Rocco Baldelli: the latest Red Sox legend to become an MLB manager

Rocco Baldelli: the latest Red Sox legend to become an MLB manager

Yet another Red Sox legend has landed himself a spot as an MLB manager--and it's not Jason Varitek.

That's right: Rocco Baldelli is the newest manager of the Minnesota Twins. The Woonsocket Rocket, former Bishop Hendricken star athlete and longtime Tampa Bay Ray (who had a one-year stint in Boston), got the job this week.

It seems like a good hire. He's a guy who loves the game and has been under some good managers, so that's a plus. It's also just another indication that former Red Sox players are dominating this whole MLB managerial thing.

Rocco served as a base coach for the Rays and he also ran their defense (yes, like a football coach) under Kevin Cash, another Red Sox great who has turned out to be a fantastic manager for the Rays. In Tampa, Rocco also played under Joe Maddon for awhile and in Boston, he got the Terry Francona experience. As we know, Francona is the Indians manager now.

So who else was on the Red Sox in the 2004-2010 range who is currently a big league manager? Well, two of them are going head-to-head in the World Series as the moment: Dave Roberts and Alex Cora. Of course, both of those guys have World Series rings in Boston--as does Phillies manager Dave Roberts. So yeah, that's one fifth of the managers in the big leagues right now who were a part of the Red Sox in a 7-year window. That's pretty impressive, honestly.

Not to mention if John Farrell gets a job ever again, it could be seven--because he was the Red Sox pitching coach for a time.

Regardless of all of these former Red Sox guys managing, one thing is clear: Alex Cora is the guy for the in Boston right now. Amazing hire by the Red Sox last year.

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