FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -Rocco Baldelli understands people want to know how he’s feeling as he tries to earn on a spot on the Boston Red Sox – he just tired of answering the question.
“I feel pretty good doing what I’m doing,” Baldelli said Friday at the club’s minor league complex. “I’m not overworking myself or anything like that. I was going to make a sign, ‘Feeling good, thanks for asking,’ and tag it above my locker so I don’t have to answer it anymore.”
The questions will keep coming, though, until the 27-year-old outfielder proves he can fully overcome a muscle disorder.
Baldelli, from Woonsocket, R.I., was drafted sixth overall by Tampa Bay in 2000. He made his major league debut in 2003 and finished third in the vote for American League rookie of the year.
He later was diagnosed with mitochondrial disorder, which slows muscle recovery and causes extreme fatigue. He missed most of last season with Tampa Bay as he dealt with ways to condition himself.
homered against Boston in the AL championship series, and homered again in Tampa Bay’s World Series loss to Philadelphia.
Two months later, Baldelli got even better news when his condition was re-diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic as channelopathy, a less severe and more treatable muscular disorder.
Now he is trying to make the same team he helped beat last October. He signed a one-year, $500,000 contract on Jan. 9 with the Red Sox.
“It didn’t really affect me too much, coming over, switching sides,” he said. “As a player, you go out there and do whatever you can to win, whatever team you’re on. These are my teammates now. I really enjoyed my time in Tampa but I’m not a Ray anymore. Boston’s my team, I’ve got to do whatever I can for Boston.”
Baldelli has been watched closely so far in camp by Red Sox manager Terry Francona and the medical staff.
Francona said he could tell early on Baldelli wanted to do all the mundane drills that come along with spring training to impress his new teammates and convince them he wants to make the team.
n him pretty tight.”
Baldelli has participated in most batting practice drills, such as taking live batting practice from minor league pitchers in camp with the major league regulars.
“It may be different every day,” Francona said. “He’s going to communicate with me every day and we’ll go from there.”
Baldelli will be competing with Brad Wilkerson, Chris Carter and Jonathan Van Every to make the roster. His odds increased when Mark Kotsay underwent back surgery recently and will miss the start of the season.
If Baldelli does make the roster out of camp, he will be in a Red Sox uniform against his former Tampa Bay teammates on April 6 at Fenway Park.
“That’s the only day I’m really shooting for,” he said. “Spring training, I’m not going to say it doesn’t matter but it’s just a tool to get ready for the season. Nothing that happens here is going to affect what’s going to happen in the season. As long as I’m healthy and ready to play at that time, spring training would have been a success for me.”
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