×

Off the Record, by Kevin Sweeney

I was struck the other day by the photo of Twins Manager Paul Molitor we ran from the Twins Caravan. Molitor, surrounded by adoring kids and fans, looks absolutely glum.

Of course, Molitor tends to look glum when the cameras are on him. Maybe he’s all smiles when the cameras are off, but then I’ve never seen him off camera so I wouldn’t know.

But I would imagine the job of talking about the Twins these days is pretty depressing. Molitor is coming off the Twins’ worst season, a disappointing year all around. In 2015, Molitor’s first as a manager, the Twins broke a string of four straight 90 season losses with a record of 83-79. A winning record! Fans had high hopes for the 2016 season, hoping the Twins young prospects would really start to produce. Everyone hoped the team would keep improving.

Instead, the wheels fell off the club. The pitching never solidified, the hitting was sporadic, the team lost its first nine games and never got back into it. They finished 59-103.

So, as manager, what are you going to say on the Twins Caravan? How do you explain what happened? What do you say is going to change in the coming season? The prospect of traveling all over the state to talk to crowds of curious fans must be daunting.

Molitor did a good job in New Ulm, talking about the fine nucleus of talent the team has, admitting there is a need for better pitching, talking about the need to cut the mental mistakes that killed them last year and hoping that Brian Dozier, the Twins’ best player and most valuable trade bait, will be on the roster when the season starts.

The beauty of a new baseball season is that anything is possible. It doesn’t matter how bad you were last year, a whole new season of 162 games stretches before you, and bad teams can get better. The Twins pulled off a “worst to first” season in 1991, after all, to win the World Series.

We’re not sure if Molitor is the smiling type, but I hope he has more reason to smile next year when the Twins Caravan comes to town.

——

Kevin Sweeney has been the managing editor of The Journal since May 1985. A native of St. Paul, he worked at newspapers in LeSueur and Albert Lea before moving to New Ulm. Contact him at ksweeney@nujournal.com.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper?
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today