Twins name Hall of Famer Paul Molitor as manager

The Twins have named Paul Molitor as their new manager, the team announced Monday. 

The announcement comes after a report this weekend from ESPN Twin Cities that Molitor would be tabbed to take over for Ron Gardenhire, who was fired at the end of this past season. 

Molitor was selected over Red Sox bench coach Torey Lovullo and Doug Mientkiewicz, a former Twins player who manages the team's Class-A affiliate.

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Molitor, 58, played 21 years in the major leagues and ranks ninth all-time in hits with 3,319. He played 15 seasons with the Brewers, followed by three with the Blue Jays, with whom he won the World Series in 1993. Molitor played his final three seasons with the Twins. He recorded his 3,000th career hit while playing for Minnesota. In 1996, at 40, he had 225 hits, the most in the American League. 

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After retiring at the end of the 1998 season, Molitor became a coach with the Twins in 2000 and 2001. He served as a minor league instructor in the Minnesota organization from 2005 to 2013. He returned to the major league club as an assistant this season.

Molitor is a Minnesota native. He was born in St. Paul and attended the University of Minnesota. 

- Dan Gartland