Will Mientkiewicz boast hurt shot at Twins job?
The Twins love that managerial candidate Doug Mientkiewicz is feisty. But did he go a bit overboard with his comments in today’s St. Paul Pioneer Press?
Mientkiewicz, the former Twins player who won praise for managing Class A Fort Myers to its first Florida State League title in 22 years, appears to be a finalist for the Twins job, along with at least Hall of Famer Paul Molitor and perhaps Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo. The Twins probably won’t make such a key decision based on one overexuberant quote in a newspaper, but Mientkiewicz seemed to get a little carried away.
“I think I’ve proven wherever I’ve gone I’ve won,” Mientkiewicz told the St. Paul paper.
That may not seem too big a boast for some. But it doesn’t really fit the Twins’ usual understated style.
And it’s true Mientkiewicz by all accounts has done an excellent job his two years in Fort Myers after starting his coaching career as a rookie ball hitting coach in the Dodgers organization. And it’s also true he played on four postseason teams, including the historic 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox.
One of the things the Twins are said to like best about Mientkiewicz is his confidence. But the comment seemed strong for someone who’s competing with Hall of Famer Molitor, a former Twins great, St. Paul native and current Twins coach who has been seen as the favorite for the job. Mientkiewicz is viewed as a long shot, so maybe he’s trying to make up ground.
“I think they all understand what I bring,” he told the St. Paul paper.
Then, asked by the Pioneer Press what tops the list of attributes, he responded, “Energy. I think I’ve proven wherever I’ve gone I’ve won. That’s pretty much why I got a chance to interview for this thing. I’ve worked with every player that’s going to turn this thing around for us the last two years. I think they all had career years. They did what they were supposed to do, and that’s a positive for me and the coaching staff I had.”
Mientkiewicz made other more benign comments. “It’s been great. It’s been enlightening,” Mientkiewicz said about the process. “They’ve known me for a long time. They kind of watched me grow up. It was definitely a learning experience for everybody involved.”
The Twins do love his energy. But his comment about his history of winning doesn’t seem to fit their usual low-key sensibility.
I tried to check with Twins GM Terry Ryan about his reaction to Mientkiewicz’s comments. But characterstically, Ryan didn’t respond.
That’s the way they usually do things around the Twins.
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