Paul Molitor Named AL Manager Of The Year

After managing a Twins team that lost 103 games in 2016, Paul Molitor then managed a Twins team that had a historic turnaround and made a postseason appearance in 2017.

On Tuesday, that leadership earned Molitor American League Manager Of The Year Honors.

TwinsBaseball.com is reporting that Molitor finished ahead of the Indians' Terry Francona and the Astros' A.J. Hinch for the award.  He received 18 first-place votes, six second-place and four third-place for a total of 112 points.  Francona received 90 points and Hinch, 56.

Molitor is the third Twins manager to win the award.  Tom Kelly won in 1991 and Ron Gardenhire in 2010.

It's hard to believe that Paul Molitor could've been fired after the 2016 season.  Then, even after the record-setting 2017 campaign, Twins ownership still dragged their heels before signing him to a new contract.

Molitor fully earned this honor and the good news is he'll be back.