Rocco Baldelli

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Rocco Daniel Baldelli (; born September 25, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, coach and manager, who is currently an executive in the baseball operations department of the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a player, Baldelli quickly progressed through the minor leagues and made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on opening day in 2003. Baldelli quickly established himself as an excellent hitter and outfielder, and placed third in voting for American League (AL) Rookie of the Year. He also played in MLB for the Boston Red Sox. In 2005, Baldelli's promising career was derailed by channelopathy, a rare metabolic/muscular disorder which causes frequent soft tissue injuries and severe fatigue. He was unable to play at all in 2005 and missed significant time over the following seasons as doctors struggled to diagnose and treat his condition; from 2005 until his retirement in 2010, the former everyday center fielder spent long stretches on the disabled list and only once appeared in more than half of his team's games. Baldelli signed a free-agent contract with his hometown Red Sox in 2009 and appeared in 62 games as a backup outfielder and part-time designated hitter. Unsure if he was physically capable of continuing his playing career, he returned to the Rays organization as a minor league coach in December 2009. As the 2010 season progressed, he decided to attempt another comeback and began rehabbing in the Rays' minor league system. Baldelli returned to the major leagues in September and hit a pinch-hit home run in his first at-bat. He appeared in 10 games over the last month of the regular season and was included on the Rays' playoff roster, but severe muscle cramping during the team's first round series forced him out of the lineup, at...