Twins Pitching Coach Search Down To Two
The Minnesota Twins had to look for a new manager for the first time in over a decade this offseason. After naming Paul Molitor to the post, there was no other more important role to fill than that of pitching coach. With consistently bad efforts on the mound, the Twins needed a new leader to right the ship.
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After Rick Anderson was notified he would not be back with the club, names like Bert Blyleven and Frank Viola surfaced as potential candidates. Although they have since fallen by the wayside, and quite possibly were never considered altogether, the search now appears to be down to two.
LaVelle Neal is reporting that only Neil Allen and Carl Willis remain as candidates in the running for the position.
Source: Neil Allen and Carl Willis are the finalists to be the Twins' pitching coach. That story will be posted in an hour or so...
— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) November 20, 2014
Neil Allen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and currently is employed as the Triple-A pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays affiliate, the Durham Bulls.
Carl Willis is a former Major League Baseball reliever who did spend some time in his career pitching for the Twins. Willis was the Cleveland Indians pitching coach from 2003 to 2009 and then was employed in the same role until 2014 by the Seattle Mariners.
What might be most important for Twins Territorians to remember is that neither of these men bring the same ideas that have been groomed by the Twins organization. Some outsider perspective and fresh views may be exactly what the Twins need to revitalize their pitching staff.
Look for a decision to be made in the coming days.