Pirate Galaxy » Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio

MINNEAPOLIS - The last time the Minnesota Twins searched for a manager, Paul Molitor was in the mix. He withdrew from consideration, with the franchises future uncertain during Major League Baseballs failed attempt to eliminate two clubs.The job didnt open for another 13 years, but this time Molitor was ready. The challenge he accepted is to help turn around a team that lost 92 or more games in each of the last four seasons.The Twins announced Monday they had agreed to a three-year contract for the Hall of Fame infielder and native of Minnesota, who will be introduced Tuesday as Ron Gardenhires replacement during a news conference at Target Field.Its pretty exciting. Im a huge Molitor fan, second baseman Brian Dozier said. Hes a bright individual, with a better IQ in the game of baseball than anyone Ive ever been around. Hes just an exceptional man.This is the first managing job at any level for Molitor, who has the 10th-most hits in major league history. He spent 2014 as a coach on Gardenhires staff. Prior to that, he served for 10 seasons as a minor league instructor in the organization, a noted influence on many young players.Three finalists who had multiple interviews with general manager Terry Ryan were Molitor, Boston Red Sox bench coach Torey Luvollo and Twins minor league manager Doug Mientkiewicz, according to reports. Matching the organizations patient, deliberate style, Ryan took his time with the search before settling on the candidate widely believed to be the favourite all along, particularly given the franchises penchant for promoting from within.I know he hasnt managed, but I dont think that should be a problem at all, just because his knowledge of the game. Hes been around the game for so long now, Dozier said. Its just taking all hes learned over his career and just going on the other side of it now.Molitor, 58, will be the 13th manager of the Twins, who will begin their 55th season. He was an initial candidate in 2001 when Tom Kelly retired, after serving as bench coach during Kellys last two years, but Gardenhire got the job then.Gardenhire led the Twins to the AL Central title in his first year, the first of six on his watch, and a spot in the 2002 AL championship series. The last of those division titles was as late as 2010, but gaps in the organizational talent pool quickly caught up with a club that was revered throughout the previous decade playing in the dingy, low-revenue Metrodome as one of best-run in baseball.These days, the fan base is filled with frustration. Ryan, long one of the most revered decision-makers in the game, has not been immune from the criticism, either, and he realized the importance of this hire.Molitors Hall of Fame and 3,000-hit club credentials were pluses, sure, but his reputation of valuable work with prospects in his role as a roving tutor specializing in baserunning and infield play were equal strengths for Ryan to assess. Molitor served the 2004 season as hitting coach with the Seattle Mariners but has otherwise spent the majority of his post-playing days tutoring throughout the Twins organization.Ill tell you this much, there wont be a team anywhere in the league with a better leader than (Molitor), Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe tweeted. Very excited to battle with him!Molitor made his reputation with the Milwaukee Brewers and won a World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays, but he finished a stellar 21-year career of flawless compact swings with the Twins from 1996-98.The soft-spoken native of neighbouring St. Paul attended the same high school as Twins first baseman Joe Mauer. After a standout career at the University of Minnesota, the Brewers took Molitor with the third pick in the 1977 draft.His time in the majors wasnt without tumult. Brewers fans were stung when he signed with the Blue Jays. He struggled with injuries. Then there was the drug problem that dogged the early stage of his career, use of cocaine and marijuana he later said was a reaction to pressure he felt by his image as the clean-cut, Midwest-raised star.___AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report. Elgin Baylor Lakers Jersey . The Italian football federation announced the appointment, three days after new president Carlo Tavecchio was elected. Tavecchio and Conte spoke on the phone early Thursday. Derek Fisher Jersey . On Tuesday, the star questioned whether that was still the case. Speaking to reporters at a charity event, Johnson said: "I just kind of wonder sometimes: Is this still the place for me?" Johnsons comments came after he was asked why he recently skipped a voluntary minicamp. http://www.lakersbasketballshop.com/Jerry-West-Jersey/. - Robert Griffin III has a sprained throwing shoulder that limited him in practice Wednesday as the Washington Redskins prepared for their season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. Kurt Rambis Jersey . About seven hours before facing Washington in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference second round series, team officials said the oft-injured Bynum would miss the rest of the playoffs and would not even be with the team for the rest of the post-season. Dennis Rodman Jersey .com) - Nathan MacKinnon scored the winning goal in the shootout as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Wednesday. DALLAS -- The Mavericks and New York Knicks agreed Wednesday to a six-player trade that returns centre Tyson Chandler to Dallas three years after he helped win a championship only to leave right away in free agency. The Mavericks sent guards Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington and centre Samuel Dalembert to the Knicks for Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton. The Knicks also get both of Dallas draft picks Thursday night, a pair of second-round selections at Nos. 34 and 51. New York didnt have a draft pick before the first major personnel move since Phil Jackson took over as team president. "The journey to build this team for the upcoming season and beyond continues," Jackson said. "We have added players with this move that will fit right in to our system while maintaining future flexibility." New York is hoping to keep Carmelo Anthony despite the star forward planning to opt out of his contract and become a free agent on July 1. The Mavericks are reportedly on a short list of new destinations Anthony will also consider. Chandler was the emotional catalyst for the Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavericks when they beat the Miami Heat in six games to win the franchises first title in 2011. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made the much-debated decision not to offer him a long-term contract because of concerns over how the new labour deal would keep Dallas from making other moves. Chandler, who had a history of injuries, turned down a one-year deal worth about $20 million for the security of a four-year, $55 million contract with the Knicks. The 31-year-old Chandler is going into the final season oof that deal at $14.dddddddddddd5 million, and Felton has one year at $3.8 million with a player option for another season in the same range. Calderon just finished the first season of a four-year, $28 million contract with the Mavericks, who also signed Monta Ellis to a multiyear deal last summer. It was the first time Dallas had committed to any player beyond one year since Nowitzki signed his most recent extension in 2010. Nowitzki will join Anthony in free agency, but he is expected to re-sign with the Mavericks. The Knicks are getting one of the best 3-pointer shooters and a steady hand at the point in Calderon, but he sometimes sat late in close games because he was a defensive liability. He averaged 11.4 points and shot 45 per cent from 3-point range last season. Felton is coming off a trouble-plagued season that included his arrest in February in a felony gun possession case. He was expected to plead guilty in exchange for community service and a $5,000 fine. Felton, who turns 30 on Thursday, averaged a career-low 9.7 points and saw a significant drop in his shooting percentage last season. Dalembert had an up-and-down season in the first year of a two-year deal with Dallas, while Larkin and Ellington were used sparingly. Larkin, the son of Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin and a first-round pick a year ago, saw his playing time drop dramatically when Devin Harris returned from toe surgery at midseason. Harris is a free agent and wants to return to Dallas, but he would like the three-year contract he and the Mavericks agreed to last year before the toe injury scuttled the deal. He settled for a one-year contract. Cheap Bruins Jerseys Wholesale Sabres Jerseys Red Wings Jerseys From China Wholesale Canadiens Jerseys Wholesale Lightning Jerseys Cheap Maple Leafs Jerseys Discount Hurricanes Jerseys Blue Jackets Jerseys Outlet Adidas Devils Jerseys Cheap Islanders Jerseys Rangers Jerseys From China Discount Flyers Jerseys Discount Penguins Jerseys Discount Capitals Jerseys Wholesale Blackhawks Jerseys Cheap Avalanche Jerseys Cheap Team USA Hockey Jerseys Cheap Stars Jerseys Wholesale Wild Jerseys Discount Predators Jerseys Discount Blues Jerseys Discount Ducks Jerseys Adidas Coyotes Jerseys Flames Jerseys Outlet Wholesale Oilers Jerseys Discount Sharks Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Golden Knights Jerseys Outlet Authentic NHL Winter Classic Jerseys ' ' '