Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - First-year Minnesota Twins Manager Rocco Baldelli was named American League Manager of the Year after leading the Twins to a 101-61 record and an American League Central Championship.

Baldelli beat out New York Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone and Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash for the award in 2019 that saw the Twins hit the most home runs in a single season with 307 long balls hit.

Baldelli is the second AL Manager of the Year in three seasons for the Twins. Hall of Famer Paul Molitor won the award in 2017 after leading the Twins to the AL wild-card game. Ron Gardenhire won the award in 2010 and Tom Kelly in 1991.

The Twins hired Baldelli and he immediately became the youngest manager in the league at 39, and never managed a game before being hired by the Twins. Baldelli’s laid-back, player-friendly style quickly grew with the Twins as they won the franchise’s first AL Central title since 2012 and back to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

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