Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, left, talks to Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash before a baseball game Thursday, May 30, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Baldelli was a former player and coach for the Rays. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

I don’t know why, but I’ve always been a sucker for a ‘feel good’ story.

Maybe it’s partially because I spent 30 years of my life in law enforcement, 18 of those as chief of police, where all too often you are dealing with the other side of the coin.

For whatever reason, I am fascinated by stories of people who have overcome seemingly impossible odds and become a success. Some of my favorite articles in this space have been about this type scenario.

For example, I wrote a piece, entitled “The American Dream, Baseball Style” about Daniel Nava, the Red Sox player who couldn’t make his college team but worked so hard at honing his skills as a player, while serving as the equipment manager of that team, that he made it to the Big Leagues. 

Carl Johnson

Then there was the legend of Sam Fuld, the Berwick Academy graduate who, despite severe diabetes, made it to “The Show,” too. I recently wrote about Ryan Brasier, who spent years in the minors and never got a chance at the major-league level, went to Japan as a last resort to try to revive his career and became a major factor in the Red Sox 2018 World Series win. (Unfortunately, like the rest of the Red Sox he is apparently seeing that dream go out the window this year.)

Just last week, I wrote about Babe Ruth, who grew up in a “reform school” and went on to become perhaps the greatest baseball player of all time.

The feel good story of the year, in baseball, in case you haven’t noticed, is taking place in, of all places, Minnesota. Going into Friday, of this week, the Twins were in first place in the Central Division of the American League, 11 games ahead of the second place Cleveland Indians, with a record of 45-22, the best record in all of baseball and the largest lead of any divisional leader.

This from a team that last year, under fourth-year Manager Paul Molitor had finished with a 78-84 record, 13 games behind Cleveland. The Twins have not been to a World Series since 1991 when they beat the Atlanta Braves in seven games. They had won the division five times in 13 years under Ron Gardenhire, who Molitor succeeded in 2015 but never made the Big Dance. Molitor had been named Manager of the Year in 2017 when the Twins made it to the Wild Card game but lost to the Yankees.

Enter Molitor’s replacement, Rocco Baldelli, just 37 years old, the youngest manager in baseball today. Baldelli’s story has had its ups and downs since being drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2000, born in, of all places, Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Drafted out of little Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island, in 2000, he made his Major League debut in 2003. That year, at age 21, he played in 156 games, as a center fielder, batted .289, with 11 homers, 78 RBIs and 27 stolen bases, and finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting. He was compared to the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio, and was assigned the No. 5, which DiMaggio had worn.

In 2004, he batted .280 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs. He also led the league in assists as a center fielder his first two years. He missed the 2005 season with several injuries and ended up having to have Tommy John surgery.

Despite his tendency to injury, the Rays thought highly enough of him to sign him to a three-year, $9 million contract in 2006. For the next two years, he missed a large part of each season with hamstring injuries and had begun to feel the effects of what was diagnosed as a mitochondrial disease, a cell disorder that causes muscle fatigue and, even when not injured, he was unable to play more than a few games without rest.

He missed most of the 2008 season and returned in August and September, hitting a big three-run homer in the American League Championship Series to help the Rays to the World Series where they lost to the Phillies. The Boston Baseball Writers awarded him the Tony Conigliaro Award for his comeback that year.

In 2009, he signed with the Red Sox as a free agent but played in just 62 games, batting .253 and, after the season, the Sox released him, and the Rays signed him back as a free agent. He played in just 10 games in 2010 and announced his retirement as a player in January of 2011.

The Rays appreciated his intelligence and commitment and made him a Special Adviser for Scouting and Player Development. He spent the next four seasons in that position and, when Kevin Cash became manager of the Rays in 2015, he was made first base coach at age 33.

He stayed at that position until interviewing for the position of manager with four different clubs and being appointed Manager of the Twins. The Twins apparently felt that his knowledge of and commitment to the game, coupled with his laid-back attitude and youth would play well with their young team.

At the winter meetings in Las Vegas, after being named manager, he was interviewed about his thoughts on managing and said ‘When you’re comfortable, you play your best. I think we’re going to get our best when these guys are freed up in every possible way, on the field, off the field.’

The Twins have apparently taken to Baldelli. Of course, it helps when you start the season with your five key starters healthy and starting 61 of your first 65 games while also getting 10 or more home runs from seven players. It also helps if your team leads the league in homers with 128, batting average with .274, and runs scored with 388 and if your pitching staff has the fifth best ERA in the league.

How much of the Twins success is directly due to Baldelli and the laid-back style that he has brought to the team we can’t measure. But one thing is sure, so far, Baldelli is the “Feel Good” story of this year.

Carl Johnson is a noted baseball lecturer and author. His books include the popular series “THE BASEBALL BUFF’S BATHROOM BOOKS” and “THE BEST TEAM EVER?” which chronicles the Red Sox 2018 World Series win.