A historic collapse that saw the Minnesota Twins fumble a near-90 percent chance of making the postseason, tough decisions will be needed to make sure it doesn't happen again.
One of those decisions has already been made, and it was perhaps the most notable and toughest the team needed to make. Derek Falvey spoke with the media on Sunday and confirmed that Rocco Baldelli would be back as manager of the Twins next season.
The same can't be said for the rest of Rocco's staff, as Falvey made a point of saying he can't speak on the future of anyone other than the manager, but at least one big decision has already been made.
Rocco Baldelli will be back as the Twins’ manager next year, Derek Falvey said.
— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) September 29, 2024
It's a decision that comes after not only a historic collapse but calls for Rocco's job by fans at Target Field. Chants to fire Rocco have broken out with greater frequency over the last few games as the season slipped away, something that the man himself addressed rather bluntly.
Rather than toss the chants aside, Rocco directly commented on them and even went as far as to take the side of fans for being angry over what happened.
"I respect fans. Minnesota Twins fans showed me last year, when we were in the playoffs, amazing things. Things that can change the outcome of a game in favor of their team. You can't have greater passion than what I saw. If I'm going to accept that and take that and enjoy that, then I'll also take the criticism when things don't go well," Baldelli said this weekend.
His comments sympathizing with fans aren't the first time someone from the dugout has taken accountability for the team's struggles. Last year Carlos Correa was booed amid a brutal offensive slump, and essentially apologized to fans for not living up to their expectations.
It's yet another example of how much mutual respect there is between fans and the team they love so dearly. Chanting for Rocco to be fired is a bit extreme, but the authentic passion is why Rocco felt the need to address it the way he did.
The respect goes deeper than that, as it's clear Derek Falvey and the front office believe in Rocco's vision for the team. The question that begs is whether or not ownership will allow for moves to be made this winter to give everyone the resources they need to avoid another collapse or if this will simply be another case of running things back to see what happens.
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