Twinkie Town - Rick Stelmaszek Fired as Twins Bullpen CoachAn online community of Twins fans mourning the death of Prince Rogers Nelson.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52554/tt_fav.png2012-10-04T18:10:29-04:00http://www.twinkietown.com/rss/stream/32186052012-10-04T18:10:29-04:002012-10-04T18:10:29-04:00Ullger reassigned, McWane's contract not renewed
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<p>It sounds like the changes go further than we thought just a few minutes ago...</p> <p>Based off of several tweets and the upcoming press release, it sounds like every single member of the coaching staff has been either fired or reassigned. Save manager Ron Gardenhire and pitching coach Rick Anderson.</p>
<p>Add Scott Ullger to the same list as former hitting coach Joe Vavra. Both have been reassigned to instructional positions, which Ullger taking the outfield and Vavra the infield. Head trainer Rick McWane will not have his contract renewed, thus ending his tenure in Minnesota.</p>
<p>Which is singularly the best thing that Terry Ryan did today.</p>
<p>I'm off to walk the dog and have something to eat, but we'll digest all of today's moves later this evening. For now, think about this: today's moves have culminated in the biggest shakeup the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Minnesota Twins</a> organization has seen in my lifetime...and, based on our readership, probably a lot of your lifetimes, too.</p>
<p>Today's moves may not fix all of this organization's issues, but they are not insignificant. We'll get into this a bit more later.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2012/10/4/3457160/twins-fire-or-reassign-every-coach-except-ron-gardenhire-and-rickJesse Lund2012-10-04T18:01:38-04:002012-10-04T18:01:38-04:00First base coach Jerry White added to list of cuts
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<p>This one comes as a big of a surprise.</p> <p>In the last 30 minutes we've also heard that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> first base coach Jerry White has been let go. Of the moves that have come down from Terry Ryan's office today this one is the biggest surprise; I'd expected Rick Anderson to lose his job before White. It looks like, right now, Ron Gardenhire, Scott Ullger, and Anderson are the three men left standing.</p>
<p>Here are the two relevant Tweets from KARE 11 Sports Anchor Dave Schwartz.</p>
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<p>Add Jerry White to the list of <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Twins">#Twins</a> casualties today. I'm told he's also been let go by the team.</p>
— Dave Schwartz (@Dave_Schwartz) <a data-datetime="2012-10-04T21:33:52+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/Dave_Schwartz/status/253971221111271425">October 4, 2012</a>
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<p>I will say that the Jerry White news comes from one "trusted" source. However, there has been no official confirmation from the team on this</p>
— Dave Schwartz (@Dave_Schwartz) <a data-datetime="2012-10-04T21:44:39+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/Dave_Schwartz/status/253973934532341760">October 4, 2012</a>
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<p>It sounds like the Twins will be releasing a press release shortly about the moves they've made over the last few hours. We'll try to wrap our heads around this coaching cull after that.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2012/10/4/3457126/twins-fire-first-base-coach-jerry-whiteJesse Lund2012-10-04T14:29:52-04:002012-10-04T14:29:52-04:00Steve Liddle fired, Joe Vavra Reassigned
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<p>The cull continues.</p> <p>In LEN III's most recent update, third base coach Steve Liddle has been fired and hitting coach Joe Vavra has been reassigned. Liddle had been with the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Twins</a> since 1988, carrying on what will be seen as a major shakeup for a team that prides itself on consistency after firing bullpen coach and 32-year franchise employee Rick Stelmaszek earlier today. Liddle had been a member of Twins staff since 2002; Vavra since 2006.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/172663381.html">Neal has more</a>:</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; font-size: 1.17em; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Pitching coach Rick Anderson was scheduled to meet with Ryan around noon. Bench coach Scott Ullger was to meet with Ryan at 1 p.m. and Jerry White was expected to meet with Ryan at 2 p.m.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; font-size: 1.17em; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Class AAA Rochester manager Gene Glynn and Rochester hitting coach Tom Brunansky could be in line for promotions. So could Rochester pitching coach Bobby Cuellar.</p>
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<p style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; font-size: 1.17em; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">This will also be of interest:</span></p>
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<p>Paul Molitor tells us he would have interest in interviewing for a coaching position if anything opened up. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MNTwins">#MNTwins</a></p>
— Phil Mackey (@PMac21) <a data-datetime="2012-10-04T17:43:29+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/PMac21/status/253913244031397888">October 4, 2012</a>
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<p>So far as we know, everyone who has been called into Ryan's office has been fired. We'll see what happens with Ullger in the near future.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2012/10/4/3455454/steve-liddle-fired-as-third-base-coach-joe-vavra-reassignedJesse Lund2012-10-04T11:58:43-04:002012-10-04T11:58:43-04:00Twins part ways with bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek
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<p>Terry Ryan has met with bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek, who has been let go after consecutive last-place finishes.</p> <p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/172663381.html">According to LEN III</a>, the <a href="https://www.twinkietown.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Twins</a> have let Rick Stelmaszek go. Stelmaszek had been the bullpen coach for the Twins for the last 32 years. According to Neal:</p>
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<p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">Indications in recent weeks have been that Ryan was going to shake up the coaching staff, and this is the first move. More could be coming today, as Ryan is scheduled to meet individually with each member of the coaching staff.</span></p>
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<p>As a result, this move isn't entirely unexpected. The bullpen was a weakness for the Twins over the past two seasons, although not all of the struggles can be laid at Stelmaszek's feet. The quality and talent available to him the last few years has declined.</p>
<p>Neal believes that Red Wings manager Gene Glenn or hitting coach Tom Brunansky could be promoted due to any shakeups coming today, although Brunansky certainly wouldn't become the bullpen coach.</p>
<p>Stay with us as the day goes forward. If Ryan and the Twins part ways with additional members of their coaching staff, we'll have more on it right here.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2012/10/4/3454512/bullpen-coach-rick-stelmaszek-let-goJesse Lund2012-10-04T11:36:12-04:002012-10-04T11:36:12-04:00Twins Coaching Purge Begins With... Stelmaszek?
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<p>The Twins have informed Rick Stelmaszek, who has been with the club for 32 seasons and is the current bullpen coach, that he's being let go. This will solve, as far as we can see, nothing.</p> <p><b>Rick Stelmaszek</b> has been with the Twins for 32 years, has two World Series rings, and generally has served as the keeper of the club's institutional memory, going back even past <b>Tom Kelly</b>.</p>
<p>Apparently, that wasn't enough to let him escape this offseason's planned Target Field purge, as <b>La Velle E. Neal III</b> of the <i>Star Tribun</i><a href="http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/blogs/172663381.html"> reports that he's been fired by the team</a>:</p>
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<p>Bullpen coach Rick Stelmaszek, who just completed his 32nd season and was the longest-tenured member of the club, has been let go.</p>
<p>Stelmaszek, 64, met with Twins general manager Terry Ryan at 9 a.m. this morning when he was informed that, after consecutive last-place finishes, that the club is making changes.</p>
<p>"It still hasn't sunk in," Stelmaszek said.</p>
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<p>I'm not sure that this particular move helps anything, but it does point to more changes coming. If the Twins are willing to fire someone as long-tenured as Stelmaszek, then pitching coach <b>Rick Anderson</b>, hitting coach <b>Joe Vavra</b>, and the rest of the Twins' coaching staff - all of whom have contracts that expire this year - should probably be concerned for their jobs.</p>
https://www.twinkietown.com/2012/10/4/3454346/rick-stelmaszek-fired-as-twins-bullpen-coachJon Marthaler