By Bill Lukitsch
Copyright startribune
“I think there’s an idea that we take money out of the team,” Joe Pohlad said. “And we’ve never taken any money out of the team. The effort has always been to have the business sustain itself in order to win.”
Tom Pohlad pointed to what he said is an unfavorable economic model for small- and middle-market MLB teams like the Twins. In such markets, revenues “don’t necessarily support” amenities like a first-class ballpark at Target Field or consistently putting a high-performing team together.
He said the family has repeatedly chosen to invest beyond what the Twins’ revenues can support in an effort to field a competitive team.
This year, the Twins notched the second-worst record in the American League Central. A final away game against the Phillies closes the season Sunday.
“It’s understandable for fans to say, ‘You haven’t gotten the job done,’” Tom Pohlad said. “It’s been 34 years since the World Series, and, up until 2023, 21 years since we had a playoff win. And that’s unacceptable.
“The fans are totally justified to think it’s unacceptable. You want to question the wisdom of our investment? Great. But don’t question [our] commitment to investing in the Twins.”
