Molitor Interview

[nate82]

The title is a bit misleading but otherwise a good interview with Molitor.

 

 

[dlk9s]

What a clickbait title.

Cliffs on that part: nothing new - Brewers couldn't pay him enough and other teams were offering him a ton. One of those teams were the defending champs.

[HarryDoyle]

I watched the entire interview, which was a little over an hour long. It was interesting but nothing I didn't already know, at least the Brewers related stuff.

[BrewerFan]

"Maybe there's culpability on both sides...."
"There's still some bitterness towards me in Milwaukee."


1-Nope, I blame Bando. 
2-Also, nope, not bitter at all! Molly was my favorite player, I became a Jays fan(a secondary team of course). 

I think he's overstating any animosity in Milwaukee or really his "blame." went and got his MVP and who would take a cut after having a few great seasons?

[Trail]

If you recall (for those of us around back then) Molitor had a checkered injury history.  There was a great deal of debate about whether the Brewers should sign him.  Given his history, and given the contract  he was going to command, it was going to be a dice roll.  No one at the time imagined that he'd play so well for so long.  My memory is that we fans were sad about losing him, but most understood it.  As he stayed healthy and performed well for most of the rest of his career the fans more or less forgot about all of that.  There really was a feeling back then that he'd played his best baseball...

[CheezWizHed]

On 11/8/2026 at 4:44 PM, BrewerFan said:

"Maybe there's culpability on both sides...."
"There's still some bitterness towards me in Milwaukee."


1-Nope, I blame Bando. 
2-Also, nope, not bitter at all! Molly was my favorite player, I became a Jays fan(a secondary team of course). 

I think he's overstating any animosity in Milwaukee or really his "blame." went and got his MVP and who would take a cut after having a few great seasons?

I always felt like he had more animosity towards Milwaukee than vice versa... Even when he was coaching the Twins, I remember a few comments that felt a little "cold" when he was talking about Milwaukee. 

3 hours ago, Trail said:

If you recall (for those of us around back then) Molitor had a checkered injury history.  There was a great deal of debate about whether the Brewers should sign him.  Given his history, and given the contract  he was going to command, it was going to be a dice roll.  No one at the time imagined that he'd play so well for so long.  My memory is that we fans were sad about losing him, but most understood it.  As he stayed healthy and performed well for most of the rest of his career the fans more or less forgot about all of that.  There really was a feeling back then that he'd played his best baseball...

I remember the injury history (and he basically was a DH the rest of his career), but I always forget how old he was when he left Milwaukee.  He went to Toronto at age 36. 

But he certainly justified that first contract!   Still would've been nice to see him hit 3000 with the BrewCrew or at least do his last season here. 

[Ignitor 4ever]

13 year old me in 1992 did not understand why Molitor was leaving and why the Brewers were not re-signing him. 47 year old me understands why. Molitor may always be my favorite Brewers player. I just loved the way he played the game and what a tremendous hitter he was. I've never had any animosity towards him. If anything, my anger was at the Brewers for not re-signing him, but I got the reasons why as I grew older. No disrespect to Robin, but I think Molitor is still the greatest Brewers pure hitter of all time. Injuries robbed him of even greater stats.

[Brewcrew82]

It was about money and not really anything else.

If you recall, this was at the height of the 1990s small-market fight for a salary cap. Brewers had already paid Yount and couldn't "afford" two high-priced contracts. So, they low-balled Molitor (I believe they even asked him to take a paycut), and he rightfully went somewhere where he was valued more accurately. 

I'm sure if they had offered him market rate, he would have been more than happy to stay in Milwaukee.

 

[39Streak]

My handle “39 Streak” is for Molitor.  That streak is what hooked me as a Crew fan and Molitor will always be my favorite.  It was a great interview.  At the time he left, he had played back to back all-star seasons at 158 games.  He was in his prime.  I never had animosity toward him.  Brewers offer was an insult.  He deserved better.

[BlightyBrew]

I'm just hoping he gets a statue one day.

[craigharmann]

18 hours ago, Ignitor 4ever said:

13 year old me in 1992 did not understand why Molitor was leaving and why the Brewers were not re-signing him. 47 year old me understands why. Molitor may always be my favorite Brewers player. I just loved the way he played the game and what a tremendous hitter he was. I've never had any animosity towards him. If anything, my anger was at the Brewers for not re-signing him, but I got the reasons why as I grew older. No disrespect to Robin, but I think Molitor is still the greatest Brewers pure hitter of all time. Injuries robbed him of even greater stats.

I've got 2 years on you, but I'm in agreement 100%. 

[BrewerFan]

22 hours ago, Trail said:

If you recall (for those of us around back then) Molitor had a checkered injury history.  There was a great deal of debate about whether the Brewers should sign him.  Given his history, and given the contract  he was going to command, it was going to be a dice roll.  No one at the time imagined that he'd play so well for so long.  My memory is that we fans were sad about losing him, but most understood it.  As he stayed healthy and performed well for most of the rest of his career the fans more or less forgot about all of that.  There really was a feeling back then that he'd played his best baseball...

No, not really. Molitor had played roughly 155 games in four of the previous five seasons. His checkered injury history was largely from the mid-80s. By 1992, he'd been pretty damn healthy, and he WANTED to stay in Milwaukee.

There were legitimate concerns about his injury history when the Brewers gave him a contract extension in 1990, but that's a different discussion. By the time he became a free agent after 1992, he'd played 158 games in consecutive seasons, hit .325 and .320, and posted OBPs of .399 and .389. He wasn't some aging veteran struggling to stay on the field.

I remember plenty of criticism on sports radio over the way the negotiations were handled, and some fans were upset with Molitor for leaving. But I don't recall any significant debate about whether the Brewers should bring him back because of his injury history.

The issue was money. The Brewers were facing legitimate financial problems, with several expensive contracts already on the books, and Bando made Molitor an offer that wasn't remotely competitive, offering him a PAY-CUT to 1M and 1.3M deferred(after Bando had already traded for a DH, signaling he didn't want Molitor back at that point). Molitor wanted to finish his career in Milwaukee, but there was only so much of a discount he could reasonably be expected to accept.

I think people are confusing concerns that existed earlier in his career with the circumstances surrounding his departure in 1992.

 

[BrewerFan]

18 hours ago, Brewcrew82 said:

It was about money and not really anything else.

If you recall, this was at the height of the 1990s small-market fight for a salary cap. Brewers had already paid Yount and couldn't "afford" two high-priced contracts. So, they low-balled Molitor (I believe they even asked him to take a paycut), and he rightfully went somewhere where he was valued more accurately. 

I'm sure if they had offered him market rate, he would have been more than happy to stay in Milwaukee.

 

I agree the Brewers had legitimate financial problems, but it wasn't simply a matter of having already paid Yount. They had several expensive contracts on the books, many of which weren't providing much value.

Look at what they were paying players in 1993:

• Teddy Higuera: $3.25M

• Robin Yount: $2.7M

• B.J. Surhoff: $2.53M

• Bill Wegman: $2.375M

• Jaime Navarro: $2.1M

• Greg Vaughn: $1.78M

• Bill Doran: $1.33M

• Tom Brunansky: $1.1M

• Darryl Hamilton: $1.025M

Bando offered Molitor $1M in immediate salary and another $1.3M deferred over five years without interest, along with a club option for 1994. He wouldn't have even been among the nine highest-paid players on that roster in 1993, despite arguably being their most important player.

And Selig ultimately stepped in and offered arbitration, which I believe Molitor would have have accepted had it happened a month earlier(I believe he's said as much). By then, Toronto had already offered him two years and $9M, subsequently increasing it to three years and $13M.

What makes me question whether this was entirely financial is that Bando had already traded Dante Bichette for Kevin Reimer, a mediocre replacement who was primarily a DH and would make $725,000 in 1993. So they acquired someone to fill Molitor's position, then turned around and offered Molitor just $275,000 more in immediate 1993 salary.

I understand the financial constraints, but there's really no justification for the way Bando handled those negotiations with a franchise icon playing at THAT level who still wanted to be there and was willing to take less than he could have gotten.

Putting that into this years terms, it'd... be like declining Contreras option, but a player who had a much longer and far more significant impact on the franchise. Again, a franchise icon.

[BrewerFan]

18 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

I always felt like he had more animosity towards Milwaukee than vice versa... Even when he was coaching the Twins, I remember a few comments that felt a little "cold" when he was talking about Milwaukee. 

I can see how you might have gotten that impression. Molitor has always been pretty reserved, and I suppose some of his comments could have come across as cold, particularly given how things ended in Milwaukee.

I went back and looked at quite a few of his interviews over the years, and he's consistently spoken highly of Milwaukee, the organization, Selig and the fans. Even when discussing the contract negotiations, he didn't really belabor the issue or attack anyone. He was mostly explaining the circumstances that led to his departure and making it clear that he never wanted to leave in the first place.

He received a standing ovation when he first returned to Milwaukee with Toronto, although there was quite a bit of booing in subsequent appearances, which he admitted bothered him. It's a very different era, but... hell, we still cheer Adames emphatically. I'm sure he believes he deserved better given leaving wasn't really up to him.

I'm sure there was lingering disappointment over how things ended, and I suppose his decision to sign with Minnesota after the 1995 season rather than return to Milwaukee could have contributed to that impression.

That said, "cold" is certainly open to interpretation. You can say something that isn't particularly negative on its face, but the way it's delivered can leave a different impression. I just never really got that feeling from him. If anything, I think he was more hurt by how things ended than angry with Milwaukee.

[CheezWizHed]

1 hour ago, BrewerFan said:

I can see how you might have gotten that impression. Molitor has always been pretty reserved, and I suppose some of his comments could have come across as cold, particularly given how things ended in Milwaukee.

I went back and looked at quite a few of his interviews over the years, and he's consistently spoken highly of Milwaukee, the organization, Selig and the fans. Even when discussing the contract negotiations, he didn't really belabor the issue or attack anyone. He was mostly explaining the circumstances that led to his departure and making it clear that he never wanted to leave in the first place.

He received a standing ovation when he first returned to Milwaukee with Toronto, although there was quite a bit of booing in subsequent appearances, which he admitted bothered him. It's a very different era, but... hell, we still cheer Adames emphatically. I'm sure he believes he deserved better given leaving wasn't really up to him.

I'm sure there was lingering disappointment over how things ended, and I suppose his decision to sign with Minnesota after the 1995 season rather than return to Milwaukee could have contributed to that impression.

That said, "cold" is certainly open to interpretation. You can say something that isn't particularly negative on its face, but the way it's delivered can leave a different impression. I just never really got that feeling from him. If anything, I think he was more hurt by how things ended than angry with Milwaukee.

I couldn't pick any one thing he said or did... typically, he said all the "right" things.  Vaguely, I'm thinking there were some opportunities to return to Milwaukee that he passed on - was he a candidate as a hitting coach? - where it just felt a little "off" and his reason for passing felt a little trite.  Plus he rarely is included when the vets return for special events.... I struggle to image that the Brewers are the main reason for that (maybe that is unfair). 

But I still count Molly as my favorite player.  I started listening to games in '85, but '87 was the year that I really became a fan(atic).  Team streak and the Ignitor's 39 game hitting streak (and other streaks) are what locked me in. 

[BrewerFan]

2 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

I couldn't pick any one thing he said or did... typically, he said all the "right" things.  Vaguely, I'm thinking there were some opportunities to return to Milwaukee that he passed on - was he a candidate as a hitting coach? - where it just felt a little "off" and his reason for passing felt a little trite.  Plus he rarely is included when the vets return for special events.... I struggle to image that the Brewers are the main reason for that (maybe that is unfair). 

But I still count Molly as my favorite player.  I started listening to games in '85, but '87 was the year that I really became a fan(atic).  Team streak and the Ignitor's 39 game hitting streak (and other streaks) are what locked me in. 

Yeah, there were a couple times I remember hoping he'd come back, but I didn't realize just how close or how interested the Brewers were, so... I looked it up.

I'm stealing this from ChatGTP... but it has links;

1. November–December 1995: Milwaukee seriously tried to re-sign him

After Toronto declined his option, Molitor visited Milwaukee and met with Sal Bando and Bud Selig. The Brewers offered him two years and $4 million, plus another $1 million for five years of front-office work after retirement.

Molitor initially favored returning to Milwaukee, according to a detailed Shepherd Express reconstruction of contemporary reporting. He ultimately chose Minnesota, partly because it was home and partly because he wasn't sure returning to Milwaukee would recreate what he'd enjoyed before leaving.

This article editorializes it quite a bit, but... touches on the facts;

https://shepherdexpress.com/sports/brew-crew-confidential/paul-molitor-goes-home-brewers-miss-ignitor-part-ii/?utm_source=chatgpt.com


 

2. After the 1998 season: Milwaukee offered him a job

This is the clearest answer to your coaching question.

SABR's biography states that Molitor turned down an opportunity to join the Brewers' front office or field staff after retiring. He wanted to take his first year away from playing to enjoy life before committing to another baseball job.
 

3. August 1999: Molitor was rumored as a managerial candidate

This one is documented in contemporary national reporting.

When Milwaukee dismissed Phil Garner and GM Sal Bando on August 12, 1999, speculation immediately centered on whether Paul Molitor or Robin Yount might return to fill one of the vacancies.

In an Associated Press report published by The Washington Post, Brewers president Wendy Selig-Prieb was asked about both former players. She described the rumors as premature because the organization hadn't begun its formal search.

That establishes a genuine managerial rumor, but I haven't found evidence Milwaukee formally interviewed or offered Molitor the job.

The Washington Post
 

4. November 2001: His name surfaced again for manager or hitting coach

This may be the specific rumor you're remembering.

A November 2001 OnMilwaukee column suggested that Molitor could return as Milwaukee's hitting coach or even manager.

The context was unusual: MLB was discussing eliminating two franchises, with Minnesota potentially among them. Molitor was coaching for the Twins, and there was speculation he could become available if that organization disappeared.

The columnist explicitly advocated bringing him to Milwaukee. It was speculation, not a documented offer.




I could certainly see that fitting what you're talking about. I remember a lot of speculation about him becoming a hitting coach and then a manager among fans, but... him coming back and getting 3,000 hits in Milwaukee, PLUS... we weren't as bad those years as I would have thought going off memory. We were better than the Twins and then 80-82 one year and just a couple games worse another year, so it was a chance to really help heal the franchise there... but, it wasn't to be.