Twins Manager Paul Molitor Fired

Re: New manager... Six of the nine coaches are FO hires. This leads me to believe that they will hire an inexperienced manager, where they can choose which coaches stay with the team. Or they hire from the inside, like Shelton. Just a guess. 

 

If the FO goes with an inexperienced manager, does that mean they are looking to 2020 and later to compete? If so, Gibson and either Kepler or Rosario may be on the trade block before the 2019 season. My suspicion began with the Pressly trade.  He had another year left and had already made strides with the Twins. Another wild-ass guess but it kind of fits together. 

 

And thanks to Paul Molitor for his tenure with the Twins. Best wishes moving forward.

Agreed.

This front office seems to want more control. I think they go with a first-time or relatively unexperienced MLB manager (though perhaps experienced coach) who is willing to take "top-down" instruction. A Showalter, Scosia, etc will want to call all the shots.

Wally Backman.

 

The worse the season is going the more entertaining it will be.

 

We'll be praying for losses just to see some meltdowns.

Sano and Buxton having been busts so far got me thinking about Steve Gasser and Brian Baumgarner, two minor league pitching phenoms from the mid 80's that the Twins wouldn't trade for anyone.  They never made the majors and eventually were traded to the Mets for .........Wally Backman.

Really - Lynn, Morrison and Castro performed as advertised? 

Well, kind of. They are all C level guys to begin with. And they gave you C-D level production. These are the types of moves the Twins need to quit making. 

I don't care one way or another that Molitor was fired. I think he probably got the axe because all of our young players this year didn't do so well. Sans Eddie Rosario anyway. 

We all had to know also, that he is not Falvine's GUY and that they have probably been waiting to get rid of him and would have done so last year had they not made the playoffs/manager of the year, etc. 

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2014/02/24/jim-thome-wants-to-be-a-manager/

Sign me up. A winner. That's what Thome was. Not sure if he would be good or not, but he's a great guy and would sure be interesting and probably put butts in the seats. 

Apply for a job at Pensacola, and let's see how things shake out next time there's an opening at the top.

Jim Thome is bored out of his mind right now. He lives in west-suburban Chicago and has been a pollution activist because of a high-polluting factory near his neighborhood.

His activism woke up the Governor-Without-A-Pulse when it was pointed out to him by Thome that this is a Republican-voting district. In a rare sign of life for the Governor, he wants the plant closed before the election.

I think Mollie was actually a good manager.  The two above 500 seasons I think are adequate testimony to that.  

What he wasn't was a guy that could develop the younger players and move them from being prospects to legitimate MLB players.  
 

The Twins need that type of manager, and have needed it even before Molitor.  The manager needs to be patient and teaching, and have a coaching staff that does the same.  

I think LEN III is a good writer and a fairly intelligent guy. But his article today discussed 13 (13!) possible candidates for the managerial opening. This isn't reporting. This is just brainstorming and finding something to write for the sake of writing something.

I am in favor of change that manager but I do think this points out an important distinction. Molitor could have been a good manager for a veteran team with more established roles. The problem is that not what the Twins have. In fact, they have the opposite, a young team hwere roles, spots in the batting order, positions, etc. are all still being defined. Molitor likes to put out a set lineup where players have set goals during the course of the season, just look at his bullpen philosophy.

 

Bottom line, it really doesn't matter if Molitor is a good manager qua manager in a different situation. He is not the right guy for the state this team is at and he needeed to be replaced. I haven't agreed with everything FO has done but I agree with this.

100%!

You can blame the development, or lack thereof, of some of the young players or the milb coaches. But the fact remains this team is young and getting younger. The core and majority of this team is 26yo and younger. And there is a lack of fundamentals. I'm not saying this was a contending team, but if we could have somehow been even in all those 1 run games, this team finishes above. 500. Now, I don't know how many of those 1 run losses were "given away", but I think I make my point.

Whoever comes in doesn't have to be a taciturn leader. But he needs to stress fundamentals. And he and his staff also need to be able to communicate, and be able to instruct. There is no plug and play for any team, much less one with so much untapped potential in their young players.

A lot of stuff happened that was out of Molitor’s control. I don’t question that.

Manager’s matter though. Has anyone pointed out some deficit they need to fill now that Molitor is gone? What did he bring to the table that will be really hard to replace?

The Twins (or any mid market team) need a great manager and front office to compete. Average won’t do it. “Not his fault” won’t do it.

It is on the front office to find that great manager. If they can’t it should be their jobs on the line next.

I think Mollie was actually a good manager. The two above 500 seasons I think are adequate testimony to that.

What he wasn't was a guy that could develop the younger players and move them from being prospects to legitimate MLB players.

 

The Twins need that type of manager, and have needed it even before Molitor. The manager needs to be patient and teaching, and have a coaching staff that does the same.

I thought that was what the minor leagues were for? Mollies job was to win games

100%!You can blame the development, or lack thereof, of some of the young players or the milb coaches. But the fact remains this team is young and getting younger. The core and majority of this team is 26yo and younger. And there is a lack of fundamentals. I'm not saying this was a contending team, but if we could have somehow been even in all those 1 run games, this team finishes above. 500. Now, I don't know how many of those 1 run losses were "given away", but I think I make my point. Whoever comes in doesn't have to be a taciturn leader. But he needs to stress fundamentals. And he and his staff also need to be able to communicate, and be able to instruct. There is no plug and play for any team, much less one with so much untapped potential in their young players.

Granted, many of those players are gone (or will be), but the Twins were the 8th OLDEST team on opening day.

Wanted: Manager

Preferably someone so analytical that you can create a bullpen and rotation out of thin air, make our key players produce despite injuries and suspensions.  You should be a manager who knows how to use great stats to replace great players and is especially good at dealing with misfits that the FO picks off the waiver wire or old players who are past a prime that were never that great.  You must know how to play defense with a SS that has off and on days, find a 2B - somewhere, juggle 1B between players that are not known for their glove and will replace someone who was.  Need to have a speed dial for weight watchers to keep 3B viable and be a psychologist for a potentially great and never really produced keystone CF.  If you feel qualified and have some connection to the Indians who always seem really good but can't win the big one - send your Stats to the Twins FO.  Job to begin in 2019.

Mauer does not have the fire, that this team needs in a manager. No way coach of some kind or pr guy, NOT manager in any way.

Mauer does not have the fire, that this team needs in a manager. No way coach of some kind or pr guy, NOT manager in any way.

Gotta agree with that assessment. I just don't think Mauer is manager material, nor do I think he would even want the job.