New York --
I haven't written about Paul Molitor's job status in a while, because my colleagues checked that box. But after listening to Molitor in a news conference at Yankee Stadium, it's hard for me to imagine anyone else managing this group of players next spring, and yet he has still not been rewarded with a new contract or even an assurance that he will return.
And I think that's wrong.
Molitor is a very good manager. This year his own front office gave up on the team at the trading deadline, and Molitor steered the team to the playoffs. Molitor should be a manager of the year candidate, if not the winner of the award.
He also handles the lesser parts of the job well. He's an insightful and honest spokesperson for the team. He has strong relationships with the Twins' most valuable players. He is respected even by players who might wish he used them more often.
To me, Molitor is an ideal manager. Why Falvine -- president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine -- would make Molitor twist in the wind is beyond me, unless they plan to replace him at the end of the season or remain undecided.
I've had a number of conversations with current and former members of the Twins' organization. I've heard some good things about Falvine - that they don't drive employees to work crazy hours the way Terry Ryan did, that they're smart and, yes, analytical.
I've also heard that they can be remarkably impersonal.
