I will always remember the first game Rocco Baldelli managed for the Minnesota Twins. On March 28, 2019, José Berríos was on the mound pitching the season opener against the Cleveland Guardians. Berríos had pitched a stellar 7.2 innings, striking out 10 batters while only allowing two hits. It was a tremendous opener not only for Berríos but also for Baldelli. When the time came for Rocco to visit the mound to make a pitching change, he chatted with Berríos a bit. BeforeBerríos walked off, Baldelli extended his hand to congratulate him on his performance. That simple act of respect between the two made me realize Baldelli is a player’s coach. He gets it.
Having a coach like Baldelli in your clubhouse is a huge asset. Managers need to connect to their players mentally and understand what they are trying to overcome on the field.To quote Yogi Berra: “Baseball is 90 percent mental. The other half is physical.” Having the ability to understand the mental side of the game helps build better relationships with the players, almost like a father-and-son relationship.
On June 18, Minnesota placed former Twins reliever, Jorge López on the 15-day injured list for mental health-related rest. Rocco Baldelli at the time, indicated there was no specific timeline for López’s return to the active roster, and the Twins would give the right-handed reliever all the support, and the time he needed to get his mind fresh. Baldelli said, “It’s not easy to stand there and state out loud the things that you’re struggling with, it’s easy when it’s a physical injury and you can basically just say what it is.” López is the fourth MLB player this year to be put on IL for mental health reasons.
We have all heard about coaches who are “players’ coaches.” Players like them. That’s Baldelli. The athletes know the coach is supporting them, trying to help them get better. He cares about how the team progresses with the ups and downs of the demanding season. The mental part of the game is the most important and extremely fragile if ignored. It can determine if you have a great inning, play, or season. Your whole career could be in jeopardy if you are mentally unprepared to step out on the field and not give 110%.
Rocco is no stranger to the game. He spent seven seasons in the majors, six with the Tampa Bay Rays and one with the Boston Red Sox, finishing his career slashing .278 with 60 home runs.
Having a coach who can inspire you to believe in yourself can be tremendously rewarding for the players and staff. In 2019, for example, the Twins ended that season with a 101-61 record. Only the 1965 Twins won more games (102). Thus, the Bomba Squad was born, crushing 307 home runs and breaking the previous MLB record by 40. Minnesota would not lose more than two consecutive games until July 17th, when their third straight loss came against the New York Mets.
Baldelli would lead the Twins to its first AL Central title since 2010 and later win the American League Manager of the Year. It was a memorable season for the first-year head coach, who put together one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. He would again show Minnesota repeat success as AL Central champions in a shortened 2020 season.
The Twins have played sub-.500 baseball the last two seasons, but Baldelli isn’t fully at fault, the Twins missed more games due to injury than any other team in the AL Central. And in 2022, Minnesota was an MLB-leading injury-plagued team. They missed 10.06 wins due to injury, according to ManGamesLostMLB.
In the offseason, the Twins quietly extended his contract through 2025, ensuring he will be around for a few more years barring any catastrophic team meltdown.
Rocco knows how to keep the team’s morale up and stay focused on the task at hand when things are not going their way. He ensures his opinions are acknowledged and respected, especially when the team struggles. After the Atlanta Braves swept them at the end of June, Baldelli kept reporters out of the clubhouse as the team conducted a players-only meeting.
Baldelli addressed the teams’ issues, but ultimately he and the staff took responsibility for Minnesota’s recent slump. Since June 30, the Twins are 14-8, the bats have finally woken, and the bullpen is starting to stay consistently dominant. What happened? Rocco demanded more from the team. Baseball is 90 percent mental, remember? You can have all the talent in the world but still not get the job done if you don’t get mentally focused.
Rocco Baldelli is a player’s coach, first and foremost, who will have his hands full just in time for the postseason. Not only will he be trying to keep Minnesota in playoff contention, but his wife is expecting twins in September.
