Twins Say They Will Hire Paul Molitor as Manager

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota Twins say they will hire Paul Molitor as manager after four straight seasons of 92 or more losses.

The Twins said the 58-year-old Molitor will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday and given a three-year contract. He replaces Ron Gardenhire, who was fired five weeks ago.

Molitor, a Hall of Fame infielder and Minnesota native with the 10th-most hits in major league history, spent 2014 as a coach on Gardenhire's staff. Prior to that, he served for 10 seasons as a minor league instructor in the organization, a noted influence on many young players. Molitor was an initial candidate for the job that last opened in 2001, when Tom Kelly retired and Gardenhire was chosen.