First, my personal Paul Molitor story.

I got to work one day in my rookie year at the Minneapolis Tribune and was called into the editor's office. I was actually a temporary employee at the time, working nights and doing whatever needed to be done in the sports department, and that night what needed to be done was to go to Paul Molitor's house in St. Paul.

He'd just finished his rookie season in Milwaukee and his mother, Kathy, had just found out that Paul had been named the Sporting News Rookie of the Year among American League position players. She'd called, asking if we wanted to do a story. Paul would be hone in an hour or so, Kathy said.

There was only one condition: We couldn't tell Paul that mom had told us the news.

I don't remember much about the story, but I remember sitting in the living room talking about this and that and some baseball and some other stuff. We were about the same age and had longer hair than we do now. He was engaging and smart. I've only talked to him a few of times since, including once at the Metrodome to offer condolences after his mom died. (Note to young journalists: Parents are great sources. Get to know 'em. Note to readers: Yeah, I'm probably older than you.)

Now, on to what's happening with the Twins. The interesting thing about much of the angst over Molitor's selection being a safe choice is that it's really no such thing.

Is it safe to hire a manager who hasn't held that job at any level? A Hall of Famer when the track record of really good players-turned-manages isn't good? A guy who was a union activist in his playing days? There are all kinds of things that would make Molitor look like an outside-the-box pick if it wasn't for his connections to the Twins and to the Pohlad family. (In addition to the baseball ties, one of Carl Pohlad's grandchildren and one of Molitor's children co-own a juice bar in Uptown.)

So the choice is between being cynical about the hire or wondering -- by accident or design -- if the Twins have latched themselves to a different kind of manager who can return the team to competence. For what it's worth, he was seen as an outsider in Ron Gardenhire's tightly knit coaching staff, which Molitor joined last season. He's interesting to listen to when he's talking baseball. I suspect there will be fewer quips and more depth coming from the manager's office.

As much as anything, I'm intrigued by how some of Molitor's experiences, beyond being an excellent hitter and base runner, will have an impact on the way he'll manage. He was a moved from position to position to position early in his career to make room for others, once expressing frustration by wondering publicly whether he'd become Milwaukee's closer if the future Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers left the team. His drug issues during the 1980s have been well chronicled, and may give him a better understanding than other managers of choices facing younger players. He was around the game long enough to know the impact and influence veteran players can have on less experienced ones. Maybe having several seasons cut short by injuries taught him about keys to staying healthy that can be applied to others.

I got the impression from listening to Molitor on his first day of talking about the job that he feels a different tone needs to be set with the Twins. Tone doesn't win baseball games, but being a step ahead of what's happening on the field won't hurt. I was especially intrigued to read what Brian Dozier and Glen Perkins said about learning from Molitor in this story by Chip Scoggins. You can study baseball's advanced metrics, which are a good thing, all you want -- but examples cited by the players are a lesson in how the numbers can come alive on the field.

In Terry Ryan's role, you can get blasted for whatever choice you make, especially in hindsight.

If the highlight of Molitor's tenure is the words that were spoken at Target Field on Tuesday, shame on the Twins for choosing someone who'd never managed. If the Twins had chosen Doug Mientkiewicz and that flopped, shame on the Twins for thinking that success in the low minors would mean anything in the majors. Choose a coach with a good reputation from elsewhere and you'd wonder why that guy didn't get the other jobs he was seeking. Choose a guy who'd managed elsewhere and it's the old boys' club at work.

Oh, and there's this one: Pass over Joe Maddon? Using hindsight, Maddon-to-the-Cubs was pretty well ordained about 15 seconds from the time he opted out of his Tampa Bay contract.

Honestly, I don't know whether this is a good or bad hire -- and you don't, either. The Twins have done so many things to antagonize their fans over the last couple of years that I understand if Molitor's hiring doesn't bring you any closer to Target Field for now. What I do know is that my interest is piqued about what will follow this winter -- and what will come of it next season. Molitor and the Twins won that battle on Tuesday.