kelly did doesn't mean Gardy does.  And its not like Gardy has forgotten how to manage.  I say he'll be here another 10 seasons or so till he's close to 70 and walks away as a top 5 manager of all time.

 

Though Meintkiewicz is definitely a future managerial candidate somewhere if not here. 

[TheLeviathan]

Though Meintkiewicz is definitely a future managerial candidate somewhere if not here. 

 

Good thing for him other teams don't take the approach with their managers that countries do with their kings.

 

Wait......Gardy has no sons right? 

[Rosterman]

Ultimately, Gardy will be given one more year to improve and see if the Twins will stay with him after that. But if the team tanks yet again in 2015, I see the Twins giving Glynn an interim shot before making a final decision on the future.

 

Dougie would be a fun choice. But he is managing at Ft. Myers because of family issues and to get experience. Jake Mauer IS in the pipeline.

 

Would Terry Steinbach be the Billy Gardner or Frank Quilici before a Dougie or Jake, the in-between guy. Is Moltor a longterm choice?

 

I see some ncie names down on the farm to add to the coaching staff. Tommy Watkins for one. Jeff Smith would be another. Move Cuellar to pitching coach. For some reason, I would like to see Ron Comer on the coaching staff. 

 

Right now the Tiwns have to look at 2015 as a rebuilding year. If the team rebuilds, then are you staying with the old guard thru 2016-17-18. You can do the Kelly/Gardy thing and have someone step aside and someone move up that's on the major league staff. But I would almost like to see fresh blood brought in both in team and field management for next season and beyond, a group that will probably be together for five years or more, with the understanding that they still may fail in 2015 and even 2016 before the new crop of players gain experience and real money is spent on free agents to form a stronger backbone for the team.

 

So, I would go ahead and hire Jake Mauer or Dougie as the new manager and build the coaching staff around names like Jeff Smith, Tommy Watkins, keep Cuellar but make him pitching coach, add a Doug Bernier, maybe Sam Perlozzo, keep Steinbach, figure out if you do want Bruno or Molitor around, or make Bruno the minor league hitting instructor. Bring in a couple of outside names, then. 

[lightfoot789]

Just Ask Ray Rice.  Sometimes you are lucky to bounce back and sometimes you're not.

[Twins Fan From Afar]

You kind of dismiss Molitor by saying he is a popular choice with fans "for some reason." I think he deserves better than that. Prior to his MLB job, Molitor worked with many (nearly all??) of the guys that are now coming into their own. I saw him in New Britain busting his butt -- doing real coaching.

 

Doug M. has done a great job with his teams the past 2 seasons. And I would be fine with either. Just seems like you're almost forgetting the large amount of individual coaching Molitor has done with the guys -- most if not all of the guys you list in this article. Yes, managing is very different than coaching, but it's not as if Molitor is at all unfamiliar with the system.

[lightfoot789]

Doug has that "it" factor.  Been there done that - that kids will listen to.  The veterans just need to keep being veterans (professionals).  They don't need the same spunky type of  coach as the younger players do.  They should know how to do things the right way already.  I like Doug as the Spunky fit and Mauer as the rationale communicator.  Why not both.  You always need assistants to get to the players you can't as a Manager.  Some players need a fire lit under that ass and others need logical communication to make them see the errors of their ways.  I like both working together.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Linus, Dougie Baseball has been Dougie Baseball since the 90s. It's what makes him a good fit in my mind. His zeal for the game and attention to detail has been well regaled of his playing time during a very low point in Twins history. I know very little of his managerial experience, but I like what I do know, I like very much

[Steve Penz]

I like that he was a Twin, he was popular, he played in a World Series Championship organization, he has done well in the minors as a manager and has a mean streak.  I would prefer that he does not get in fights on the field but this team needs intensity.  Also, if you are considering Molitor and Mientkiewicz, I think Molitor is the safe choice.  Go a new route.  It irks Twins fans to think about the players that got away and performed well.  Put Mientkiewicz in place before that happens.   

[Nick Nelson]

Here's the thing with Molitor. Is he a good coach? Yes, by all accounts. But coaching and managing are different animals, with one being on more of a macro scale. I just would like some evidence that Molitor can capably handle the many things that go into managing a baseball team beyond developing players. I'm not saying he can't, but there's really no way to know. And if he's such an appealing managerial candidate, why haven't other teams come knocking? To my knowledge, they haven't.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

How about Chuck Knoblauch? He's intense and won championships with both the Twins and other organizations...

 

_{ok, that's the last "outside the box idea for manager" joke from me on this thread, I promise.}

 

My guess is that if Gardy is not here in 2015, it will be Molitor. I think Mientkiewicz would be the choice as successor in a few years, assuming he moves up a level or two in the meantime.

[Shane Wahl]

Yep, to me a no-brainer. I don't understand the Molitor thing at all. He didn't do the requisite things to deserve it. He can be a damn good coach, though. I had thought that Steinbach was the clear front-runner, given the bench coach thing. Dougie is the best choice though. Jake Mauer, Molitor, Bruno, and X pitching coach would fill out an excellence coaching group.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

I didn't realize this, but Scott Ullger had 7 winning seasons (4 playoff appearances, one Championship) as a minor league manager in the late 80's and the 90's.

He coached A, AA, and AAA teams and never had a losing record.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Scott_Ullger

 

 

I highly doubt that he'd be in the running to replace Gardenhire, but, then again, who knows? There were plenty of people thinking that Molitor would get the job back in 2001...

Edited September 10, 2014 by Kirby_waved_at_me

[DAM DC Twins Fans]

I don't understand the Molitar thing either--I have a lot of trouble getting over his drug issues as a player--to me worse than a mgr. in a fight in the minors.

 

I want Dougie baseball here next year. (If he doesn't want to leave FLA then fine--go with Jake Mauer.) Both Doug and Jake have been managing the future Twins the last two years. Also can the coaching staff outside of Bruno (hitting) and Cuellar. I would make Lucas pitching coach and keep Cuellar in the pen--but you can flip them. Bring up Tommy Watkins too. Somebody suggested Bernier as a coach--a bit out of the box but an intriguing idea.

[nicksaviking]

No, I would have preferred he be fired for it.  And saying "professional sports isn't the real world" is ridiculous, because it is the real world, and these are grown men we're talking about, not little leaguers.

 

And that'll be my last post on the subject.

 

I didn't want him fired for it, but I didn't like the double standard.  This was the same organization that was at the same time benching and publicly chastising Miguel Sano for show boating a HR.  Mientkiewicz got suspended, but there didn't seem to be any kind of front office frustration to what amounted to be a simliar display of immaturity.

 

I do kind of like the fire he displays, but I'm getting tired of the old boys club.  I think Mientkiewicz, Molitor and Glynn could all be fine managers, but I think a fresh perspective is in order once every 25 years or so.  New blood in the front office and new blood on the field please.  Not pointing any fingers, just saying it's time to start again.

[Kwak]

If "Gardy's guys" have to be the sacrificial goats, I fully expect Mientkiewicz to be promoted to the Twins serving as either a base coach or the dugout coach--irrespective who is the field manager.  This will fufill the "experience requirement" to become a field manager (on any team!).  Jake Mauer suffers from never having been a major league player on his resume and I believe that he will never be a full-time manager of a major league team.  More likely, Jake would receive some kind of a Front Office job with the Twins.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Here's the thing with Molitor. Is he a good coach? Yes, by all accounts. But coaching and managing are different animals, with one being on more of a macro scale. I just would like some evidence that Molitor can capably handle the many things that go into managing a baseball team beyond developing players. I'm not saying he can't, but there's really no way to know. And if he's such an appealing managerial candidate, why haven't other teams come knocking? To my knowledge, they haven't.

 

Why other teams haven't come knocking: Obviously I wouldn't know if they have or haven't. My recollection from 2001 was that either Gardy or Molitor would be hired, and Molitor voluntarily withdrew his name as a candidate so as to have more family and personal time for himself. Thereafter, he enjoyed the work of being a roving instructor. That's how I've read it.

 

He's kind of put all his eggs in one basket, though, and that's his own fault.

 

This continuing idea that Molitor might not be capable of managing a baseball team is just weird. The same could be said for Gardenhire or Meintkiewicz or whoever you want. Molitor is a smart guy. I'm not wedded to Molitor as the choice anymore. But I think he has a greater variety of experience in baseball than any of the other candidates, certainly more than Steinbach, and vastly more prepared for the job than Mientkiewicz, with all of that guy's red flags and inability to hold a job in baseball except for when he's with the Twins organization. This idea that Molitor is out of his element will get huge pushback from me. 

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Molitor's only other coaching gig was as Seattle's Hitting Coach in 2004. Otherwise, he's been with the Twins as a roving instructor or as the bench coach.

[D. Hocking]

This is not a very mature or productive thought, but part of me would like to see Mauer get it just to see the heads explode and the less than positive reaction on the Strib comment section by the anti-Mauer crowd.

 

Obviously, you should go with the best person, and if it is one the people mentioned in this thread - great (and I don't have a problem with any of them), but I also would not mind seeing some fresh blood from completely outside the Twins system.  Hiring from within and being loyal to your employees is great, but sometimes you need some new ideas and new ways of thinking.

[brvama]

Perssonally, I don't think the Twins need to go outside. With Mauer, Mint, Close, etc there are plenty of good candidates available.

 

Regarding Mauer not playing ML ball is a weak argument against him. He has experience in baseball and has shown a great ability to manage and handle his players. Also, didn't he playminor league ball?

 

I think of him as the quiet/good side of Bobby Knight. He would be my preference, however I think that Close gets the first chance. BTW, I don't understand the man crush on Molitor either for manager.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[GoGonzoJournal]

I could live with the choice even if it happened this year. Fans like Molitor because he's another local hero from UM that gives the team that approachable and Minnesota-nice feeling. Not that Mientkiewicz doesn't, but who knows if Molitor even wants the job or if he'd be any good at it. We know Doug is good at it and familiar with the weapons at his disposal. I wouldn't mind a tag team of Dougie and Paulie, but I've been calling for Ozzie Guillen the past three years. Now's not the time to give in. I guess Terry Ryan should interview anyone interested and see who he's comfortable working with. Ozzie's probably not high on his list.

[GoGonzoJournal]

Hiring from within and being loyal to your employees is great, but sometimes you need some new ideas and new ways of thinking.

Agreed. I think our current situation is evident of our need to get out of that comfortable "promote from within" mentality. The Twins organization doesn't always have the best people for the job. They seldom do in fact.

[TheLeviathan]

I was also under the impression that Molitor wanted to stay home. I'm not sure the charge that no one else has hired him is a fair point in that light.

[ScottyB]

Jake Mauer suffers from never having been a major league player on his resume and I believe that he will never be a full-time manager of a major league team.  More likely, Jake would receive some kind of a Front Office job with the Twins.

 

I wouldn't write off someone because they never played in the majors.  It hasn't hurt current managers like Terry Collins of the Mets (10 years managing experience in majors), Fredi Gonzalez of the Braves (8 years), or Joe Maddon of the Rays (11 years).  It also wasn't a handicap for Jim Leyland (22 years), Earl Weaver (17 years) or Joe McCarthy (who won 7 WS titles in his 16 years with the Yankees, and 24 years managing overall).

[DocBauer]

I didn't realize this, but Scott Ullger had 7 winning seasons (4 playoff appearances, one Championship) as a minor league manager in the late 80's and the 90's.

He coached A, AA, and AAA teams and never had a losing record.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Scott_Ullger

 

 

I highly doubt that he'd be in the running to replace Gardenhire, but, then again, who knows? There were plenty of people thinking that Molitor would get the job back in 2001...

 

I really like this part of the conversation being brought up. And I don't say this because I advocate or nominate Ullger as the next manager. I like it because I do get a bit tired of sniping at the Twins coaching staff in general. The results the past, almost, 4 seasons has been terribly frustrating and disappointing. But most of the current staff lead the team to winning year after winning year and playoff appearance after playoff appearance. I am not excusing the past four years, just stating a fact that if you look at the men making up the Twins staff, they are good baseball men with quality resumes. Is it time for some more change? Yes, possibly it is time.

 

But I feel it is a bit disingenuous to blast the Twins for staying within the system, but then praise all the possible coaching and management candidates that exist within the system.

[DocBauer]

I think Molitor could probably be a fine manager. And I think he's proven to be a fine milb instructor and ML coach. However, while I am by no means suggesting he is "old", I think I'd prefer someone a little younger to grow with the new wave and stick with them. And I won't speak for Molitor, but I always thought I remembered him wanting to be an instructor initially and not confined to a ML traveling schedule. And now, I don't know, maybe he's just more content being a coach at this time instead of being "the man".

 

I don't know if Mientkiewicz or Mauer is the next Twins manager, though I think both are talented potentials. And I do think guys like Watkins, and there are others, just might be really strong coaching candidates. One common theme I feel is prevalent from all accounts I come across is that I think the Twins organization has a lot of really good communicators in their system.

 

Glynn I think would make a nice coach for the parent club. And he has done a nice job for Rochester, and has a really nice resume. Again, I wonder at his age vs a longer term solution.

 

Is it time for a change? I admit I'm still on the fence. I can see real and honest reasons for both sides of the arguement. If the move does take place, I think we have a couple interesting and strong candidates. And I'm sure they would put their own stamp on their coaching staff. I'd like to think at least a few members of the current staff would stick around.

[mudcat14]

In a word, Ozzie!  Fiery and someone to relate to our young Latino core of prospects. 

[DocBauer]

As to the "Dougie Baseball" nickname, it surely comes from his successful background, as well as his reputation as a "gamer".

 

But I also think it sticks because people just don't want to type, or have forgotten how to spell, Mientkiewicz. Lol

[Hammer of Killebrew]

From a PR standpoint, hiring Jake Mauer could be a disaster considering the way some fans have turned on Joe.  I think Doug M would be a good hire.  He was a fan favorite and people would get behind the team. That's just me thinking about getting people excited to go watch games.  Of course, winning is the easiest way to get fans excited again.

 

Honestly, I'm not concerned with the next manager at this point.  We need to seriously look at how our organization is developing players at every level.  

[old nurse]

Go look at the number of Miracle players in Seth's articles. IIRC many of them are players that were not as highly thought of in the begining of the year as they are now. Something right is going on there

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Do other teams want to hire away coaches from our system? I don't know of any rumors related to the vacancies in Texas (Rangers or Houston Astros) and managers or bench coaches here.  

 

It does seem to me that one indicator for how your coaching staff is working relates to how much they are in demand by the rest of the league.

 

Dave Martinez gets mentioned a lot - working in the Rays system for Joe Maddon and is considered to be a great teacher and manager in his own right. Does anyone hear about other teams praising the Twins' coaches? Or about other teams with potential vacancies (TX, Arizona) being interested in interviewing the Twins' staff?

 

Maybe it's a lack of interest from the Twins' staff, or the Twins' front office not granting permission (or just keeping a tight lid on rumors), but it seems to me like they are not being courted by other organizations. Is it just me?