On Thursday, the Minnesota Twins announced that former MLB outfielder Rocco Baldelli is the team’s next manager. Baldelli replaces Paul Molitor, who was fired earlier this month after four seasons with the team. The Twins finished second in the AL Central in 2018 with a 78–84 record, 13 games behind the Cleveland Indians. Baldelli, 37, reportedly also interviewed for the Blue Jays and Rangers jobs before being hired by the Twins. He spent the 2018 season with the Tampa Bay Rays as the Major League Field Coordinator, and was the team’s first base coach the previous three seasons. As a player, Baldelli spent eight years in the majors, mostly with the Rays. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 before being forced to retire at age 29 in 2010 because of mitochondrial channelopathy, a fatigue-causing disease.
Editorial credit: James Kirkikis / Shutterstock.com