By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins fired manager Rocco Baldelli on Monday, ending his seven-year tenure that included three AL Central titles but only one playoff appearance over his final five seasons.
Baldelli’s dismissal came after a second straight dispiriting finish by the Twins, this one marked by a major selloff leading up to the trade deadline. The Twins went 70-92, including just 19-35 after the July 31 deadline passed following the departure of 10 players from their major league roster, with only the Colorado Rockies faring worse over the final two months.
The Twins finished with the fourth-worst record in the major leagues and their worst mark since 2016, when they went 59-103 after firing longtime general manager Terry Ryan at midseason. Current team president Derek Falvey was hired to replace Ryan after that.
“Over the past seven years Rocco has been much more than our manager. He has been a trusted partner and teammate to me in leading this organization,” Falvey said in a statement. “Together we shared a deep care for the Twins, for our players and staff, and for doing everything in our power to put this club in the best position to succeed. Along the way we experienced some meaningful accomplishments, and I will always be proud of those, even as I wish we had ultimately achieved more.
“This is a difficult day because of what Rocco represents to so many people here. He led with honesty, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to our players and staff. He gave himself fully to this role and I have tremendous respect and gratitude for the way he carried himself and the way he showed up every single day.”
Baldelli, who turned 44 last week, went 101-61 and won the AL Manager of the Year award as a rookie in 2019. He is third in Twins history in wins (527), trailing Tom Kelly (1,140) and Ron Gardenhire (1,068). Baldelli was hired to replace Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, with Falvey citing his adaptivity to the data-based direction of baseball strategy and his communication skill in distilling it to coaches and players while clearly setting expectations and preferences.
Particularly in this modern age of analytics, there’s plenty of mystery about just how much impact a manager in the dugout truly has on a baseball team’s won-loss record, but the overall performance — even with the post-trade deadline roster depletion this year — and lack of life from the club lately suggested some type of staffing change would be warranted.
The Twins, who went 87-75 in 2023 to win their third AL Central title under Baldelli and their first series in the playoffs in 21 years, were in firm control of a wild-card spot down the stretch last season before tumbling out of contention with a 12-27 record over the last six weeks to land at 82-80. Factoring that finish into their extended funk this year, the Twins are 82-119 over their last 201 games for a .408 winning percentage. That includes a 13-game winning streak they produced earlier this season.
Attendance has swooned at Target Field, with the Twins finishing with an 81-home game total of a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold, their lowest number in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the Metrodome and finished 69-93. Fans mostly have directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost-cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough. The Pohlad family put the franchise up for sale last year, but decided last month to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.
The dizzying trade-deadline activity left Baldelli and his staff without much to work with down the stretch, though All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton was a bright spot in a breakthrough season for his health and rookie second baseman Luke Keaschall provided consistent production and a professional approach at the plate belying his inexperience.
The departures of shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder Harrison Bader, first baseman Ty France and multiposition player Willi Castro robbed the lineup of experience and steadiness, but that was nothing like what happened to Baldelli’s bullpen.
The Twins traded their five best relievers, from closer Jhoan Duran on down, and left the final 54 games to a ragtag group that had eight blown saves in 18 opportunities during that span. The conversion rate of 44.4% ranked second worst in the majors over the final two months.
“He led with professionalism and care for both his players and our organization,” said executive chair Joe Pohland, “and we are grateful for the way Rocco represented the Twins.”
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