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Rocco Baldelli interviewed for five managerial positions during the offseason, and said he got “the right feeling” before he was hired by the Twins on Thursday.
The 37-year-old Tampa Bay Rays major league field coordinator was introduced at an afternoon news conference at Target Field on Thursday.
“A lot of things happened very quickly,” said Baldelli. “Where I landed, I’m absolutely ecstatic.”
Baldelli’s list of mentors is an impressive one. He’s played for Lou Piniella, Joe Maddon and Terry Francona. And he was a member of Kevin Cash’s coaching staff with the Rays the past three seasons. After partly gutting their roster last season, the surprising Rays went 90-72 under Cash.
“I spent, really, most of my adult life there,” Baldelli said about Tampa Bay. “The people there prepared me to do anything … not just related to baseball. They helped me to feel confident in myself … and do whatever I wanted to do.”
Twins bench coach Derek Shelton, who coached with Baldelli in Tampa Bay, and Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde were the other finalists to replace the fired Paul Molitor.
Baldelli, the Tampa Bay Rays’ major league field coordinator, had his second interview with the Twins on Monday. Shelton, Hyde and Twins hitting coach James Rowson also interviewed for the position with Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey and General Manager Thad Levine.
Baldelli is two years older than his new boss; Falvey is 35. But there is a connection — one of Baldelli’s brothers played with Falvey at Trinity College.
“I don’t think I could picture a better scenario than getting Rocco Baldelli,” Falvey said.
Baldelli will have to play a part in resurrecting the careers of young Twins like Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, who both took giant steps backward in 2018
I’m very much looking forward to talking to these guys, and connecting with them,” Baldelli said. “That’s the best way for me to start — talking to the players.”
Baldelli said he does not speak Spanish, but said he would stress the need for diversity “in many ways” on his coaching staff.
“Having staff members that related to the Latino players is very important,” he said.
Ray Miller, hired as manager during the 1985 season to replaced the fired Billy Gardner, was the last man for whom the team reached outside the organization. Tom Kelly was a 36-year-old coach when named to the position during the 1986 season. Ron Gardenhire coached under Kelly until he took over in 2002. Molitor worked in the organization from 2005 until he replaced Gardenhire following the 2014 season.
Molitor got a three-year, $4 million contract after the 2017 season, when he was named the American League manager of the year. The highest paid managers in baseball last year Joe Maddon of the Cubs, the recently retired Mike Scioscia of the Angels and Bruce Bochy of the Giants; all made $6 million per season.
The Twins, coming off a 2017 wild card playoff berth, were 78-84 last season.
Baldelli’s promising major league career included numerous stints on the disabled list because of complications from a muscular disorder. He also played briefly for the Red Sox, and retired after seven seasons at age 29 in 2010. He has worked for the Rays since, including four seasons as a first base coach.
He said Thursday he did a much better job of “taking care of himself” than he did as a ballplayer.
Once Baldelli retired, he wanted to get out of the uniform for awhile. So he joined the Rays front office and spent four years in a variety of roles. He ended up focusing on player evaluation, but he also took the time to embrace badytics and how is can be applied.
Baldelli was a first round (sixth overall) pick of Tampa Bay in 2000 out of Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, R.I., and signed for $2.25 million. An outfielder, he made his major league debut in 2003 and finished third in the American League rookie of the year voting. After a strong 2004 season, he sat out all of 2005 and never played in more than 100 games in a season again.
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