Hall of Famer takes little credit for his
enshrinement
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Paul Molitor accepted none of the credit Sunday in
his Hall of Fame induction speech.
Sunday was the perfect day for this
speech. You could tell that with the first words out of Molitor's
mouth:
"This truly is a glorious day that the
Lord has made."
That was the touchstone, not only for
Molitor's remarks upon his induction. That was the core of the way he
viewed his career, the career that put him eighth on the all-time hits
list, the career that brought him to this July afternoon at the Clark
Sports Center.
Molitor believes that a player can take
credit for the effort he put into the game, but at the base of it
cannot take credit for his achievements, because those sprang from
abilities that are God-given.
"I'd like to thank God for his many, many
blessings in my life, including my salvation that he's allowed me
through His son Jesus," Molitor said near the close of his remarks. "I
know the giftedness I had to play this game came from Him. You know,
why someone can hit a 95 mile-per-hour fastball and someone else can't,
certainly isn't something you can take credit for.
"So, Lord, I give you all the glory for
all the things you've allowed me to accomplish, including induction
into the Hall of Fame."
It was not surprising, then, that
Molitor's speech was heavy on human recollections and light on his own
achievements. His 21-year Major League journey through Milwaukee,
Toronto and back home to Minnesota -- in his retelling -- focused on
the people who had meant the most to him.
"The baseball memories are great,"
Molitor said, "but when you think about it, the people memories are
even better."
Molitor was composed and precise and
upbeat through most of his address, appearing to be overtaken with
emotion only at the points when he spoke of his parents, who are now
both deceased. He had a long list of friends, family members,
teammates, managers, coaches and fans to thank, starting with his
boyhood, and he covered the entire landscape.
To the delight of the Milwaukee fans on
hand at the Clark Sports Center, Molitor paid particular tribute to
fellow Hall of Famer and former Brewer teammate Robin Yount. Molitor
suggested that his first big league camp, in 1978, did not begin
auspiciously.
"I went through some pretty ugly days
early in camp," he said. "There was even one day when (then Brewer
coach) Frank Howard asked me if the scout was drunk when he signed me.
But somehow, I made the Opening Day roster, largely due to an injury to
Robin. It was the beginning of a very memorable 15 years in Milwaukee.
"One of the best parts about my time in
Milwaukee was that Robin Yount and Jim Gantner were my teammates the
entire time I was there. ... What can I say about Robin? I learned so
much from Robin. Although we were contemporaries in age, he had played
in the big leagues four years before I got there. Robin had a simple
philosophy about playing: 'What can I do to help my team win today?'
And believe me, there were a lot of things that Robin Yount could do to
help his team win. I'm honored to follow him into the Hall as the
second player to wear a Brewers hat on his plaque.
Molitor's stature in the game was secured
by this induction, but his stature as an individual was also bolstered
by the comments of another Hall of Famer. Harmon Killebrew was given
special recognition Sunday, and it was fitting in more ways than one.
Growing up in St. Paul, Molitor said that Killebrew was his idol when
Killebrew was belting home runs and leading the Minnesota Twins.
"He's baseball," Killebrew said of
Molitor. "He's he kind of a guy you'd like to have as your brother,
your teammate, your friend."
And he also turned out to be the kind of
a guy who would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Paul Molitor got to
Cooperstown Sunday. Regardless of where the credit is bestowed, he had
a lightning-quick bat, foot speed, the versatility to play defensively
wherever he was asked, the desire to excel and the baseball
intelligence to turn almost any situation to his advantage. The Hall
wasn't a specific goal of his, Molitor said. But the way he played the
game, the way he loved the game, this had to become his eventual
destination.
"My dreams never took me to Cooperstown,"
Molitor said. "Like most of these (Hall of Fame members) and probably
all of them, I didn't play the game to get here. I played the game
because I loved it. That being said, it's the Hall of Fame. It's that
magical place, it's that place that transcends time. Baseball is
respectful, traditional, simple and pure."
January 6 2004- Molitor, Eckersley are Hall bound
Sandberg, Sutter, Rice, Dawson all fall short in vote
By Tom Singer / MLB.com
• Announcement by Hall of Fame president Dale
Petroskey
NEW YORK -- They were both unique, helping define an entire baseball
era in their inimitable ways.
Paul Molitor and Dennis Eckersley now share a heady layer of
distinction, as the newest electees for induction into the National
Baseball Hall of Fame.
The results of voting by 506 members of the Baseball Writers
Association of America, announced Tuesday, exclusively on MLB.com, by
Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey, confirmed the immortal eminence
of two men who took the long road to their places among the game's
greatest.
The midday notification phone calls from BBWAA secretary-treasurer Jack
O'Connell staggered both honorees.
"It was the most overwhelming experience of my life," said Eckersley,
the glib, animated bullpen ace of the 1980s Oakland A's. "I'm proud and
honored to have gotten that call. It's unbelievable."
"It was a great relief, and a great honor, for the call to come
through," said Molitor, whose sharp eye and level swing carved numbers
into the diamond not seen since the '20s. "To think of your plaque
joining the others already hanging in Cooperstown ... it's almost
surreal."
With 380 votes the threshold for the 75-percent plurality needed for
election, Molitor was named on 431, or 85.2 percent, of the ballots.
Eckersley drew 421 votes, or 83.2 percent.
Final voting results
The complete vote (506 ballots, 380 to gain election, 26 to
remain on ballot):
• Complete HOF coverage >
Player Votes %
Paul Molitor 431 85.2
Dennis Eckersley 421 83.2
Ryne Sandberg 309 61.1
Bruce Sutter 301 59.5
Jim Rice 276 54.5
Andre Dawson 253 50
"Goose" Gossage 206 40.7
Lee Smith 185 36.6
Bert Blyleven 179 35.4
Jack Morris 133 26.3
Steve Garvey 123 24.3
Tommy John 111 21.9
Alan Trammell 70 13.8
Don Mattingly 65 12.8
Dave Concepcion 57 11.3
Dave Parker 53 10.5
Dale Murphy 43 8.5
Keith Hernandez 22 4.3
Joe Carter 19 3.8
Fernando Valenzuela 19 3.8
Dennis Martinez 16 3.2
Dave Stieb 7 1.4
Jim Eisenreich 3 0
Jimmy Key 3 0
Doug Drabek 2 0
Kevin Mitchell 2 0
Juan Samuel 2 0
Cecil Fielder 1 0
Randy Myers 1 0
Terry Pendleton 1 0
Danny Darwin 0 0
Bob Tewksbury 0 0
Molitor accumulated 3,319 hits, including 605 doubles, and 504 stolen
bases in 21 seasons. Only two before him in Major League history had
600 doubles, 3,000 hits and 500 steals: Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner.
Eckersley squeezed two careers into his 24 seasons, highly respected as
an often-dominant right-handed starter with 145 wins for three
different
teams before finding true dominance with a fourth -- as the anchor of
Oakland's fabled bullpen relays. Eckersley recorded 256 saves in his
first six full seasons as a closer.
Because he is best remembered for slamming doors for Oakland teams that
appeared in three consecutive World Series (1988-90), Eckersley plans
to
enter the Hall as an Athletic -- also the uniform he wore for nine
years,
longer than any other. The mustachioed right-hander with the whip-like
delivery
and stunning control also pitched for the Indians (three seasons), Red
Sox
(7 1/2 in two stints), Cubs (2 1/2) and Cardinals (two).
Molitor long ago said he wants to be inducted as a Milwaukee Brewer,
and catch up with former double play partner Robin Yount in the Hall.
After 15 seasons in Wisconsin, Molitor spent three years in Toronto,
where he earned his only World Series ring, and three in Minnesota,
where the St. Paul native enjoyed a homecoming in the twilight of his
career.
As ordained for the first time last year, the ultimate cap decision
rests with the Hall of Fame, but little chance exists of Eckersley's
and Molitor's choices not being honored.
"It was like magic in Oakland," said Eckersley, already a 12-year
veteran before he got there and had his career resurrected by manager
Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan. "I could do no wrong. It
was like walking on water."
Molitor pledged he would enter the Hall as a Brewer in 1999, during
cermonies to retire his Milwaukee No. 4 uniform.
"It was an easy choice. Fifteen years is a long time in an
organization, and for me it was a no-brainer to say I wanted to go in
as a Brewer," said Molitor.
Molitor and Eckersley, teammates as 1988 and 1992 American League
All-Stars who met often as adversaries, will meet as soul brothers in
Cooperstown, N.Y.,
on July 25 when they will be inducted into the Hall, bringing to an
even
100 the number enshrined in 68 years by the BBWAA.
For Eckersley, a free spirit who always took the road not traveled by
the crowd, it will be his first-ever visit to Cooperstown. Molitor has
been there once before, during the 1999 weekend when Yount was
inducted.
Commissioner Bud Selig hailed the reunion of the keystone combination
that thrilled Milwaukee during his tenure as the club's president.
"There's no question about those old Milwaukee Brewers teams. We now
have two Hall of Famers, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor," Selig said. "I
reminisced with Paul earlier today. We first met each other in June of
1977. That was 27 years ago.
"I'm very happy for him. He was a great player. One of the great
offensive players I've ever seen. It's a great day for baseball, a
great day for Paul and a great day for Milwaukee baseball fans."
This marks only the sixth time, since the charter group of 1936, that
multiple first-year candidates have been elected to the Hall.
Most recently, both Dave Winfield and Kirby Puckett gained entrance in
2001 in their first shots.
This latest pairing is of two intense competitors who spent their
parallel careers trying to beat each other, sometimes with acrimonious
results.
But at the end of the day -- and at the dawn of their new eras -- they
heaped praise on each other.
"When you faced Eck," Molitor said, "you knew the competitive level
would be very high. You knew he'd pitch inside, but out of respect,
because was trying to claim the inner half of the plate.
"Between his control and the effectiveness of those two pitches, the
fastball and the slider, he was difficult to face. Not to mention that
he could throw the ball into a teacup."
Said Eckersley of Molitor: "He was a great player, with great speed. A
quick bat; you couldn't throw a fastball by him."
While several long-time aspirants made strong moves that bode well for
their eventual election, an uncommon number of candidates didn't meet
the five-percent minimum and fell off subsequent BBWAA ballots.
Former Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg, after attracting less than
50-percent support in his first year of eligibility in 2003, leaped to
61.1 percent on
309 votes. In his 11th year on the ballot, Bruce Sutter scored 59.5
percent, and Jim Rice continued his slow climb up the ranks with 54.5
percent.
Conversely, 15 candidates fell short of the 26 votes required to remain
on the ballot. They included 13 first-time eligibles -- among them Joe
Carter, who despite dominating the game for a decade drew only 19 votes
-- and a pair
of holdovers: ninth-time candidate Keith Hernandez, whose vote peaked
at
10.8 percent in 1998, and Fernando Valenzuela.
The exclusivity of Cooperstown's hallowed turf was underscored once
again by the meager support of several icons of their day, most notably
Carter.
A five-time All-Star who appeared in three consecutive postseasons with
the Blue Jays, winning back-to-back World Series titles in 1992-93,
Carter
had 10 seasons with 100-plus RBIs and six with 30-plus homers, but was
named on only 3.8 percent of the ballots.
Also failing to meet the five-percent minimum were 245-game winner
Dennis Martinez, two-time home-run king Cecil Fielder, Cy Young Award
winner Doug Drabek and Randy Myers, who had 347 saves.
Eckersley's selection as only the second 300-save man in the Hall
(Rollie Fingers pioneered that niche in 1992) spurred a lot of people
to wonder whether he was paving a road for other closers to trek.
Unlikely, because Eck was unique, and was uniquely dominant. There are
no other closers lined up who stacked up 256 saves in their first six
seasons of relief.
Molitor rose similarly above the crowd. He ranks fourth all-time in
hits by right-handers, behind only Hank Aaron, Cap Anson and Wagner.
"My whole career has been timing, making the most of opportunities,"
said Eckersley.
"I certainly wasn't the best player on the field or on my team, but
there's something to be said about doing it over a long period of
time," Molitor said.
"It's led to this ... and it's a pretty good thing."
October 31 2003 - Molitor named Mariners hitting coach
By Jim Street / MLB.com
SEATTLE-- The Mariners could have a Hall of
Fame player on the team next season.
Paul Molitor, who had 3,319 hits during his 21-year Major
League career, has accepted an offer to become the Mariners' next
hitting coach. He replaces Lamar Johnson and becomes the team's third
hitting coach in the past three years. Johnson succeeded Gerald Perry
following the 2002 season.
"I think it's good and I'm looking forward to it," second
baseman Bret Boone said. "The thing about Paul is that he's been
through it enough to know what a good hitting coach needs to do. The
main job of a hitting coach is to be available, work hard and be a
positive guy."
The 47-year-old Molitor, who retired at the end of the 1998
season, becomes eligible for Hall of Fame consideration in January. He
probably will be a first-ballot selection.
Molitor, a candidate to manage the Twins in 2002, spent last
season as the Twins' roving minor league baserunning and infield
coordinator. He was Minnesota's bench coach in 2000 and '01.
"I don't know him that well on a personal level, but when I
played against him early in my career, he was a good guy -- very
cordial," Boone said. "He has a lot to offer."
"When a guy of Paul's professional stature comes along,
interviews as well as he did and has the obvious hitting knowledge he
does, well, it became clear who our first choice was," Mariners manager
Bob Melvin said. "He should be a great fit here."
This will be his first season as a Major League hitting
coach.
"I am very excited about this opportunity," Molitor said.
"Seattle has a good mix of established big league hitters and younger
players that I think I can work with. I look forward to getting on the
field with these guys."
Molitor played 21 seasons (1978-98) in the Major Leagues
with Milwaukee (1978-92), Toronto (1993-95) and Minnesota (1996-98). He
finished his career with a .306 average, 3,319 hits, 605 doubles, 114
triples, 234 home runs and 1,307 RBIs. Historically, Molitor ranks
eighth in hits, 10th in doubles, 12th in at-bats (10,385), 16th in runs
(1,782) 26th in games (2,683) tied for 33rd in steals (504) and 82nd in
RBIs.
Molitor was a seven-time American league All-Star and was
the 1993 World Series MVP for the Blue Jays. He is one of only six
players in Major League history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen
bases in his career.
Among the other hitting coach candidates considered for the
job were Leon Lee, former Royals and Devil Rays manager Hal McRae and
Diamondbacks hitting coach Dwayne Murphy.
.
Feb 10 2003- Molitor not in a rush to manage
BY GREG JOHNSON
Pioneer Press
Before the University of Minnesota Pro-Alumni Baseball Game in the
Metrodome on Monday night, Paul Molitor huddled with Gophers coach John
Anderson to make out the lineup.
To those who know him, the prospect of Molitor filling in the spaces
of a lineup card with major league names on it seems like a natural fit.
"I played with him his last year in the major leagues,'' said former
Twins and Gophers catcher Terry Steinbach. "He taught me so much, and I
had been in the game for a while. It was just the kind of stuff you
take
for granted. I had heard and seen a lot of things in my career, but he
would talk about stuff that made you go, 'Wow!' ''
Steinbach said it was common for Molitor to see things other players
didn't.
"Most of the stuff had to do with base running,'' Steinbach said. "I
was never a great base runner, and he would talk to me about situations
in the game or what a guy might be thinking. A play would happen, and a
couple of innings later I would ask him about it. He'll say, 'The pitch
was here, the runner was here, the guys were positioned this way and
the
catcher was thinking this, Then he'll say, 'I thought I saw the manager
give a sign, and I picked up the sign.' I'm going, holy cow! That's why
I think he'll make a great manager.''
When Tom Kelly stepped down as the Twins' manager following the 2001
season, Molitor interviewed for the position. But he pulled out of the
running, and the job went to Ron Gardenhire.
"A lot of things in life come down to timing,'' said Molitor, who
finished his 22-year major league career with 3,319 hits and will be
eligible for hall of fame voting next year. "As it turned out, I'm not
even sure I would've gotten the job anyway. Gardy was more qualified
and had more experience
than I had. He's proved to be the right guy for that team. I had a lot
of
things to consider. My daughter was still in high school, and she's a
senior
this year.''
Molitor also was concerned about the possible contraction of the Twins
and labor negotiations, which almost shut the game down last summer. He
wasn't interested in the Milwaukee Brewers' job for those same reasons.
Molitor spent his first 16 years in the big leagues with the Brewers.
Instead, Molitor sat on the sideline and helped the Twins when asked.
He went to spring training for a couple of weeks and did some advance
scouting of the Oakland A's before the American League Division Series.
This year, he will be a roving instructor for the Twins during spring
training. He will report to Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 20.
"I'll go back and forth from the major leaguers and the minor
leaguers,'' Molitor said. "I've agreed to make four trips to the top
four minor league teams during the season. I'll be going to each of
them once. I'll be focusing mainly on base running and some infield
things. When the Twins are in town, I won't be a regular coach per se,
but I'll be available to come out for early work. I really enjoy
teaching.''
Anderson, who was a college teammate of Molitor, sees a bright managing
career for Molitor should the timing ever be right.
"At the end of his career he was a d.h. (designated hitter),'' Anderson
said. "That gave him the opportunity to watch the game from the bench a
lot. He kept track of everything going on, and he followed the game. He
studied managers and players. He became more observant of a lot of the
little things that went on. He's spoken to our team at practice, and he
comes over and
watches the games. He just sees little things that other people don't
see.
He sees the game from an entirely different perspective than most of
us.''
After his daughter graduates from high school, Molitor will look at
managing opportunities with more zeal.
"I'll be more flexible then,'' Molitor said. "I try not to look too far
ahead because you don't know what's going to come your way.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Johnson can be reached at gmjohnson@ pioneerpress.com.
Jun 16 2002- Paul Molitor,
Dave Concepcion to manage All-Star Futures teams
Seven-time All-Star Paul Molitor will manage the U.S. Team and
nine-time All-Star Dave Concepcion will manage the World Team in the
RadioShack All-Star Futures Game, July 7 at Miller Park in Milwaukee,
it was announced today. Now in its fourth year, the RadioShack All-Star Futures Game
features the top U.S. and International Minor League prospects
competing against
each other as part of RadioShack All-Star Sunday. The seven-inning
affair
will begin at 4:30 p.m. (CDT) and will be televised live on ESPN2.
Molitor, the 1978 American League Rookie of
the Year, played for three teams during his 21-year Major League
career, including Milwaukee, Toronto, and Minnesota. He spent the first
15 years of his career in Milwaukee and his number "4" was retired by
the Brewers in 1999. Molitor led the Brewers to the 1982 World Series
and became the only player ever to record five hits in a World Series
game.
As a Blue Jay, he was named MVP of the 1993
Fall Classic against Philadelphia. Molitor hit .418 (23-55) in World
Series
play, tied for second all-time. Molitor, only the fifth player to
record
at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases, finished his career with a
.306
average, 3,319 hits, 1,307 RBI and 504 stolen bases.
"I'm very excited to be returning to
Milwaukee and taking part in the All-Star festivities at Miller Park,"
said Molitor. "Having the chance to manage the U.S. team in the
RadioShack All-Star Futures Game is something that I'm really looking
forward to."
Concepcion, born in Aragua, Venezuela,
spent his
entire 19-year Major League career playing for the Cincinnati Reds. He
was
named MVP of the 1982 Mid-Summer Classic, hitting a two-run homer to
win
the game for the National League. Concepcion was an integral part of
the
"Big Red Machine," helping the Reds win back-to-back World Series
championships in 1975-76. At shortstop, Concepcion won five Rawlings
Gold Gloves in his career (1974-77 and '79). In 1985, he reached
milestones when he collected his 2,000th hit and 300th stolen base.
Concepcion finished his playing
career following the 1988 season with a .267 lifetime average, 2,326
hits,
101 home runs, 950 RBI, and 321 stolen bases.
The 25-man rosters and coaches for the U.S.
and the World Futures Teams, selected by Baseball America in
conjunction with Major League Baseball and the 30 Major League Baseball
Clubs, will be announced at a later date.
As part of RadioShack All-Star Sunday, the
first 10,000 fans in attendance at Miller Park on July 7 will receive a
commemorative RadioShack All-Star Futures Game bobblehead doll
featuring current Brewers pitcher Ben Sheets in the United States
uniform he wore while playing in the 2000 All-Star Futures Game at
Turner Field in Atlanta.
Molitor Won't Join New Twins Staff
By Associated Press
January 8, 2002
MINNEAPOLIS -- Paul Molitor will not be joining the coaching
staff of new Twins
manager Ron Gardenhire because of the possibility of contraction.
Molitor had been a bench coach the past two years under Tom Kelly.
Molitor
was a candidate to replace Kelly but withdrew in November because of the
team's uncertain future.
Third base coach Al Newman, pitching coach Rick Anderson and bench coach
Steve Liddle will be the additions to Minnesota's staff. They join
hitting
instructor Scott Ullger, bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek and first base
coach
Jerry White.
General manager Terry Ryan again said the hirings were not an
indication that
contraction is being tabled for the 2002 season.
"But we've got to put ourselves in position to have a season," he said.
Molitor said his decision was spurred by conversations with Twins owner
Carl
Pohlad and baseball commissioner Bud Selig.
"I just don't have a real good feeling about how things are going, and
I decided
to take a step back and let things play out in terms of what baseball's
going to
do and its effect on the Twins organization," Molitor said Monday.
The Twins and the Montreal Expos are regarded as baseball's leading
candidates for elimination. But the plan remains tied up in court, and
the Twins
promoted Gardenhire from third base coach on Friday.
"I certainly get the impression that contraction is the desired path,
whether it's
this year or next year, and in some ways it will happen irregardless of
what
happens with Minnesota politics or public support or nonsupport or new
ownership," Molitor said. "So it's just an environment that I think
will make for a
potentially difficult year.
Gardenhire said he would like Molitor to help out at spring training,
which opens
in less than six weeks, and Molitor said he might.
Liddle and Newman were minor league coaches, managers and coordinators.
Newman was a utility
infielder on the Twins' championship teams.
Liddle has been the Twins' minor league field coordinator the past
three years. Newman has been the
manager of the rookie league Gulf Coast League Twins for the past three
years.
Anderson briefly was a Mets teammate of Gardenhire's and has been a
pitching coach in the Twins
organization since 1989.
Paul Molitor withdraws
as candidate to manage Minnesota Twins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Bench coach Paul Molitor has withdrawn as
a candidate to manage the Minnesota Twins amid uncertainly whether
the team will be eliminated next season, according to a published
report.
Molitor, who along with third base coach Ron Gardenhire was
considered a top candidate to succeed Tom Kelly, recently met with
general manager Terry Ryan and told him of his decision, the Star
Tribune reported Tuesday.
"I made this decision because there is too much uncertainty in
baseball,"
Molitor told the newspaper. "There is the possibility of the Twins being
contracted, and also a baseball strike or lockout if a collective
bargaining
agreement is not reached."
Ryan declined to confirm the report Tuesday and Molitor's agent, Ron
Simon, didn't immediately return a phone call.
The Twins have said they will not name a manager until they know
whether the team will play next season.
Baseball owners voted Nov. 6 to fold two teams before next season,
with the Twins and the Montreal Expos the likely candidates. An
injunction forces the Twins to play in 2002, and the team's appeal won't
be heard until Dec. 27.
Molitor said he has not decided whether he would remain on the Twins
coaching staff if offered a position. He also recently declined
interviews
for managing in Toronto and Anaheim.
Gardenhire and hitting coach Scott Ullger remain as the in-house
candidates to replace Kelly -- if there is a team left to manage.
"We're in a holding pattern. It's like we're flying around Minnesota and
can't land," said Gardenhire, a Twins coach since 1991.
Ullger, on the coaching staff since the 1995 season, said he is still
in the
race.
"All I'm concerned about is playing next year," Ullger said. "I don't
care
about nothing else. We've got to have one more chance to win."
Ryan has informed Florida coaches Lynn Jones and Fredi Gonzalez and
Yankees coach Willie Randolph, who had been mentioned as managerial
candidates, that they are no longer being considered.
