In what will now be his sixth season as the bench boss for the Minnesota Twins, Rocco Baldelli is looking to build on the success his team saw last year with the goal of winning the World Series.
After getting the proverbial monkey off their backs, winning a postseason game and series, ending a more than two-decade drought, the Twins were sent home in the second round.
Since then, Baldelli has been focused on returning to the diamond and getting his team ready. With spring training finally kicking off, the Twins manager described their time in Florida as “energizing,” noting they’re looking to “hit the field running.”
He described the Twins as “hungry” after the taste of success they had last year, saying that “they’re here to win a championship.”
“That’s the only thing our guys are focused on and thinking about,” Baldelli said about bringing a championship to Minnesota.
When it comes to what he’s seen from his players, which include many popular and returning faces, Baldelli says he’s happy with the energy and preparedness they’ve brought.
“When you walk up on these guys and you see them, you have a real respect for the time they put in,” Baldelli said.
As for what Baldelli is looking for out of his team, he admitted that the bar is high not only come April but in the winter months as well.
“We demand a lot of our guys. I tell our guys that in the first meeting, and that doesn’t just mean during the season, and that doesn’t just mean when the game’s going on that means all the time,” he said. “They give it to us. They give it a lot.”
With several big personalities on the team, whether it be the charisma of rookie phenom Royce Lewis, all-star pitcher Pablo Lopez, or veteran Carlos Correa, Baldelli says he wants the team to be themselves.
“I just want them to be relaxed and comfortable and be themselves. You never try to be someone that you’re not. You never try to step into a role that you’re not comfortable in. When you’re relaxed, that’s when you’re going to play your best,” he said.
As for offseason moves, Baldelli says the Twins have reloaded, adding several “weapons” to their bullpen to bolster their already loaded roster.
“We have a lot of guys we can turn to,” he said.