Now and Then: For the Minnesota Twins, Quality Coaches Matter

[Nate Palmer]

In 2019 the Minnesota Twins won 101 games and saw great success in part due to the quality coaches they had in the clubhouse. The 1965 season wasn't much different, as Billy Martin and Johnny Sain gave a great boost to that club as well.The 2019 Minnesota Twins benefitted from having some very good coaches to help support Rocco Baldelli in his first season as the Twins manager. That benefit was noticed across the league as we saw James Rowson (Marlins), Jeremy Hefner (Mets), and Derek Shelton (Pirates) picked away by opposing clubs. That poaching from the major league club only highlights the high-quality coaches and positive effects for the Twins organization.

 

As I have begun my journey into taking a much closer look than I had previously at the 1965 Twins, one thing quickly became apparent about that club. It greatly benefited from two spectacular coaches who supported manager Sam Mele. One is a name you will recognize and eventual Twins manager the other you may not, but these two were third base coach Billy Martin and pitching coach John Sain.

 

Johnny Sain

 

Sain came to the Twins from the hated New York Yankees. Calvin Griffith had to make him a very well paid coach to bring him to Minnesota, but it seems to have been worth every penny he spent to get him (roughly $20,000) to groom the ‘65 pitching staff. Sain would receive a lot of labels for the way he coached, including outspoken and playing favorites with his pitchers. Result-getter may be the best, as the Twins saw their ERA drop from 3.58 to 3.14 from ‘64 to ‘65. (Wolf, 19)

 

Whatever the label, the one that mattered most was that his pitchers absolutely loved having him as a coach. One thing Sain did that would most certainly fit within the culture that the current Twins have developed is that he crafted pitching approaches individually for each player. He did not have a one-size fits all plan, Sain would find what each pitcher needed to succeed. (Thielman, 48)

 

He was so highly regarded that Yankees third baseman Clete Boyer, when asked who he would vote for manager of the year during the 1965 season, responded that he would write in Sain (Thielman, 46). Twins pitcher Al Worthington said, “No man alive knows more about that little baseball and how to throw it than Johnny Sain.” Fellow Twin Mudcat Grant gave credit to Sain for making him a winner. (Wolf, 19)

 

Billy Martin

 

Martin had his own ties back to the Evil Empire but had recently closed out his playing career with the Twins in 1961. After hanging up his cleats, Martin joined the Twins front office as a scout before being brought in to coach in ‘65. Martin was his own sort of fiery and was seemingly brought in to counteract a much calmer Mele, or in the worst case scenario, take his job. Eventually Martin did become the Twins manager, but that was not be until 1969.

 

In 1965, Martin’s greatest accomplishment was turning 25-year-old Zoilo Versalles into an everyday, cornerstone shortstop. Versalles was a key cog to the team's success and played in 160 games, slashed .273/.462/.781, had an MLB-leading 45 doubles, AL-leading 12 triples, was an All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and MVP. The influence on individual players didn’t stop with Versalles, as can be imagined when someone walks into a clubhouse with World Series accolades as a player that included a .333 batting average, five home runs, and 19 RBIs.

 

As good as both Sain and Martin were, there wasn’t complete harmony amongst that ‘65 staff. Versalles helped put Mele and Martin in a mom-against-dad type feud before leaving spring training when the shortstop was removed from a game due to his sloppy defense. At one point in the season Sain’s relationship became so strained with the rest of the coaching staff he started dressing in the player’s portion of the locker room separate from the other coaches. Somehow, they still were able to put together one great team regardless!

 

When it comes to assigning responsibility for wins and losses, players are still the ones who need to have the skills and the abilities to execute. There is no doubt that good coaching can find incremental improvements to move a team to another level of play. It appears that Shelton, Rowson, and Hefner have been recognized for that in 2019. Sain and Martin certainly did that in 1965.

 

Now it is time to see if the new Twins hires (Mike Bell and Bob McClure) can jump in with the returning and promoted staff to do that for whenever the next baseball games are played.

 

What are some of your favorite stories about Martin or Sain? How much will Rowson, Shelton, and Hefner be missed? Have the Twins filled their roles well? Would love to hear your thoughts on all those questions in the comments!

 

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Resources Used:

 

Thielman, Jim.Cool of the Evening: the 1965 Minnesota Twins. Minneapolis, MN: Kirk House Publishers, 2005.

 

Wolf, GregoryThe Pennant for the Twin Cities: The 1965 Minnesota Twins (The SABR Digital Library Book 32) Phoenix, AZ: Society for American Baseball Research, Inc., Kindle edition.

 

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[howieramone2]

Wynn and Sain and pray for rain.

[mikelink45]

 

Wynn and Sain and pray for rain.

Spahn and Sain and pray for rain - they carried the then Boston Braves

[mikelink45]

Martin was always in fights and his fight with the marshmallow salesman was the best. It was just one of his fisticuffs, but the fact that it was a marshmallow salesman really raised the bar when Martin was pelted with Marshmallows at the park.  His fight with his pitcher Dave Boswell was a low point.  Billy did great for the Twins, Yankees, and A's, but wore out his welcome after a year at each.  Except the Yankees kept bringing him back of one more year!  

[Heistyman]

I think you mean Spahn and Sain