“Some players have a magnetism that you can't measure or explain. It's something that fans, teammates, even opponents respect. Rocco has it.” - Chuck LaMar

Rocco Dan Baldelli was born on September 25, 1981, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The son of Dan and Michelle Baldelli, he has two brothers, Nicholas and Dante. The family is primarily of Italian and French ancestry. Dan Baldelli, is a retired Woonsocket firefighter and entrepreneur.

As a player, Rocco quickly progressed through the minor leagues and was named the 2002 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year, and the 2002 MVP California League Bakersfield Blaze.

He made his big league debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, on opening day 2003. During his first two seasons in the MLB, he established himself as an excellent offensive and defensive outfielder and placed third in voting for American League (AL) Rookie of the Year. He was named to the 2003 Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

In 2005, his promising career was derailed by a rare metabolic/muscular disorder that caused frequent soft tissue injuries, fatigue, and other ailments. From 2005 until his retirement 2010, the former everyday center fielder spent long stretches on the disabled list and played at least half of the season only once—in 2006, when he appeared in 92 games for the Devil Rays.

Rocco was named manager of the Minnesota Twins after the 2018 season. In 2019, he led them to 101 wins and an AL Central Division title and was named the 2019 American League Manager of the Year. At 38 years old, he was the youngest manager to win the award.

(excerpted from SABR, BR Bullpen & Wikipedia)