Inside Twins: 9/29/24

·23 min·2 clips

Rocco Baldelli can't sleep at night, already tearing apart the Twins' disappointing season like a broken engine.

The episode 'Inside Twins: 9/29/24' is a season-wrap interview with Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, hosted by Chris. It airs on the final day of the regular season. Baldelli immediately acknowledges the season was disappointing and will hurt for a long time. When asked about the offseason process, he likens it to pulling apart a car engine to inspect every part, noting this evaluation has already started as he lies awake at night thinking about it. The host probes on how Baldelli personally evaluates the season, leading to a discussion on in-game managerial decisions. Baldelli admits there are specific situations where he wishes he had handled something differently, but emphasizes his primary focus is on how to get more out of his players. The conversation shifts to the team's identity. Baldelli reflects that the team had excellent runs early, cutting strikeouts and playing aggressively, but that identity shifted. He cites significant injuries, including to Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton, and the challenge of integrating three rookie starting pitchers as factors that made weathering the storm difficult. He notes Correa and Buxton returned late and played well, but it wasn't enough. The host then prompts Baldelli to reflect on positive moments and standout players from the year. Baldelli praises reliever Griffin Jax's transformation from a starter to one of the best relievers in the game, using an analogy of a point guard who grew taller but kept his skills. He highlights Matt Wallner's prodigious power, comparing his swing to a club and his exit velocities to players like Aaron Judge. Other positives mentioned include Jose Miranda's historic 12 hits in 12 at-bats, Cole Sands' emergence as a reliable reliever, and the continued development of starters Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan. The host also brings up the humorous 'rally sausage' phenomenon, and Baldelli recounts his improvised clubhouse monologue about it in Anaheim. In the final segment, the host asks about the abrupt end to the season. Baldelli describes the intense, seven-days-a-week grind for eight months followed by a sudden stop, forcing a rapid reintroduction to normal life and family. He expresses missing the daily routine and the people, but looks forward to the offseason work to prepare for next year.

As heard by us

Rocco Baldelli looks back on fatigue, late decline, and his own responsibility after a disappointing Twins season.

Inside Twins closes a frustrating season with the question Twins fans were already asking: how did a team that had been wearing opponents down turn into what Rocco Baldelli describes as almost a completely different club over the final two months? Baldelli is fairly direct.

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Why you'd press play

You get Rocco Baldelli taking responsibility for a disappointing Twins finish, with a clear-eyed look at why the second half felt so different from the club that was flying early.

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