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Al Newman hired at Apple Valley

  • Blog Post by: Brian Stensaas
  • August 24, 2010 - 3:51 PM

Al Newman might have only hit one Major League home run, but he's been around baseball all of his life. And now there's a new chapter.

Newman, the former Twins player who helped the team win World Series titles in 1987 and 1991 and then went on to coach the team at various levels, has accepted the head baseball coaching position at Apple Valley High School. He has been a coach for the American Legion team there the past two seasons.

Newman, 50, managed the Twins' Class AA New Britain Rock Cats in 1996 and 1997, was a bench coach at Class AAA Salt City in 1998 and managed the Gulf Coast League Twins from 1999-2001. He then was the third base coach for the big league club from 2002-05. He suffered a brain hemorrhage during pregame warm-ups in Chicago in 2003 but remained active.

Newman's love for the game never wavered. He was a scout for the Diamondbacks in 2006 and since 2008 has hosted a weekly sports talk show in the southern suburbs in addition to his youth coaching.

“I tell kids, I remember [Jason] Kubel and [Torii] Hunter and [Justin] Morneau when they were around their age,” Newman said Tuesday. “By no means do I take credit for what they’ve accomplished, but I know where they came from. They still had to learn nuances to get where they have in their careers.
“I miss the daily grind. This gives me opportunity to be a teacher and game steward again. Prepare kids to hit cutoff man, hit the ball to opposite field. Back to the nuts and bolts of being a ball player.”

Newman also established "Newmie Rewards," a business that helps raise money and buy equipment for athletes and teams in the area.

 

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