Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was sitting on his couch at his apartment in Minneapolis. His fiancée, Allie, laughed as she heard one end of a conversation and realized he was talking not about his American League Manager of the Year award, or his lineup, but his favorite band.
"Yeah, I'm a huge fan of what they do," he said. "I do love music, and follow, of course, other bands as well, and some historical bands, too. I would say that Phish is clearly my go-to band."
We all need more music in our lives, now more than ever, and baseball, more than any other sport, comes with a musical score.
Music plays in clubhouses, over the loudspeakers during batting practice and before the game, and every player chooses his own walk-up song. Spend time around the Twins for a few days or decades, and you'll wind up talking music.
Ron Gardenhire liked funny country lyrics and the Eagles. Paul Molitor took time after his playing career ended to follow Bruce Springsteen around Europe. Terry Ryan spent so much time sitting in bleachers watching batting practice, he could name any song blaring over a loudspeaker within three notes.
Like many of us these days, Baldelli is working from home, seeking good television series and documentaries, and relying on music to soothe his restless mind.
His musical choice is revealing. Phish is a long-running, influential jam band led by guitarist and vocalist Trey Anastasio. Phish is inventive, virtuosic and, to adopt a highly scientific musical phrase, pretty chill. It's also a band that never cared to swim in the mainstream.
Baldelli earned the Twins job and the Manager of the Year award in his first season by demonstrating a combination of intelligence and empathy. He will bench a player for analytical reasons, then hold a long conversation with that player, telling him how much he means to the team.