SO FAR, SO GOOD
Doug Mientkiewicz is hoping a second productive season with the Chattanooga Lookouts can lead to a fourth straight year of managerial success:YEAR CLUB RECORD PLAYOFF RESULT2013 Fort Myers 79-56 lost in Florida State League semis2014 Fort Myers 82-57 won Florida State League title2015 Chattanooga 76-61 won Southern League title
Doug Mientkiewicz will begin his fourth season as a minor league manager tonight when his Chattanooga Lookouts open defense of their 2015 Southern League championship in Biloxi, Miss.
Mientkiewicz (pronounced Mint-KAY-vich) added the Class AA Southern League crown to the high Single-A Florida State League title he won in 2014 managing the Fort Myers Miracle. The 41-year-old former Minnesota first baseman has achieved a lot in a short time teaching in the Twins organization, and some of the Lookouts are surprised he’s back.
“His managing style is so good, and you’re definitely shocked that there is not something out there that has his name written all over it,” first baseman Dalton Hicks said. “At the same time, I’m not going to complain, because it’s better for the Twins that he stays with us.”
Mientkiewicz was a finalist for the Minnesota job after guiding the Miracle to their first Florida State League title, but he lost out to Paul Molitor, the former Milwaukee Brewers infielder who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. Molitor went 83-79 last year, a noticeable improvement from the 70-92 mark compiled under Ron Gardenhire in 2014.