Minnesota Twins: Hunter a Managerial Candidate?
In an earlier piece I wrote about the prospect of David Ortiz potentially being a suitable candidate for the Minnesota Twins hitting coach position, I found it to be just a fun little hypothetical situation.
So why not toss out another hypothetical?
As I’ve written about before, with the firing of Terry Ryan, one can’t help but question Paul Molitor’s job security. That said, what do you think would happen if Molitor were to be let go?
I have one name who might be an intriguing candidate: Torii Hunter.
Sure, Hunter has had no managerial experience but neither did Molitor. The reason Hunter came to mind when I was thinking about potential other options was how the team performed last season.
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Yes, Molitor did have a large part in the way the team performed but clearly, one of the biggest motivating forces was the leadership of Hunter in his final year.
He brought back a sense of fun while not sacrificing the urgency to succeed.
And perhaps the most important; he started the locker room dance parties.
While I don’t believe Hunter is a realistic choice, the way the 2015 Minnesota Twins played with Hunter compared to this year’s squad without him has been glaring.
If given a shot, could he be an ideal candidate?
The way I look at it, he seems to be a very modern candidate compared to the old school natures of Molitor and for that matter Ron Gardenhire.
Like my reasoning for Ortiz as well as why the Minnesota Twins had brought on Molitor, Hunter would bring with him an immediate sense of respect which is a vital to the managerial position.
He would also be invaluable as a defensive-minded coach. As a nine-time Gold Glover, Hunter clearly knows how to play defense and would be able to share his expertise to much of the team.
Not only that but he should have the full backing of the entire organization as he is one of the most beloved players to put on a Minnesota Twins uniform.
Again, I don’t find this to be a scenario we will see anytime soon, and really hope not to as that would mean the Twins would have to continue to struggle if Molitor is let go.
So who else would join Hunter’s hypothetical staff? I already said Ortiz as the hitting coach in a previous post.
Brad Radke as the pitching coach?
Corey Koskie as the bench coach?
It seems more likely we would see Doug Mientkiewicz as the next Minnesota Twins manager than Hunter as he was one of the finalists for the position before Molitor was hired on.
Still, it’s always fun to think of former players who would bring an intense and passionate attitude to the Minnesota Twins.