Rocco Baldelli | Barking Hard

Rocco Baldelli

Chuck Brown

Member
I was gonna add this to the Indians 2019 thread but thought it warranted its own thread. Plus that thread for whatever reason wouldn’t let me post just now lol

I saw though for the first time in the article jaydog posted on the Indians thread Rocco’s now the manager of the Twins. It was a name I hadn’t heard in awhile. When he first was a player with the Rays I remember the comparisons to Joe DiMaggio. Both players were Italian and played center field with a similar style. I think Rocco might have even had an extended hitting streak when he was a rookie. Seemed though injuries really hurt Rocco’s career.

Where the hell am I going with this? I was surprised to see at 37 he’s now a manager. Seems he was hired because he’s a nice guy and can relate well with the players. Whether it’s Rocco, Gabe Kapler with the Phillies or Aaron Boone with the Yankees this seems to be the new trend with hiring managers. Ultimately suits high up and GMs control everything while managers are just there to relate with the players. Seems gone are the days of the Lou Pinellas of the world.

I don’t care for it. Thoughts?
 
That's a name I haven't heard in awhile. I used to trade for him in my franchise modes. He was a pretty damn good CF and had the tools to be a .290+ hitter with 30+ steals in any given season.

Sadly injuries straight up derailed his career, but good to see him able to stay in the MLB circles.
 
That's a name I haven't heard in awhile. I used to trade for him in my franchise modes. He was a pretty damn good CF and had the tools to be a .290+ hitter with 30+ steals in any given season.

Sadly injuries straight up derailed his career, but good to see him able to stay in the MLB circles.

Im happy for him as well but have a bigger issue with how the dynamics of managers have changed.
 
I was gonna add this to the Indians 2019 thread but thought it warranted its own thread. Plus that thread for whatever reason wouldn’t let me post just now lol

I saw though for the first time in the article jaydog posted on the Indians thread Rocco’s now the manager of the Twins. It was a name I hadn’t heard in awhile. When he first was a player with the Rays I remember the comparisons to Joe DiMaggio. Both players were Italian and played center field with a similar style. I think Rocco might have even had an extended hitting streak when he was a rookie. Seemed though injuries really hurt Rocco’s career.

Where the hell am I going with this? I was surprised to see at 37 he’s now a manager. Seems he was hired because he’s a nice guy and can relate well with the players. Whether it’s Rocco, Gabe Kapler with the Phillies or Aaron Boone with the Yankees this seems to be the new trend with hiring managers. Ultimately suits high up and GMs control everything while managers are just there to relate with the players. Seems gone are the days of the Lou Pinellas of the world.

I don’t care for it. Thoughts?

I used to draft Baldelli in fantasy baseball leagues because he was good for quantity of hits and outfield plays. Injuries got the best of him IIRC... but yeah he was with the Rays for a while. Division rival, watched him a lot.

Frankly its baseball, as the old saying goes if you can do the job, do it. Age is just a number. These are guys who played the game their whole lives but as a manager you need to see the game from a whole different perspective. I think the fact is the, as you put it, "Lou Pinellas" are a dying breed. That's why I liked John Gibbons, he was a flawed manager but man he didn't hesitate to get in the umps faces when his team got hosed. Watched him get tossed from many a game, he was an underrated 'tantrum manager'. The Jays hired Charlie Montoyo. He is from the Rays. Full circle. He's 52 though, not really one of this group of managers you're talking about...
 
I used to draft Baldelli in fantasy baseball leagues because he was good for quantity of hits and outfield plays. Injuries got the best of him IIRC... but yeah he was with the Rays for a while. Division rival, watched him a lot.

Frankly its baseball, as the old saying goes if you can do the job, do it. Age is just a number. These are guys who played the game their whole lives but as a manager you need to see the game from a whole different perspective. I think the fact is the, as you put it, "Lou Pinellas" are a dying breed. That's why I liked John Gibbons, he was a flawed manager but man he didn't hesitate to get in the umps faces when his team got hosed. Watched him get tossed from many a game, he was an underrated 'tantrum manager'. The Jays hired Charlie Montoyo. He is from the Rays. Full circle. He's 52 though, not really one of this group of managers you're talking about...

Revisiting this you seem to be right. Twins 31-15. Surprising best team in baseball.

I'd still rather have a manager whose seen it all so to speak. We'll see how the Twins hold up
 
So the Twins finished first under new manager Rocco. Their playoff series against the Yankees though was a fucking embarrassment.

I see keeping with this new trend of younger former players the Mets hired Carlos Beltran. As a player I don't remember him with very much personality/fire. Maybe he's changed but it just signals to me more and more decisions in MLB come from the GM/teams analytic departments. A good amount of managers probably don't even have much say in their line up cards. These managers are just sent to smooth over the modern day sensitive athlete.

Tito is old school
 
But Tito is a players manager like the new wave.

Also Tito gets the best out of his teams for the most part and keeps the bench warmers active whenever possible so as to make for a tight team that each player knows there role and can expect to play when situations arise.
 
Good point about him being a players manager. But I'd still like to think though he's something of his own man.
 
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