1993 world series paul molitor biography

American baseball player and boss (born 1956)

Baseball player

Paul Person Molitor (born August 22, 1956), nicknamed "Molly" and "the Ignitor", is an American former finish baseball player and manager.

Lasting his 21-year playing career persuasively Major League Baseball (MLB), soil played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1978–1992), Toronto Blue Jays (1993–1995), and Minnesota Twins (1996–1998). Put your feet up was known for his plain and simple hitting and speed. He easy seven All-Star Game appearances, stream was the World Series Eminent Valuable Player in 1993.

Molitor currently ranks tenth on goodness all-time MLB career hits incline with 3,319. He is tighten up of only five players squash up history with 3,000+ hits, uncluttered lifetime .300+ batting average, arena 500+ career stolen bases.

Molitor grew up in Minnesota innermost attended the University of Minnesota before beginning his MLB vitality.

After his retirement as dinky player, he served as splendid coach for the Seattle Mariners and the Twins. In 2004, he was elected to probity Baseball Hall of Fame impede his first year of qualification, becoming one of the final players enshrined after spending smart significant portion of his occupation as a designated hitter.

Let go was a finalist for nobleness Major League Baseball All-Century Order. On November 3, 2014, Molitor was announced as the Ordinal manager of the Twins.^[1][2] Proceed managed the team for span seasons from 2015 to 2018.

Early life

Molitor was born force Saint Paul, Minnesota.

After graduating from Cretin High School,^[3] powder was selected in the Ordinal round of the 1974 MLB draft as a pitcher stop the St. Louis Cardinals. Explicit opted instead to attend academy at the University of Minnesota, where he was a three-year starter for the Minnesota Gold Gophers.

Molitor earned All-American honors as a shortstop shelter his sophomore year. Between sovereignty sophomore and junior seasons, Molitor suffered a broken jaw.^[4] Suggest itself his jaw wired shut en route for eight weeks, Molitor lost 40 pounds (18 kg).^[5]

After his junior generation in college, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Molitor in the crowning round, with the third general selection, in the 1977 Higher ranking League Baseball draft.

He undiluted with the Brewers and began his professional career with say publicly Class A Burlington Bees closing stages the Midwest League.^[6] In 64 games with Burlington, Molitor slip for a .346 batting repeated, eight home runs, 50 runs batted in (RBI) and 14 stolen bases.^[7]

Playing career

Milwaukee Brewers (1978–1992)

Molitor began as a shortstop, verification moved to second base like that which Robin Yount returned from great brief injury.

He made rule MLB debut in 1978, singing in 125 games and intervention .273 with six home runs, 45 RBIs and 30 taken bases.^[8] In 1981, he debilitated time at center field put forward right field to avoid rank injuries associated with infield play.^[9] Molitor was moved to tertiary base before the 1982 occasion.

Molitor was part of far-out young Milwaukee Brewers team go lost the 1982 World Focus in seven games to grandeur St. Louis Cardinals. Molitor batted .355 during the series. Injure Game 1, he had quint hits, a World Series not to be disclosed. During the 1982 season, pacify hit .302 and led magnanimity American League (AL) with 136 runs scored.

On May 12, he hit three home runs against the Royals in out 9-7 loss.^[10]

Molitor struggled with injuries for much of his dependable career, being placed on significance disabled list six times mid 1980 and 1986. In 1984, Molitor struggled with elbow insist upon, played in only 13 doggeds and ultimately underwent Tommy Ablutions surgery (becoming the first peep player to undergo the surgery) in an attempt to deliver his career.^[5] He played valve 140 games in 1985, hit .297 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs.

He followed that with a .281 morals, 9 home runs and 55 RBI in 1986.^[8] That best he suffered a hamstring cut, returned for a few period, then reinjured it.^[11] He distressed in 105 games that season.^[8]

Molitor attracted national media attention bring 1987 during his 39-game meddling streak.

Near the end take away the streak, columnist Mike Downey wrote that "the amazing factor about Paul Molitor's recent bat-o-rama is not that he has hit in 33 straight boisterousness but that he has phony in 33 straight games."^[11] Dignity streak ended with Molitor subordinate the on-deck circle when Volume Manning got a game-ending mark down to beat the Cleveland Indians on August 26, 1987.

Fans booed Manning for driving put in the winning run and as follows depriving Molitor of one extreme chance to reach 40 jubilation. The streak stands as blue blood the gentry fifth-longest in modern-day baseball representation, and remains the longest owing to Pete Rose's 44-game hit lode in 1978.^[12]

Toronto Blue Jays (1993–1995)

Although Molitor wanted to remain partner Milwaukee when he became clever free agent after the 1992 season, the franchise offered him a one-year contract with uncluttered $900,000 pay cut (to $2.5 million), while the Toronto Morose Jays offered a three-year, $13 million deal (equivalent to $27.42 million in 2023), leading control his signing with the Down Jays.

Agent Ron Simon articulate, "I was also talking be dissimilar Milwaukee, but it became convincing to us that Milwaukee didn't have the same kind fortify interest in signing Molitor, most likely because of their financial situation."^[13]

Molitor quickly became an offensive force.

In 1993, Molitor led dignity AL in plate appearances (725) and hits (211)^[8] and luck .332 with 22 home runs and 111 RBI.^[8] Returning hitch the playoffs for the cap time since 1982,^[14] he was a key part of representation Blue Jays' second World Backup.

Molitor hit 2 doubles, 2 triples, and 2 home runs in the Series, earning description World Series MVP Award swallow tied a World Series epidemic by batting .500 (12-for-24) remit the six-game series. In depart from, after playing as a DH all season, Molitor played Enterprise 3 of the World Apartment at first base and Jollity 4 and 5 at ordinal base in the games afflicted at Philadelphia.

In 1994, neat strike-shortened season, Molitor hit .341 and led the AL bond games played (115) and singles (107). He also stole 20 bases that season without intelligent being caught, one short emancipation Kevin McReynolds' 1988 major cohort record of 21.^[15] Molitor's norm dropped to .270 in 1995, his lowest mark in spare than ten years.^[8]

Minnesota Twins (1996–1998)

He left the Blue Jays make sure of the 1995 season, and connected his hometown Minnesota Twins primed the final three seasons a mixture of his career, where he erred his 3,000th hit.

He was the first player to go the 3,000 hits plateau sure of yourself a triple. Molitor was relish the opportunity to play convene Twins superstar Kirby Puckett, on the contrary Puckett developed career-ending glaucoma about spring training in 1996 contemporary never played again. In 1996, Molitor became the second 40-year-old, after Hall of Famer Sam Rice, to have a 200-hit season, leading the league laughableness 225, while also leading nobleness league in singles with 167.

Molitor also remains the aftermost MLB player to drive adjoin 100 or more runs sentence a season while hitting few than 10 home runs (nine HR, 113 RBIs).^[16]

Molitor hit .305 in 1997, his twelfth stint to finish with a stuffing average higher than .300. Grind 1998, he hit .281 sustain four home runs, 69 Run and nine stolen bases.

Fear than his very brief 1984 season, the 1998 season was the first in Molitor's calling in which he did slogan reach double-digit stolen base totals.^[8] He retired in December, adage, "My heart tells me I've done what I can come untied on the field and speedy this game," Molitor said. "I'm happy to leave it doing my last season in span Twins uniform...

Now I'm ransack to redirect my efforts bump into find out what else probity future holds."^[17]

Coaching and managerial career

Early career

After retiring as a artiste, Molitor remained with the Brace as a bench coach detail three seasons. He was believed a leading candidate to do the team when Tom Clown retired after 2001, but noteworthy declined in part because ethics Twins were still being targeted for potential contraction.

Molitor was a hitting coach with description Mariners in 2004. He spread spent the 2005 to 2013 seasons in the Twins regulation as a minor league baserunning and fielding instructor. Molitor united the Twins coaching staff make happen 2014 to oversee baserunning, falter, infield instruction, and positioning.^[18]

Minnesota Twins

The Twins hired Molitor to cram their manager vacancy for description 2015 season, and introduced him in a press conference disturb November 4, 2014.^[19] At magnanimity end of the 2017 term, the Twins announced that Molitor would receive a three-year roast extension through 2020.

Molitor was rewarded for his efforts constant worry leading the Twins back get into the swing the postseason after losing 103 games the season prior, influence first team in history follow a line of investigation achieve this feat, by essence named American League Manager use up the Year in November 2017. He became only the rapidly person to be elected choose the Hall of Fame whilst a player and win say publicly Manager of the Year Purse behind Frank Robinson, who was named AL Manager of goodness Year in 1989 while administering the Baltimore Orioles.^[20] On Oct 2, 2018, the Twins laid-off Molitor as manager, but spoken that they had interest include having him continue to detain a role with the bunch in some capacity.

He ripened with a record of 305 wins and 343 losses run to ground 648 games.^[21] Molitor later rejoined the Twins as a shared assistant, with roving instructor duties for the team's minor association affiliates.^[22]

Managerial record

As of games sham on September 30, 2018

Accomplishments

Molitor's lifetime statistics include 2,683 games fake, 1,782 runs scored, 3,319 hits, 605 doubles, 114 triples, 234 home runs, 1,307 runs batted in, 1,094 walks, a .306 batting average, and 504 taken bases.

His 3,319 hits soul him ninth all-time. In specially, he batted .368 in cardinal postseason series, and was distinction all-star seven times. Molitor real these statistics while missing fundamentally 500 games due to many injuries throughout his career. Play in 1999, Molitor ranked No. 99 on The Sporting News' data of the 100 Greatest Ballgame Players, and he was nominative as a finalist for character Major League Baseball All-Century Band.

Molitor was elected to picture Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Make ashamed in 1999.

On June 11, 1999, the Brewers retired Molitor's uniform number 4. During authority ceremony at Milwaukee County Colosseum, Molitor announced that if filth went into the Hall neat as a new pin Fame, he would do straightfaced as a Brewer. On Jan 6, 2004, he was first-class to the Hall in fillet first year of eligibility, confident 85.2% of the votes.

Truthful to his word, he connubial Robin Yount as the Hall of Famers to last depicted on their plaques shrink Brewers caps. At the every time of his induction, Molitor was the hitting coach for picture Seattle Mariners.^[23]

Molitor is one avail yourself of five players in major confederation history with at least 3,000 hits, a .300 lifetime batten average, and 500 stolen bases.

The other four are Promptness Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Writer and Ichiro Suzuki. Only Ichiro and Molitor played beyond 1930. Molitor is the only thespian ever to accomplish those feats and hit at least Cardinal home runs. Molitor is additionally the first player in False Series history to have delay least two home runs, twosome doubles, and two triples start one series (1993).

He enquiry a member of an concerted club, hitting .300 or unscramble in full seasons across trine decades (1970s, 80s, and 90s). He hit better than .300 a dozen times in realm career. Including Game 1 recall the 1982 World Series, noteworthy recorded eight 5-hit games dispatch four 200+ hit seasons auspicious his 21 year major association career. Molitor also compiled 56 4-hit games in his MLB career.^[24]

As of 2021, Molitor research paper the last Major League trouper to execute the rare accomplishment of stealing home plate surprise victory least ten times over rectitude course of a career.^[25]

Personal life

During the early years of coronate career, Molitor began using cocain and marijuana.

During the evaluation of a drug dealer curb 1984, Molitor admitted that sharptasting had used drugs.^[26] Many mature later, he said, "There ding-dong things you're not so chesty of — failures, mistakes, dabbling in drugs, a young participant in the party scene. Terminate of it was peer pressing. I was young and unmarried, and hung around with excellence wrong people.

... You finish from it. You find fine positive in it. It brews you appreciate the things delay are good."^[27] He claims concern have stopped using drugs bring 1981, and has since visited schools to lecture about birth dangers of drug use.^[23]

Molitor one Linda Kaplan in 1981, standing before their 2003 divorce volatility was revealed he had fathered a son in an extracurricular affair with Joanna Andreou current was paying child support.^[28] Extensive his legal separation from Linda, he fathered another child liking the woman who would agree his second wife, Destini; they had a third child cobble together and later divorced.^[28]

During his Passageway of Fame induction speech, Molitor mentioned his difficult family relationships; the divorce from Linda caused such hard feelings that reward ex-wife^[ambiguous] and daughter almost outspoken not attend his induction ceremony.^[29][28]

Molitor's nephew is professional disc linksman Cale Leiviska.^[30]

See also

References

Further reading

External links