Why We Love Rocco Baldelli

By Paulie Knep
Love of Sports Correspondent

As sports fans, we root for ballplayers for different reasons.

We cheer for athletes who play for our favorite team or ones who attended our alma mater. We admire certain players for their athletic ability or approach to the game, and we applaud others for overcoming adversity.

In certain circumstances, we root for athletes out of compassion. Ballplayers, like the rest of us, encounter setbacks, disappointments and difficult periods in their lives. A fan may sympathize with the personal struggles of a specific athlete and follow his plight with great interest.

Compassion is what’s led me to embrace Tampa Bay Ray outfielder Rocco Baldelli.

Baldelli’s been suffering from a fatigue disorder since the offseason, the latest in a long line of physical ailments he’s had to endure over the past few years.

He was considered a five-tool prospect when the Rays selected him out of high school with the sixth pick in the 2000 draft. He drew comparisons to Joe DiMaggio, because in addition to his phenomenal talent and Italian-American heritage, he wore the same number (#5) and played the same position (centerfield) as the Yankee Clipper.

Baldelli had an impressive rookie year for the Rays in 2003, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He followed it up with another solid season in 2004.

Then the injuries began.

After the 2004 season, Baldelli tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee playing baseball with his younger brother. While rehabbing from that injury, he tore a ligament in his left elbow, requiring Tommy John surgery and causing him to miss the entire 2005 season and half of 2006.

He returned to the Rays lineup in June of ‘06 and hit .302 with 16 home runs in just 364 at-bats.

With the bizarre injuries behind him, ‘07 was supposed to be the season Baldelli would blossom into one of the best all-around players in baseball … but the injuries continued. He pulled his hamstring in spring training, and the problem lingered throughout the season, limiting him to 35 games.

This past offseason, Baldelli began experiencing excessive fatigue and muscle cramps after brief workouts. Routine baseball activities left him exhausted, and it took several days for his body to recover.

He underwent a series of tests which eventually revealed he had what is called “metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities,” though doctors weren’t able to provide an exact diagnosis. While holding back tears, he stated that his condition isn’t life-threatening, but he wouldn’t be able to play baseball.

Baldelli’s new and mysterious illness has to be the most frustrating of all his ailments. It’s disheartening for any person in his 20s to have his body fail him at such a young age, but for an athlete whose livelihood depends on his athleticism and strength, it must be devastating.

Baldelli’s since experimented with different treatments and refuses to give up on his career. In May, however, the Rays decided not to pick up his option for the 2009 season.

By all accounts, he’s an excellent teammate and a hard worker. With the exception of fellow outfielder Carl Crawford, he has the longest tenure with the Rays. He was in Tampa Bay for the lean years, playing for dismal teams, before meager crowds.

This season, the Rays have been the talk of Major League Baseball, sitting in first place and playing before a packed house on a nightly basis. Baldelli deserves to be a part of the excitement. Instead, he’s been watching from the sidelines, wondering if he’ll ever play again.

On May 29th, he began building up his endurance by playing in extended spring training games, and in mid-June was sent to the Rays’ A- ball affiliate, where he hit just .216 over a two-week period.

In July, Baldelli started a month-long rehabilitation assignment with the Rays Double-A team, where he hit .297 with three home runs and eight RBI in 13 games.

He hasn’t addressed the status of his illness publicly since March. He’s only stated that he’s excited about the possibility of returning to the Rays.

Earlier this week, he met with Rays’ manager Joe Maddon and executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to discuss his situation. There’s speculation the Rays are going to activate him for their upcoming series against Cleveland. They plan on using him as a right fielder or DH against left handed pitching and as a pinch hitter.

After all he’s been through, Rays fans aren’t the only ones rooting for him to succeed.

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