GaryMrMets
01-19-2002, 06:08 PM
http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/min/news/min_news_story.jsp?article_id=min_20020107_coachin g_staff_news&team_id=min
News
1/7/2002 7:00 pm ET
Twins promote four to Major League coaching staff
Molitor decides not to return for third season as a coach
By Kris Lien
twinsbaseball.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- When Twins General Manager Terry Ryan introduced Ron Gardenhire last week as his new manager, he talked about how Gardenhire was a perfect fit for the job and the current team.
Monday, Ryan added four more people whom he considers to be a good fit for the team to the coaching staff.
The Twins reached into their minor-league coaching ranks to add instructors who have earned a promotion and also have worked with many of the players on the Twins team.
Highlighting the promotions is the return to Minnesota of Al Newman, who will serve as the team's third-base coach, a position Gardenhire held before he was named the manager.
Also named to the coaching staff were pitching coach Rick Anderson, bench coach Steve Liddle, and assistant trainer Rick McWane.
"I'm proud of the fact that we've been able to promote from within," Ryan said. "We've got some talented guys that work in our minor-league system and when some openings occur, you would like to be able to promote people that you've hired.
"Not only do we develop players down in the minor leagues, we're trying to develop staff and I think this is a good indication that we are trying to develop good baseball people. Steve Liddle, Al Newman, Rick Anderson, and Rick McWane are all people from our system that we're very proud of and want to give a chance to up here."
The good news was quelled a bit, however, by the announcement that Paul Molitor will not return for his third season as a coach for the Twins. Molitor, who was a candidate for the managerial job until withdrawing from consideration, has decided to take a year away from baseball, Ryan said.
"He just decided to take a step back for a while," Ryan said. "He decided that he didn't want to coach this year and that's a personal decision. Obviously, we wanted him to be here and we were hoping that he would still retain a coaching position, but he decided to take a year off."
Liddle will take over some of Molitor's responsibilities as a bench coach and will work with the players in a variety of areas. Liddle has been with the organization for 14 seasons and has managed at four different minor-league levels for the Twins. He was also the hitting coach for the Twins' Triple-A affiliate for two seasons and has been their minor league field coordinator for the past three seasons.
For Anderson, the promotion represents a chance to bring his knowledge of pitching to the highest level and reunite with many of the pitchers he worked with in the Twins' farm system.
"I'm really excited about working with Gardy and with the pitchers," Anderson said. "I've had a large part of them come up through the minor leagues. Most of the guys that we have came up through our system. I kind of have an idea going in what they are all about since I've been with them. The transition should be easy since I know most of them."
Anderson will be in charge of a pitching staff that was one of the best in the league in 2001. Most of the Twins' best arms are still young and are signed to multi-year contracts.
"The exciting thing," Anderson said, "is that you look at your three top winners from last year and they're all just young kids still and have room to improve. Hopefully we'll build on last year and have an even more successful year this year."
For Newman, the promotion represents a chance for him to return to the place where some of the best memories of his life took place. Newman was one of seven players to play on both the 1987 and 1991 World Champion Twins teams.
"It is a bit of a homecoming," Newman said. "It will be 10 years removed from the World Championship team and now I'm coming back as a coach."
Always a fan favorite during his tenure with the Twins as a player, Newman also achieved great success as a minor-league manager. Newman has managed at three minor-league levels, most recently with the Twins' Gulf Coast League team in the rookie league.
Like Anderson, Newman is familiar with many of the players on the team since he managed many of them in the minor leagues.
"Some of the players that I started out with my first year as a manager (Single-A, Fort Myers) are some of the impact players for the Twins," Newman said. "I had Torii Hunter, Doug Mientkiewicz and Corey Koskie. I've watched them progress and now I'm there to join them.
"I've had pleasure watching these guys for the last two or three years. It just made me so proud, because I remember seeing them make some of those plays in the minor leagues."
Most managers in the minor leagues also serve as the third-base coach, so Newman has also been honing his skills at waving runners toward home and giving signs to the batter and runner.
"I'm sure Gardy's going to tell me to use my best judgement, although I will ask him who he thought had the strong arms," Newman said. "I think you learn a lot when teams take their pregame practice so you can get a read on their arms and how they charge the ball, which I think is the most important."
Last season, the Twins generated many extra runs by utilizing their team speed with aggressive base running and Newman expects that to continue. With runners like Cristian Guzman and Luis Rivas blazing trails around the bases, Newman will not have much time to make up his mind whether or not he's going to send a runner home.
"We do have a lot of team speed and some exciting players," Newman said. "If I remember Gardy as a manager in the minor leagues, he was very aggressive. Although, now, we do have some guys that are developing some home run potential with Koskie, Hunter and David Ortiz. So you're going to pick your spots, but I'm sure we will be somewhat aggressive."
Another of the responsibilities of the third-base coach is to offer a high-five/handshake to the runner as he rounds third base after hitting a home run. Newman laughed when asked about the easiest part of his job.
"No, I'm not practicing that yet," he said. "Right now I'm trying to get a sequence of order with some signs. Because I'm sure I'll be watched a lot more closely in the Major Leagues as far as giving the signs to the hitters with some of the veteran managers and coaches trying to steal signs."
So, while the Twins are still surrounded in a bit of uncertainty with regards to contraction, the organization is pushing forward and hoping for the best. Finally naming a coaching staff is one more step in what many feel could still be a great year for the Twins.
"It's a pleasure to be a part of something that could be special here in the next two or three years," Newman said. "And under the guidance of Gardenhire, I'm sure it will be a fun atmosphere that will be conducive to winning."
Kris Lien is the site manager for twinsbaseball.com and can be reached at krislien@twinsbaseball.com
http://www.mlb.com/min/photo/2002_news/ph_news_newman288_010702.jpg
Former fan-favorite Al Newman returns to Minnesota as the new third base coach for the Twins.
News
1/7/2002 7:00 pm ET
Twins promote four to Major League coaching staff
Molitor decides not to return for third season as a coach
By Kris Lien
twinsbaseball.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- When Twins General Manager Terry Ryan introduced Ron Gardenhire last week as his new manager, he talked about how Gardenhire was a perfect fit for the job and the current team.
Monday, Ryan added four more people whom he considers to be a good fit for the team to the coaching staff.
The Twins reached into their minor-league coaching ranks to add instructors who have earned a promotion and also have worked with many of the players on the Twins team.
Highlighting the promotions is the return to Minnesota of Al Newman, who will serve as the team's third-base coach, a position Gardenhire held before he was named the manager.
Also named to the coaching staff were pitching coach Rick Anderson, bench coach Steve Liddle, and assistant trainer Rick McWane.
"I'm proud of the fact that we've been able to promote from within," Ryan said. "We've got some talented guys that work in our minor-league system and when some openings occur, you would like to be able to promote people that you've hired.
"Not only do we develop players down in the minor leagues, we're trying to develop staff and I think this is a good indication that we are trying to develop good baseball people. Steve Liddle, Al Newman, Rick Anderson, and Rick McWane are all people from our system that we're very proud of and want to give a chance to up here."
The good news was quelled a bit, however, by the announcement that Paul Molitor will not return for his third season as a coach for the Twins. Molitor, who was a candidate for the managerial job until withdrawing from consideration, has decided to take a year away from baseball, Ryan said.
"He just decided to take a step back for a while," Ryan said. "He decided that he didn't want to coach this year and that's a personal decision. Obviously, we wanted him to be here and we were hoping that he would still retain a coaching position, but he decided to take a year off."
Liddle will take over some of Molitor's responsibilities as a bench coach and will work with the players in a variety of areas. Liddle has been with the organization for 14 seasons and has managed at four different minor-league levels for the Twins. He was also the hitting coach for the Twins' Triple-A affiliate for two seasons and has been their minor league field coordinator for the past three seasons.
For Anderson, the promotion represents a chance to bring his knowledge of pitching to the highest level and reunite with many of the pitchers he worked with in the Twins' farm system.
"I'm really excited about working with Gardy and with the pitchers," Anderson said. "I've had a large part of them come up through the minor leagues. Most of the guys that we have came up through our system. I kind of have an idea going in what they are all about since I've been with them. The transition should be easy since I know most of them."
Anderson will be in charge of a pitching staff that was one of the best in the league in 2001. Most of the Twins' best arms are still young and are signed to multi-year contracts.
"The exciting thing," Anderson said, "is that you look at your three top winners from last year and they're all just young kids still and have room to improve. Hopefully we'll build on last year and have an even more successful year this year."
For Newman, the promotion represents a chance for him to return to the place where some of the best memories of his life took place. Newman was one of seven players to play on both the 1987 and 1991 World Champion Twins teams.
"It is a bit of a homecoming," Newman said. "It will be 10 years removed from the World Championship team and now I'm coming back as a coach."
Always a fan favorite during his tenure with the Twins as a player, Newman also achieved great success as a minor-league manager. Newman has managed at three minor-league levels, most recently with the Twins' Gulf Coast League team in the rookie league.
Like Anderson, Newman is familiar with many of the players on the team since he managed many of them in the minor leagues.
"Some of the players that I started out with my first year as a manager (Single-A, Fort Myers) are some of the impact players for the Twins," Newman said. "I had Torii Hunter, Doug Mientkiewicz and Corey Koskie. I've watched them progress and now I'm there to join them.
"I've had pleasure watching these guys for the last two or three years. It just made me so proud, because I remember seeing them make some of those plays in the minor leagues."
Most managers in the minor leagues also serve as the third-base coach, so Newman has also been honing his skills at waving runners toward home and giving signs to the batter and runner.
"I'm sure Gardy's going to tell me to use my best judgement, although I will ask him who he thought had the strong arms," Newman said. "I think you learn a lot when teams take their pregame practice so you can get a read on their arms and how they charge the ball, which I think is the most important."
Last season, the Twins generated many extra runs by utilizing their team speed with aggressive base running and Newman expects that to continue. With runners like Cristian Guzman and Luis Rivas blazing trails around the bases, Newman will not have much time to make up his mind whether or not he's going to send a runner home.
"We do have a lot of team speed and some exciting players," Newman said. "If I remember Gardy as a manager in the minor leagues, he was very aggressive. Although, now, we do have some guys that are developing some home run potential with Koskie, Hunter and David Ortiz. So you're going to pick your spots, but I'm sure we will be somewhat aggressive."
Another of the responsibilities of the third-base coach is to offer a high-five/handshake to the runner as he rounds third base after hitting a home run. Newman laughed when asked about the easiest part of his job.
"No, I'm not practicing that yet," he said. "Right now I'm trying to get a sequence of order with some signs. Because I'm sure I'll be watched a lot more closely in the Major Leagues as far as giving the signs to the hitters with some of the veteran managers and coaches trying to steal signs."
So, while the Twins are still surrounded in a bit of uncertainty with regards to contraction, the organization is pushing forward and hoping for the best. Finally naming a coaching staff is one more step in what many feel could still be a great year for the Twins.
"It's a pleasure to be a part of something that could be special here in the next two or three years," Newman said. "And under the guidance of Gardenhire, I'm sure it will be a fun atmosphere that will be conducive to winning."
Kris Lien is the site manager for twinsbaseball.com and can be reached at krislien@twinsbaseball.com
http://www.mlb.com/min/photo/2002_news/ph_news_newman288_010702.jpg
Former fan-favorite Al Newman returns to Minnesota as the new third base coach for the Twins.