Minnesota Twins players backed manager Rocco Baldelli on Saturday after weeks of fans chanting for his firing amid the team’s late-season collapse.
The Twins, who had a five-game cushion in the American League wild-card race in mid-August, were eliminated from postseason contention with Friday’s loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Minnesota was 70-53 at its high-water mark of the season on Aug. 17, but has gone just 12-26 since, prompting fans at Target Field to chant “Fire Rocco” throughout the Twins’ September swoon.
“I don’t think it’s super fair to put everything on him,” pitcher Bailey Ober told reporters, according to The Athletic. “Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. If the players hear [the chants], I don’t think anyone’s agreeing with that. It’s like, seriously, can’t you see what’s going on? He’s not the one at fault for this mishap that happened.”
