Paul Molitor

Paul Leo Molitor (born August 22, 1956), nicknamed "Mollie" and "the Ignitor", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. During his 21-year playing career in Major League Baseball (MLB), he played for the Milwaukee Brewers (1978–1992), Toronto Blue Jays (1993–1995), and Minnesota Twins (1996–1998). He was known for his exceptional hitting and speed. He made seven All-Star Game appearances, and was the World Series Most Valuable Player in 1993. Molitor ranks tenth on the all-time MLB career hits list with 3,319. He is one of only five players in history with 3,000+ hits, a lifetime .300+ batting average, and 500+ career stolen bases.

Considered one of the most "clutch" hitters in baseball history, Paul Molitor still has the best career postseason batting average in MLB history (minimum 100 at-bats) at .368.

Molitor was described as “the most nondescript superstar in baseball,” with Sports Illustrated calling him “The Complete Player” and “a template of the refined ballplayer.” Ted Williams said, “I watch him and I say to myself, ‘There is probably the best hitter in the game today.’ He's the closest thing to Joe DiMaggio in the last 30 years. Matter of fact, every time I watch him, I say, ‘There's Joe.‘“

Molitor grew up in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota before beginning his MLB career. After his retirement as a player, he served as a coach for the Seattle Mariners and the Twins. In 2004, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, becoming one of the first players enshrined after spending a significant portion of his career as a designated hitter. He was a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. On November 3, 2014, Molitor was announced as the 13th manager of the Twins. He managed the team for four seasons, from 2015 to 2018. In 2026 he joined the Twins' television broadcast crew as a part-time color analyst.