The Twins named former Northwest Airlines exec Chris
Clouser as CEO yesterday, and he "will have input in several
areas of the club, including business operations, marketing
and an anticipated push" for an outdoor ballpark, according
to Neal, Kennedy & Weiner of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE.
Clouser: "I'll be involved in recommending to the ownership
group annual budgets, major transactions (and) hopefully
addressing the future of this franchise." Clouser said one
of his first acts will be to form a "citizens committee" to
address the team's status. Clouser met with Twins employees
yesterday to "discuss the franchise": "I said three things.
To try to help make this franchise competitive. Two, to
make it a viable business and make it survive, long term.
And to do all I can to sign Brad Radke." Neal, Kennedy &
Weiner add that Clouser "has been a friend" and neighbor of
Twins Owner Carl Pohlad "for nearly a decade." Twins
President Jerry Bell retains his title, but also has been
named COO. Neal, Kennedy & Weiner report that Clouser, "in
effect," has "more power than Bell and answers only to
Pohlad, but Bell and Clouser tried to downplay that
significance" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/25). In a Q&A
with the STAR TRIBUNE, Clouser said the Twins have to
"address this revenue situation." Clouser: "(The Pohlads)
have not said to me, 'Go get a new stadium.' They said, 'We
need to figure out a way to keep baseball here long term.'
They have millions and millions of dollars in this
franchise. They want to keep it here, and are willing to
explore anything" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 5/25).
CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED BASEBALL: Clouser, on his new
role: "This is a crazy thing to do. I know that. But I'm
excited about it" (Wittenmyer & Kahn, ST. PAUL PIONEER
PRESS, 5/25). Also in St. Paul, Bob Sansevere writes: "For
a man who has a reputation as a hard case when he was a
senior vice president with Northwest Airlines a few years
ago, Clouser said all the right things during an interview
his first day on the job Wednesday" (PIONEER PRESS, 5/25).
