Rocco Baldelli spent the offseason erecting tiny fences in rooms of his Rhode Island home so his 16-month-old twin sons, Enzo and Nino, wouldn’t run into trouble.
His wife, Allie, allowed him to take trips to Florida and New York to watch his favorite band, Phish, perform.
Baldelli has had time to unplug, decompress and be a dad following a 2024 season in which the Twins could not sustain consistent offense, were upended with injuries and then collapsed down the stretch when they had a playoff spot locked up as late as Game 154.
Baldelli might have unplugged, but he has not calmed down.
“I’m still ticked off,” he said Friday at Target Field during the Twins' annual media luncheon. “I hope I’m an old man someday, and that could still be a point of frustration. The emotional part of it is not going away. But it’s like anything. What are you going to do about it?”
The challenge is to move forward the right way. He won’t forget how the team collapsed last season, or how the offense was wildly inconsistent. It’s important to learn from those moments and use them as motivation once camp begins.
Baldelli has to identify who will play first base. He said Thursday during the Diamond Awards banquet that Willi Castro — as if he doesn’t have enough gloves — could get some time there. Baldelli also wants to address the early-season offensive issues that have often plagued the team. More line drives, fewer swings for the fences until the weather warms up.
The front office might provide an addition or two before Opening Day. But many of the players who underperformed last season will return. Baldelli is encouraged by his players publicly stating that the experience will motivate them as they prepare for the new season. But he must come through on his end when he sets the tone during spring training.
