How Sizemore is making his mark with Twins

This story was excerpted from Matthew Leach’s Twins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

If you saw Grady Sizemore in the Twins’ clubhouse, you’d never know who he was. Nothing about his unassuming demeanor and quiet, businesslike manner would indicate that he was arguably the best player in baseball in the mid-2000s, or that less than two years ago, he was managing a Major League team.

But that’s a big part of what makes Sizemore such a well-regarded coach. Yes, he’s done those things. He was a five-tool player, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger winner in center field. Yes, he’s managed in the Majors.

Fundamentally, though, Sizemore just wants to put in his piece as the Twins’ outfield coach. He wants to help his outfielders get better, and he wants to be part of the staff and the team.

“I'm having a lot of fun doing this,” he said. “I like being over at first base. I like working with the outfielders. It's been a good process for me. I'm trying to be in the moment as much as I can. As much as I'm trying to give feedback and coach, I'm trying to receive as much from my coaches and players. I feel like I've been fortunate to have a good staff to learn from and players that are fun to work with.”

Manager Derek Shelton was thrilled to add Sizemore to his first Twins staff. He was the hitting coach in Cleveland when Sizemore was at his peak, so he knows Sizemore better than most.

“He’s so humble,” Shelton said. “He has as much humility as anybody I've ever been around. I was fortunate to coach Grady Sizemore, not the other way around, because he was such an elite player. There is so much in there. Some of my favorite times are when I get him out for breakfast, out for dinner and it’s just he and I, and you get him talking about the game. He sees so much.”

Sizemore’s receptiveness and unselfishness have made him a huge hit with Twins outfielders.

“He’s very selfless,” said Austin Martin, who is playing right field regularly for the first time in his career.

“He’s quiet until he needs to be vocal. It’s always good to have coaches like that. There’s so many different styles of coaching where you’ll have guys that are kind of constantly in your ear, telling you this one day, then the next day it’s something else. But for ‘G,’ he stays himself. He helps us get better. If he sees something, he’ll let us know. But as soon as we have a question for him, he has an answer immediately.”