BREAKING: The #MNTwins to name Paul Molitor as new manager tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT press conference! pic.twitter.com/nnv04Ju6Rc
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) November 3, 2014
From his days at Cretin-Derham Hall to the University to Minnesota and all the way to Cooperstown, Paul Molitor has become a local sports hero, and now, he’ll be adding to his legend as manager of the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins made the announcement official on Monday, and will introduce Molitor to the media and fans at a 10 a.m. Tuesday press conference.
I'll tell you this much, there won't be a team anywhere in the league with a better leader than Moli. Very excited to battle with him!
— Coach Trev (@trevorplouffe) November 3, 2014
Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports Molitor received a three-year contract. The Star Tribune reports the deal will keep him in charge of the club through the 2017 season.
Paul Molitor expected to be announced as new Twins manager today. He will have a 3-year contract. @FOXSports
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 3, 2014
CBS Sports baseball insider John Heyman says Molitor got the job over the second-through-fourth place finishers, Boston bench coach Torey Lovullo and Twins minor league coaches Gene Glynn and Doug Mientkiewicz.
Molitor is revered. So much so that it’s hard to find a critical remark about him as a person, player or a coach.
MLB.com columnist Mike Bauman calls Molitor a natural leader whose Hall of Fame status will give him instant credibility with the players. Molitor’s on-the-field credibility includes:
- Hall of Famer, inducted in 2004
- 7-time All Star
- 4-time Silver Slugger
- .306 lifetime batting average
- 3,319 career hits, 10th all time
- 605 doubles, 114 triples, 234 home runs
- eight seasons with 30-plus stolen bases
- 1993 World Series MVP
Molitor is one of only four people in a very specific category with Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and Eddie Collins.
Paul Molitor is 1 of 4 players all-time w/ 3,000 hits, 500 SB & .300 BA in career (Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Honus Wagner). @EliasSports
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 1, 2014
Molitor played his first 15 seasons (1978-1992) with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he collected 2,281 of his hits. He joined the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-year stint (1993-1995), winning MVP honors in the 1993 World Series.
Joe Carter will be remembered for his game-winning home run off Mitch Williams in Game 6 to win the series, but Molitor went 3-5 in that game with a homer, triple and single.
The St. Paul native’s final three big-league seasons were spent the Twins. In 1995 he set a career high and led the league with 225 hits. He collected with 3,000th career hit against the Royals on Sept. 16, 1996.
Ron Gardenhire, fired Twins manager
Here's what former #MNTwins manager Ron Gardenhire had to say on @MLBNetworkRadio when asked about Paul Molitor: pic.twitter.com/4yF6Gw3kOF
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) October 23, 2014
