Guardado among trio formally hired to Twins coaching staff

Eddie Guardado says Neil Allen might be as upbeat and energetic about baseball as he is. So is it too early to call the Twins' pitching leadership Everyday Eddie and Nightly Neil?

"He sure seems excited and energetic, and he wants to bring that to the ballpark every day. He wants us to have fun," Guardado, formally hired Tuesday by the Twins as their bullpen coach, said of Allen, the new pitching coach. "Every day is not always going to be a good one, but our job is to make sure that when [the pitchers] hit that door [to the field], it's game on."

The pair of former major league closers were added to manager Paul Molitor's staff Tuesday, along with holdover Joe Vavra, who will serve as bench coach. Vavra, who has also been the hitting, first- and third-base coach in his decade with the Twins, will coordinate spring training and the team's daily schedule, head up the team's video analysis and coach the catchers. He and Molitor will also consult during the game about strategy.

"I am totally pumped about the new position. Who wouldn't be?" Vavra, 55, said via text message. "We have a talented organization of players to get it done with. Being persistent, understanding patience, and creating a positive environment are all attainable in the near future. Let the task begin."

For Allen, the first true outsider among the new dugout staff, it will begin with individual meetings with each Twins pitcher, since he is mostly unfamiliar with them. But a new perspective is what Molitor and General Manager Terry Ryan were after.

"We decided to start fresh. This is an opportunity for both parties to pave our new way here," Ryan said after selecting the 56-year-old among "several" candidates he interviewed to succeed Rick Anderson, the pitching coach for each of Ron Gardenhire's 13 seasons as manager. "It'll be a challenge. We've got issues here, we know that. We know that Neil is not afraid of it."

The Twins staff has owned one of the three worst ERAs in the major leagues in each of the past four years and has struck out fewer batters than any team. That's the challenge Allen and Guardado face, and both cite their attitude and energy — Guardado, 44, earned the nickname "Everyday Eddie" for his willingness to work, after all — as important attributes.

The Rays pitchers Allen worked with for the past eight seasons did. Pitchers such as Chris Archer, Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi, each of whom won at least 10 games for Tampa Bay in 2014, were pupils of Allen's at Class AAA Durham, and Ryan said: "I didn't find anyone to say anything other than, 'This guy is a legitimate major league pitching coach.' All he needs is an opportunity."

Guardado, elected to the Twins Hall of Fame in 2013, has never been a full-time coach, but he has spent the past three springs working with Twins relievers. He said Molitor called him shortly after being hired and asked if he would be interested, and he jumped at the chance.

"A lot of guys helped me on the way up — Rick Aguilera, Rick Anderson, Kirby [Puckett]," Guardado said. "It's time for me to give back, to help the next generation learn how to win."

Vavra and hitting coach Tom Brunansky, along with Molitor, are the only members of Gardenhire's staff to return for 2015. Rudy Hernandez will be assistant hitting coach and Gene Glynn the third-base coach, with a first-base coach still to be hired. Ryan confirmed Anderson, Bobby Cuellar, Terry Steinbach and Scott Ullger will not be back.