Al Newman

[Steak]

Tom Powers wrote a good piece on him in the Pioneer Press yesterday as he talked about how Newman should get a shot as a manager. I agree with Tom and it will definitely come. Al though thinks he may never have a chance and he mentioned his skin color as one of the big reasons. He was pretty blunt. I for one disagree with him. He will definitely get a shot to manage down the road. I think he has all the attributes to be a big-league manager. He has the charisma and personality to be one. He has a great work ethic. I know he does a very good job with our infielders and he does to talk to the players throughout the game. He is very involved. You can bet lot of teams are going to find out as he continues to coach. It may not be now, but five years from now, he will be a manager. He will get noticed.

Whoever hires Al Newman as the manager will be better for it.

[Lynch]

I watched Al play his entire career. I remember ALL FOUR of his lifetime homers. This guy couldn't hit his weight for a 7 or 8 year career, but just happened to be in the right place at the right time and has 2 more rings that Barry Bonds will ever have (mwuwahahahahahaha!!!!).. but he has no more business being a big league manager than he does being a little league batting coach. I'm not sure why he's even a base coach, other than he took over for Gardy when that dope got the skipper job. Now compare his base coaching to that of Gardy, and yeah, he's infinitely better (I cant' remember how many times Gardy sent guys home only to be thrown out by about 20 feet).

Maybe someday some dopey owner will prove me wrong by hiring him and maybe he'll do a good job. I just don't see it.

As for Newman speaking out about his skin color... ya know, that just makes me almost pull for ANYONE but him. The race card has nothing to do with anything and it really bugs the hell out of me when people whine about their lot in life and they can't get anywhere because of something stupid like this. Newman was lucky to even have played in MLB. Not because of his skin color, but because he sucked. If he doesn't become a manager, it's for the same reason. Skin color has NOTHING to do with it.

[Steak]

Lynch: You can tell your two kids about how you saw Al hit those four homeruns in person. You should have went to lot of his games more often.

I think if the Twins win a WS eventually, he will get a managerial job. Lot of teams are noticing the Twins success in recent years and you can bet these scouts at the games are paying attention to what Al does with the infielders and with the players in the dugouts. Al does a very good job working with the infiedlers. I think he has what it takes to be a manager. He is still a young guy at 44. He has plenty of time. He has to keep working and things will pay off.

[Lynch]

I was actually exaggerating. Newman only hit 1 homerun in his whole career, and it was when he was with the Expos. I've met Al a couple of times back when I used to still be a bouncer. He's a nice enough guy. So I"m not ripping on him as a person, just his on the field presence (or lack thereof).

[Steak]

Al is a very heavy man.

[Steak]

With Tony Pena resigning after tonight's Toronto Blue Jays game, maybe the Royals can go hire Al Newman to manage. He is more than capable of being a manager as I said. He would be a great fit. Not only should the Royals hire Al, I think they should fire their inept GM, Allard Baird and hire TR's right hand man, Wayne Krivsky who should be a GM for some team. You know how awful teams hire people from other successful teams? Twins have been the best team in the AL Central in the last three years so the Royals would be real smart to hire someone from the Twins organization for GM and managerial job.

Wayne and Al fit the bill.

[Lynch]

I don't think I wanna lose anyone from the front office right about now, but I don't think losing Newman would affect the squad at all. They might miss his personality and smiling face but that fades quickly. If KC were to call on Al (which I really really really doubt they'd even consider it), the best of luck to him. He'll need it. And so will they.

[Steak]

Well eventually assistant GMs and scouting directors are going to leave with the team success. That's part of life unfortunately. It's up to TR to find the right guys when guys like Jim Rantz, Wayne Krivsky, and others move on to bigger and better things. If the Twins win a WS, you can bet they will be gone. You look at the A's, Lynch. Billy Beane was considered God's gift to baseball, but with his three trusted assistants gone in J.P. Riccardi (Blue Jays GM), Paul Depodesta (Dodgers GM), and Grady Fuson (former Rangers assistant GM and Padres scouting director), Beane has not found the right guys to help him and Beane has been exposed as a GM. I think Beane got by with great assistants. That's a challenge Terry Ryan will have to deal with eventually.

I hear Frank White and Larry Bowa are the favorites at this point. From what I hear, the Royals want an experienced manager this time. I still think Al would make a fine choice.

[Steak]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/509/5401145.html

Al Newman is "intrigued"