Hartman: Molitor would be ideal pick for Twins

If Paul Molitor is not named manager of the Twins, it is my opinion it will only be because he and General Manager Terry Ryan can't agree on salary, coaches or some other significant detail.

Over the years, Molitor didn't pursue manager openings in Seattle, Toronto and Milwaukee when those clubs expressed interest in him. He preferred to continue working with the Twins' minor league players at the time.

It's a different story now. He joined the Twins' coaching staff for the 2014 season, and he is ready to manage the Twins.

Twins CEO Jim Pohlad and President Dave St. Peter will have a say in the selecting of the new manager, like they had in the firing of Ron Gardenhire, and Pohlad and St. Peter are great Molitor fans.

And yes, there is no doubt that St. Peter wanted Molitor added to the coaching staff in 2013 and Molitor was ready to accept the position, but Gardenhire had other ideas.

It was a different story before the 2014 season. When Gardenhire signed a two-year contract, part of the contract deal was that Molitor was going to be on Gardenhire's staff.

Certainly the Twins' poor record the past four years was one reason Gardenhire was fired, but another big reason was how tough it would be to sell season tickets and sponsorships if a change wasn't made.

Molitor is one of the most popular athletes from this area who competed in pro sports. The St. Paul native's name would sell tickets, and Molitor can personally work to keep some of the big corporate sponsors involved.

Furthermore, the players love Molitor. They made it clear how much he has helped them in conversations with the media. Molitor is a Hall of Fame player and been a winner all of his life. He will turn the Twins' record around, but like any other manager, he has to have the players who have the ability to win.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer admires the ability of Aaron Rodgers, but Zimmer also has had success planning against the Packers quarterback when he was Cincinnati's defensive coordinator.

In two games against the Packers, Zimmer and the Bengals defense held Rodgers to a 57 percent completion percentage — his third-lowest total against any NFL team he's played at least twice — defeated him both times. That fact gives the Vikings a plus in their effort to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field on Thursday.

Rodgers posted a 73.5 quarterback rating against the Bengals when Zimmer was there, and only the Patriots and Eagles were more effective in shutting him down. In those two games against the Bengals, he passed for 252.5 yards per game and completed 47 of 82 passes with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Zimmer faced Rodgers last season and the Bengals won 34-30 after trailing 30-14 late in the third quarter. Rodgers completed 26 of 43 passes for 244 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in that contest.

"They're really good, they're really good," Zimmer said about the Packers offense, recalling the Bengals' victory last year. "It was a heck of a football game and we were fortunate enough to win that day. They are a very good football team."

Zimmer also faced Rodgers in 2009 when the Bengals defeated Green Bay 31-24 at Lambeau Field. Rodgers completed 21 of 39 passes with one touchdown in that game.

"Obviously Rodgers is a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback," Zimmer. "He has a tremendous arm, great feet and he's always a challenge. He's outstanding. He can make every throw, plus his mobility makes it harder for you."

The oddsmakers have the Packers as nine-point favorites on Thursday. It will take another great defensive game plan for the Vikings to get their first victory at Lambeau since 2009.

• The Vikings' performance with Bridgewater at the helm in their 41-28 victory over the Falcons improved their Super Bowl odds from 200-1 in Week 4 to 75-1 heading into Week 5, according to Bovada, a Las Vegas sports book.

• Rodney Harrison, who won two Super Bowl rings as a safety for the Patriots, talking about Bridgewater on NBC last weekend: "The athleticism is obvious, but the thing I liked about him was his body language. He was relaxed. He was poised. And even in tense situations, he was cool. He kind of reminded me of Russell Wilson."

• After the Vikings rushed for a season-high 241 yards against the Falcons, they have a chance for another big game on the ground against the Packers. Green Bay has the league's worst run defense, allowing 176 yards per game.

• The Packers' running game is having a rough season, sitting at 28th in the NFL with only 73 rushing yards per game. In two of the four games, running back James Starks hasn't carried the ball once behind Eddie Lacy. Packers coach Mike McCarthy told the Green Bay Press-Gazette that will change.

"James Starks should touch the football every single game. That will not happen again," McCarthy said.

• Timberwolves General Manager Milt Newton will have a recreational center in the Virgin Islands, where he was born and raised, named after him. The government in the Virgin Islands earlier this week voted unanimously to rename the Bordeaux Recreational Facility after him. Newton, a member of the 1988 NCAA championship team at Kansas, is entering his second year as Wolves GM.