New Twins Owners Will Operate Twins Like Carl Pohlad Did

JUST LIKE TWINS: In St. Paul, Phil Miller noted Jim Pohlad Friday indicated that he "intends to adopt the same management style" as his father, which means "staying informed about baseball operations and making decisions about budgets and business plans but rarely influencing player transactions." Jim Pohlad did not discuss a "payroll target for this season or the future," but said that the Twins can continue to "spend roughly 51[%] of their revenues on ballplayers." The team is "believed to be well below that mark" with its current payroll of about $60M, but it also "means the front office must spend wisely." Meanwhile, each Pohlad son now owns one-third of the franchise, and Friday they said that they were "unanimous about wanting to keep the team." Jim Pohlad said it is "certainly our goal" to own the team in 20 years. Pohlad: "We have no intention of doing anything else" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/7).

WEATHERING THE STORM: The ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS' Miller wrote the Twins are "particularly well-positioned to ride out this economic emergency." The team's payroll is among the 10 lowest in MLB, and the economy of Minnesota is "more stable, for the moment, than that" of the Twins' division rivals. The team anticipates "larger crowds this season as fans say farewell to the Metrodome." Twins Assistant GM Rob Antony: "We have resources, for the most part our contracts are appropriately (priced), and we have ownership that wants to win" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/8).

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