MLB Pirates part-owner Don Beaver, who is working to
bring an MLB team to NC's Triad region, said yesterday he
"would explore" buying the Twins, according to Andrew Shain
of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Beaver, who introduced a group
of 50 investors last week who pledged $75M to buy a team,
said he spoke "briefly" with Twins officials at last week's
owners' meetings in Philadelphia, but said he had not had
any "formal" negotiations with Twins Owner Carl Pohlad. The
OBSERVER's Shain writes that Beaver's interest in the
Pirates could be a "stumbling block" to buying the Twins, as
MLB Dir of PR Richard Levin said MLB rules prevent team
owners from discussing the purchase of another team
(CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 6/19). In Minneapolis, Twins President
Jerry Bell "sounded pessimistic" about the chances of the
Legislature passing a stadium bill, "even with Gov. Arne
Carlson calling for a special session" Bell: "It seemed
like the harder we pushed in the legislative session, the
more we went backward. ... Right now, we're assuming the new
stadium is not going to happen" (STAR TRIBUNE, 6/19).
