*sigh* This hurts. A lot. Good luck, Newmie. We'll miss you!

Al's been a Twins institution for a long, long time. I, for one, will miss him.

Tears were streaming down my face for at least a half an hour as I rambled about all my memories of Newmie to my mother last night.

I'm really really going to miss him. It bothers me that he wonders if he's a scapegoat for the season. Newmie, NO! You were never and will never be a scapegoat for anything. You did your job better than anyone could have asked.

*sigh* I wish you luck, Newmie....

*wishes she had the :rant: smiley over here*

Is this because I asked for a newmie boyfriend shirt?

I didn't mean it!

I will be over here, in my corner, unconsolable.

That's awful. Why couldn't they work this out?

I cannot properly express how heartbroken I am over this. I also think it's a bad move on the part of the Twins in a lot of ways.

Al was my favorite player when he played for the Twins and I was thrilled to see him do well as a scout and coach with the Twins organization.

Does anyone have a copy of that commercial that featured Al this past season? I always meant to record it, but I don't think I have a recording saved. Sigh.

I also wanted a Newmie boyfriend (or third base coach or utility infielder) shirt; I already have a Newman warmup shirt from his playing days.

the offseason does suck. this news sucks. i love newmie.

at least we still have him as mr. september on the new calendar milking the cow. what a hoot.

Laurel-

The Newmie commercial is on the Twins' website:

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/min/fan_forum/commercials_2005.jsp

Just watched it for fun yesterday. Dammit.

Oh, how sad. I'll sure miss him. And it's too bad that he's leaving with bad feelings.

Best of luck, Newmie. You'll be missed.

k-bro

I have always adored Al, and am totally bummed by the news. I was somewhat prepared to wish him well if he got the long-coveted ML managerial job, but this just seems like getting away from here rather than a career move.

But at least there is an upside. According to the Strib, this might mean they move Ullger back to third base and look for a new hitting coach. That would be some consolation!!!

Newman is just a GREAT guy. Very fan friendly. He frequents a south metro bar/restaurant not far from his house at which a friend of mine bartends. Apparently, he is very nice to all the staff (gives them tickets) and is quite accommodating to fans seeking autographs or just interested int talking to him about the Twins.

As sad as it will be to lose Newmie on the field, it's just as sad to lose him as a "Twins ambassador" and a member of the Twin Cities community.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!1!!!!ONE

"Meanwhile, Newman said he was sad to leave the organization wondering if he's a scapegoat for the team's struggles this season."

No Newmie...don't believe it! It's not true.

And Word Smith...word. I read that line too. Too bad a new hitting coach came at the cost of Newmie. I mean...DANG!

psssst - Laurel, there is a newmie bf shirt now.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO:(:(:(

*snorfle* Newmie was a great representative of the team: fun, classy, and he plays hard.

Although, WordSmith, that is also what I thought immediately. Take your silver linings where you can find them.

Dear Batgirl

Maybe you could try out for the 3rd base coaching job. I think you could pat the butts just as good as the old coach did.

mike

Dear Mr. Mike,

THat is very sweet. How is your Jeter man-crush shirt going over?

Curiously,
BG

Oh, this is just terrible. I come to Batgirl for sass and cheering up, and now this. Pffft!

The more rational side of my response is just as negative. Didn't the Twins put Newmie in a minor-league managerial role so that he could preach the fundamentals-and-defense gospel that we have been baptized and confirmed into? And didn't we then get players out of our minor leagues like Torii and Corey and Dougie, who get that whole defense/fundamentals thing? I've been missing that, frankly, and wondering who some of these new kids had for baseball kindergarden who messed them up before they got to Al. I want my moral highground back, and I'm still convinced that Newmie was the one who took that turf in the first place (and held it for Tom Kelly and Ron Gardenhire).

I could have let Al go peacefully into the manager's role in KC, and I think the Royals would have benefitted from having him, but this Diamondbacks scouting thing just makes me tear up.

Peace out, man. We'll miss you.

Chacarron, hrunting. Chacarron.

The purge continues.........
From PiPress:
The Twins outrighted the contracts of designated hitter Matthew LeCroy, outfielder Jason Tyner and infielder Glenn Williams to Class AAA Rochester and have declined their 2006 option on right-handed pitcher Joe Mays, the Twins announced Friday.

*tears* I will miss him! and the best of luck to him! And BG you are right, no one slaps buttoxs quite like Newmie

Not to add rain to the parade, but what happened to Roly-Poly LeCroy? Unceremoniously outrighted to the minors?

This is terrible, terrible news. A year ago, Newmie said to the press that he loved his job! And now Matty, too?

I'm sure some of you know how I feel about losing *any* of them. (Quick summary: Noooooo! No, no, no, *sob*, *punch*, why god why, NOOOOO!). But these two had such personality and goofball joy.

Next year's draft: I guess now we need a bug-eater.

Dear Batgirl

Everyone that has seen the shirt gets a nice happy laugh and smile because of it. Tim McCarver was wondering if you could make him a Jeter is my Boyfriend t shirt. I said "you mean NSMC Mr McCarver" and he said "No I mean Boyfriend".

Helpfully
mike

The news about Mays and LeCroy made me sad but I wasn't surprised. I was surprised by Newmie's departure. He was on KFAN earlier this week and mentioned the tension that had sprung up between him and Gardy/Management this year. At the time though, he sounded pretty emphatic about wanting to stay with the team. His leaving gives me a bad vibe.

Yes, it appears things are changing in the ol' Twins' clubhouse. When I look back on the World Series years, I remember a team that won, not because they had the best players in the sport, but because they had the best team--a team that realized in spite of the money, baseball is at it's heart a game, and games should be fun. Al and Matthew helped to make the game fun for me, and without being a fly on the wall in the locker room (some fantasies never seem to come true, darn it), I would assume they made the team more fun to be a part of. If the powers that be think that getting rid of Al will cure the ass bats, they are wrong. If they think taking Matthew's leadership and southern can-do attitude to AAA will help, I think they are off base. I can only hope that Molitor is the choice to replaced Al, a coach that truly understands the frustrations and joy of playing every day for more than a couple of years is, in my opinion vital.

That is just heartbreaking. Wow.

I am very upset about Newmie leaving. DON'T GO! Newmie is the best. stupid Arizona better appreciate him.

"Who is going to slap players' buttocks with such enthusiasm?"

I volunteer. *sniff* it's the least I can do.

Psst! Kaf! Jesse's a pitcher! You probably won't get many opportunities to slap his buttocks as he rounds third. ;)

Too sad:(

Good Luck, Newmie!

Meanwhile, Scotty Ullger gets the full "You're doin' a heckuva job!" endorsement from both Gardy and TR in the papers. They pushed out the wrong guy. Idjits.

Al was cute and cuddly, but the Twins already have a mascot. Base running was brutal this year. Was Michael Ryan thrown out 4 times or 5 as he tried to lumber from second to home? And do you really believe that veteran Stewart missed signals, or were they not given? This is a positive move, IMO.