Rocco Baldelli Named New Twins Manager
Thursday morning, Rocco Baldelli was named the new manager of the Minnesota Twins. Baldelli, who served in different on-field and front office roles for the Tampa Bay Rays since 2014, spent the last part of the 2002 season with Durham, and then brief stints in the Bull City in 2006, 2007 and 2010.
The Rhode Island native joined the Bulls in August of 2002 and proceeded to hit .292. The outfielder helped lead Durham to its first Governors’ Cup crown, as the team swept Toledo in the First Round and Buffalo in the Finals. That season he was named Minor League Player of the Year, as he combined to hit .331 with 19 homers and 26 stolen bases between three levels.
With his promotion, Baldelli is the fourth former Bulls player who is an active manager in the MLB, joining Kevin Cash (Tampa Bay), Mickey Callaway (New York Mets) and Brian Snitker (Atlanta).
