Molitor over Mientkiewicz for the top spot
When the Minnesota Twins relieved longtime skipper Ron Gardenhire of his duties following the 2014 season, it was a momentous decision. After the largest fallow stretch in franchise history (1993-2000) and a contraction scare (2001), Gardy had presided over a remarkable turnaround in which the Twins became AL Central juggernauts. However, Gardy’s replacement seemed a slam-dunk choice: Paul Molitor.
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Though officially unsubstantiated, rumors had abounded that Molly may have had the inside lane over even Gardenhire following Tom Kelly’s post-2001 resignation but declined—somewhat understandably—due to the contraction situation.
Molitor’s resume clearly provided an invitation to the Twins’ top coaching gig. A St. Paul kid who starred for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, his extreme baseball talent, hustle, and I.Q. would ultimately propel him to Cooperstown. In ’14, after a decade (give-or-take) of organizational “roving instructor”, Molly was promoted to the big club bench as “baserunning, bunting, infield, and positioning” coach. Often seen on the dugout’s top step while Gardy slumped over a railing, it became clear that Molitor possessed a zeal for positioning and analytics that his immediate boss demurred.
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Of course, as often happens in these situations, a dark horse emerged:
Following his playing days ending in 2010, MN fan-favorite Doug Mientkiewicz was gaining steam in the coaching circuit. Initially hired as minor league hitting coach in Joe Torre’s Dodgers organization (2012), Doug came back to the Twins to manage the Single-A Ft. Myers Miracle (2013-2014) where he nurtured the likes of Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, & Jose Berrios.
Coming off a ’14 championship with that on-the-cusp bunch, the irascible, fire-from-the-hip Mientkiewicz represented a vastly different option from Molitor’s stoic, impeachable temperament. It was an opportunity to take the entire group from minors to majors. Whether Doug’s long-stated plan of hiring A.J. Pierzynski as his bench coach helped or hurt his cause remains in doubt.
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Ultimately, the Twins chose Molly’s cool over Dougie’s fire and announced Paul Molitor as manager on November 3, 2014. Though not explicitly stated, it was a clear organizational shift towards positioning, analytics, and newer evaluative strategies.
I remember being excited at this change, as I was convinced Molitor was coaching the club as much—more?—than Gardenhire in 2014. But with four train-wreck campaigns having quickly tarnished Target Field’s luster, it was anyone’s guess how—or if—the club would respond to the new leadership.