New Twins manager Paul Molitor and a revised coaching staff from 2014 received praise from club general manager Terry Ryan during an interview with Sports Headliners. The Twins, who lost 90-plus games the four previous seasons, had a losing record a year ago but today are 40-35 and 5.5 games out of first place in the AL Central Division.
The work of Molitor and his staff ranks with the most effective managing and coaching performances in MLB so far this season. “I’ve been impressed. I’ve been pleased,” Ryan said last week. “I think the players respond to all the staff. We’re in a good spot. We’ve got chemistry, camaraderie, and leadership and all that stuff, and more often than not you have to point to the manager. Give him the credit where credit is due.
“We’re playing very good, competitive baseball, almost on a daily basis. We haven’t gotten too giddy and we don’t get too far down when things aren’t going so well. He’s (Molitor) done a heck of a job here leading this thing. I am very happy for him, especially because he’s taken on a big responsibility here and he’s done something with it.”
The Twins are within six games of being halfway through the 2015 schedule. Ryan said the Twins can contend for the Central Division title and playoffs. “We’re in better shape than we’ve been the past four years by far,” Ryan said of a franchise that was last in the playoffs in 2010.
Ryan has been pleased with the team’s improved defense (including more athleticism in the outfield) and the starting pitching. His optimism about the club’s possible playoff participation is also based on what has been an under performing offense.
“We’re a better offensive club I think than what we’ve shown,” Ryan said. “Some of the guys that have produced the last year or two are still not back to even. That just gives me some sort of optimism we should be able to score more runs here and give our team the ability to take a little of that pressure off that pitching staff. That pitching staff has done a good job here.”
The performance of the starting pitching staff (including three starters with ERAs under 3.60) has surprised even the general manager and that’s boosted the overall pitching. “It’s not one guy (of the starters) that’s rebounded here,” Ryan said. “We’ve got a handful all of a sudden. (And) the bullpen has been pretty decent really from start to finish. We’ve had a couple of gaps but not too many.”
When former regulars Ricky Nolasco and Ervin Santana are ready to return from absences, the club will have too many starters. Ryan isn’t prepared to say now who fits in and who doesn’t. “We’ve got some difficult decisions to make, but they’re awfully good decisions because we’ve got a lot of competition for those slots,” he said.
The offense will be jumpstarted if Joe Mauer can hit like he did a few years ago. Ryan said Mauer’s rib injury diminished results last year that included a career low .277 average. The general manager said Mauer’s health this year isn’t an issue but the former three-time American League batting champion, who entered the season with a career average of .319, is batting just .260. He has 37 RBI (tied for third best on the team) and four home runs.
Mauer is hitting .240 in the last 30 games—indicative of his struggles this spring—but in his last seven is batting .323. With the season approaching the halfway place on the Twins schedule, Mauer will have to produce an avalanche of hits to finish with a .300 or better average. Ryan thinks it could happen.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t put that (.300) by him,” Ryan said. “I know he isn’t anywhere near that right now but I would not put that past him because he’s always shown the resiliency (to bounce back). He’s had a little bit of a tough year last year. We all admit that, but as long as he’s healthy—and he looks very healthy to me right now—I wouldn’t be surprised because there’s no reason, (with) his swing, his health.”
Mauer was a catcher his first 10 years with the Twins before moving to first base last season. Catching is the most physical and punishing position in baseball. Because of all the games Mauer caught, is he an old 32? Could that explain his decline at the plate?
“I don’t think so,” Ryan said. “In fact I think he’s a young 32 because he takes care of himself. …He knows what it takes to be prepared and he has done a good job of that.”
Worth Noting
Ryan talking about closer Glen Perkins (first in AL saves with 24), who could the Twins lone representative in next month’s All-Star Game: “Perkins has done nothing but impress this year and he’s put himself in a good position.”
Gary Trent Jr., the Apple Valley High School basketball player who will be among the most coveted college recruits nationally in the class of 2017, is among six “Faces in the Crowd” athletes featured in the June 29 issue of Sports Illustrated. Trent was recognized for his 19 second half points leading the U.S. 16-and-under team to a victory over Canada in the gold medal FIBA Americas game in June. The magazine also reported Trent was named tournament MVP, and earlier this year led Apple Valley to the Class 4A championship with a win over Champlin Park.
Bill Robertson, the men’s WCHA commissioner who offices in suburban Minneapolis, hopes to meet with Arizona State Athletic Department officials in Tempe this summer to discuss ASU joining his hockey league. It’s believed the Sun Devils are also being courted by the Big Ten and NCHC.
The Sun Devils have been playing club hockey but plan to be affiliated with a conference starting with the 2017-2018 season. Robertson said the ASU brand is “tremendous” and among the many reasons he is intrigued about the Sun Devils being in the WCHA is TV exposure from the Pac-12 Network. The Pac-12 is the conference home for other ASU sports but doesn’t offer hockey competition.
Among ASU officials is athletic director Ray Anderson who at one time was the agent for former Vikings coach Denny Green. Robertson sees the western United States as a “real growth area” for college hockey with the possibility some day of two major hockey schools on the West Coast—along with the two Alaska schools already in the WCHA.
Nearly 10,000 athletes from every state will compete and vie for medals in 19 sports during the National Senior Games that start here next month. Presented by Humana, this is the largest multi-sport event in the world for senior (ages 50+) athletes. The 800 competitions will take place July 3–15 at 26 venues in Bloomington, Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Events are free and open to the public. More at NSGA.com.
Volunteers, including scorekeepers in archery, badminton, basketball and volleyball, are needed. Airport greeters are also sought. More at TeamMNvolunteer.com.
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