Minnesota Twins inching closer to naming a manager
There appears to be some traction in the Minnesota Twins’ search for a new manager, as the team has ruled out yet another known candidate. ESPN 1500’s Darren Wolfson reported Friday afternoon that Joe McEwing was no longer in the mix.
Possible sign #MNTwins are getting closer to naming a manager: source tells me Joe McEwing is out of the mix.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) October 17, 2014
It still remains to be seen when – and who – the team will name their next manager.
Major League Baseball tends to frown on teams making major announcements during the World Series. The Twins could look to make a decision prior to Tuesday’s Game 1.
McEwing has long been touted as a future MLB manager. McEwing enjoyed a nine year career as a utility player with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, and Houston Astros. In 754 games across the diamond (1,944 PA), primarily at second base and in left field, he batted .251/.302/.355. Beginning with the 2008 season he served as hitting coach and manager within the Chicago White Sox minor leagues system before ultimately joining the big league staff as third base coach.
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Minnesota was been rumored to have interviewed at least eight candidates since the start of October: Paul Molitor, High-A Fort Myers manager Doug Mientkiewicz, Boston Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo, Baltimore Orioles bench coach John Russell, Oakland A’s bench coach Chip Hale (who has since been hired by the Arizona Diamondbacks), Cleveland Indians first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., Triple-A Rochester manager Gene Glynn, Toronto Blue Jays bench coach Demarlo Hale, and McEwing.
There were some early indications that Molitor might be the favorite, but the further away from his interview the team gets the less likely he would appear to be the one getting the role. He and Mientkiewicz could potentially be in the mix for a position on the coaching staff but neither seems like the best overall candidate for this role. Hale, Alomar, and Lovullo are names that have come up in consideration for other positions in recent years but they’ve yet to get their chance.
It’s tough to pinpoint who the favorite might be at this point. Wolfson noted via Twitter that Lovullo “nailed” his interview. He may arguably be a favorite at this point. Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press relays that Russell’s interview could take place this weekend, now that the Orioles’ season is done. The Twins needed to wait for Baltimore to be eliminated to speak with him. He will presumably be the last candidate to be formally interviewed.