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MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins have added Paul Molitor to their coaching staff, assigning him supervision of the teams base running, bunting, infield instruction and positioning as well as assistance with in-game strategy. This is not some token job for a prominent, popular former player. All of those areas need a lot of work, so Molitor is going to be busy. "Hes certainly got a history and knowledge and a high baseball IQ," general manager Terry Ryan said. "Theres no doubt about that. It fits pretty good here." The hire was announced Tuesday by the Twins, who finished 66-96 for the second straight season after going 63-99 the year before that. "Theres really no part of the game that we cant do better at," Molitor said, adding: "Im going to be able to work on guys who need to have a small-ball game, with the things they can do, with ways to score runs. I think thats kind of a lost art. Guys worry so much about getting on base, but they forget how to score and how to pick up 90 feet. While it wasnt horrible, I think it certainly could be better." Since 2005, Molitor has served as a minor league base running and infield co-ordinator for the organization. The last three of his 21 major league seasons as a player came with the Twins until his retirement in 1998. The 57-year-old grew up in nearby St. Paul, attending the same high school where Joe Mauer later starred and then playing for the University of Minnesota before his professional career was launched with Milwaukee and extended with Toronto. The seven-time All-Star is one of six players in history with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases. Molitor was a candidate to be Minnesotas manager in 2002 after Tom Kelly retired, but he withdrew during the unsettling process during which Major League Baseball tried to eliminate the franchise before being blocked in court. The job went to Ron Gardenhire, who has held it since then and received a new two-year contract last month. All of Gardenhires assistants were brought back, too, so the position for Molitor on staff is new. "I appreciate that hes respected my input in spring training when hes had me come down there as an extra coach those first few weeks the past several years," Molitor said. "Weve talked again often. Its going to be a chance for us to take that kind of to another level in how were going to work together, as me being as part of his staff." Gardenhire neednt look over his shoulder, Ryan said. The idea to hire Molitor was Gardenhires, actually. "Gardy has no reason to worry about his job," Ryan said, adding: "I didnt want to be perceived as hiring Molitor as a manager-in-waiting. Thats not true. Were adding him to our staff to make us better." Molitor didnt dismiss eventual interest in becoming a manager. But he didnt sound ready to think about it. "Im sure therell be some questions regarding that. Theres been a lot of speculation even over the last season about Gardys potential future, and I just dont think that I can really say anything other than this is going to be invaluable for me in terms of getting back into a major league situation and continuing to gain experience and maybe learning more about what I want my future to be," Molitor said. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe tweeted after the news was announced: "Wow, so stoked to see Molitor join our staff! Hes one of the most knowledgeable baseball men Ive ever met." Ryan was glad to hear that. "Thats kind of music to my ears because Im hoping we can get Trevor going. Hes got the capability to be a pretty good player. This year wasnt what we were hoping," Ryan said. NOTES: The Twins announced that closer Glen Perkins had arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 1 on the medial meniscus cartilage in his right knee. Hell be ready for spring training. ... Molitor has served three seasons on a major league coaching staff: with the Twins as a bench coach under Kelly in 2000 and 2001 and as hitting coach for Seattle in 2004, the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Fake Jerseys From China .com) - The Boston Bruins announced Monday that the team has signed goaltender Niklas Svedberg to a one-year contract. Fake Jerseys . "I had a pretty good year," the soft-spoken Granberg told TSN.ca with a grin from the teams annual rookie tournament in London. A fourth-round selection in 2010, Granberg is worth keeping an eye on with NHL training camps rolling around in less than a week. The six-foot-two, 200-pound defender may not possess the wow-inspiring theatrics of fellow prospect Morgan Rielly, but nonetheless has a chance to contribute with the Leafs when all is said and done this season. https://www.fakejerseyswholesale.com/ . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap. Cheap Jerseys . Trailing by a goal after 20 minutes of play, Joe Pavelski responded with three goals and an assist as the Sharks snapped a two-game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the struggling Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . He was attracted by the punishing defence, the strong running game and a coaching staff he trusted. The 49ers announced Thursday that Manningham had signed a two-year deal to join the team he helped knock out in the NFC championship game two months ago in their latest offensive upgrade at wide receiver.The Toronto Raptors have been playing great basketball of late and will try to keep it going tonight when they head to Quicken Loans Arena to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. Watch all the action unfold live on TSN or listen to it live on TSN Radio 1050 beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. Raptors forward Amir Johnson (sprained ankle) participated in the shootaround and expects to play. The Raptors have won two straight and five of their last six. The only setback during that time was a home loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, but the Raps have dropped two of their last three on the road. Toronto had little trouble dispatching the Orlando Magic Sunday night, winning by a final of 105-90. Kyle Lowry didnt miss a shot in the game-altering third, scoring 17 of his 28 points in the frame. The Raptors won the period 36-24 to take command of the game. DeMar DeRozan provided 24 points, Terrence Ross added 16 and Amir Johnson had 12 for the Raptors, whose 52.3 percent efficiency from the field offset 24 turnovers. "We keep coming out sluggish and turn it on later," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. "We just have to be able to do it for the whole 48 minutes." A Raptors win tonight would clinch a winning record for a third consecutive month, a feat that hasnt happened since 2007.dddddddddddd The Cavs have dropped two in a row after a season-high six-game winning streak. Clevelands losing streak started in Toronto on Friday night when the Raps won by seven. On Monday, the Cavaliers fell to the hot Washington Wizards, 96-83 at home. Luol Deng scored 17 points and newly-acquired Spencer Hawes added 16 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Cavaliers, who had a three-game home winning streak snapped. Tristan Thompson also had a double-double in defeat with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Kyrie Irving donated 15 points in defeat. "There are so many things we have to figure out -- new pieces, guys missing -- but were not going to use that as an excuse. Time is of the essence right now, especially when we want to do something special here," Irving said. The Cavs have held their opponents under 100 points for seven straight games, the longest stretch since a seven-gamer over the first two weeks of March in 2010. The Raptors are 8-4 in their last 12 against the Cavaliers, but only 4-12 in their last 16 in Cleveland. ' ' '