Paul Molitor told Sports Headliners he and Ron Gardenhire are looking forward to working with one another in 2014 including when the Twins open spring training in Florida next February. “I respect tremendously what he’s done as a leader of this franchise on the field and I am excited about the chance to work for him,” Molitor said.
Molitor, hired after the 2013 season as a Twins coach, said Gardenhire “has reached out to him.” Molitor had been working for the Twins on assignments in the minor leagues and has long been admired for his baseball intelligence.
Media and fans have speculated for awhile that Molitor’s presence on the coaching staff could be perceived by Gardenhire, the team’s manager since 2002, as a threat to his job security. “I don’t think that exists in one iota,” Molitor said. “Gardy is very comfortable in his own skin and rightfully so.
“He’s not worried about what might happen down the road. He’s kind of a day-to- day grind it out kind of guy. When he’s got a title and a job, that’s what he’s going to concentrate on.”
Molitor, 57, has known Gardenhire for many years. The Twins organization saw the opportunity to add Molitor, a Hall of Famer, as a way to improve a franchise that has been among the worst in baseball for the last two seasons. Molitor saw an opportunity to become more involved with the organization by becoming a coach.
Could his future include becoming a big league manager some day? “I don’t close doors,” Molitor answered. “I am getting older now and I think this is may be my last opportunity to get back on the field. In some ways I think getting back in this particular role and seeing what the game is like on a daily basis at the big league level will give me a lot of insight as to where this is going to go.
“I envision our club getting better and becoming more competitive this year and into 2015. If things go well, this might be a role I can settle into also. It’s hard to say what’s down the road. But our focus will definitely be just on this year and trying to be as effective a coach as I can be.”
Molitor’s assignments with players will include base running, bunting and in-game strategy. The former All-Star infielder will also work with players like third baseman Trevor Plouffe, shortstop Pedro Florimon, second baseman Brian Dozier and Joe Mauer, who will be making the transition from catcher to first base.
Molitor said former Twins manager Tom Kelly, who helps with instruction at spring training, is among the best first base authorities in baseball. Molitor pointed out Mauer’s previous part-time experience at first base will help his performance in the field.
“Hopefully we can just get Joe to where we put the catching thing behind and we can start concentrating on making him that full-time first baseman and a very efficient one,” Molitor said.