MPR’s Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on efforts by banker Carl Pohlad, the new Minnesota Twins owner, to promote the baseball team across the state. The winter tour push is to get excitement for club and fans into the ballpark for the 1985 season.
MPR’s Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on efforts by banker Carl Pohlad, the new Minnesota Twins owner, to promote the baseball team across the state. The winter tour push is to get excitement for club and fans into the ballpark for the 1985 season.
CARL POHLAD: When I went home and told my wife I thought I had purchased the Twins, she said, you must be crazy.
FRED SAM LAZARO: Banker Carl Pohlad says there were better places to invest his money than in the Minnesota Twins. But purchasing the club, he says, was a personal attempt to repay a community that's been good to him.
CARL POHLAD: I felt I wanted to put something back into the area. I think the Twins, maybe from a money standpoint, isn't the greatest investment in the world, but at least an investment back in the community. And I think it will carry its own way. And when a community leaves-- loses a professional team, they lose a lot. They lose what you call big league status. And it's a deterring factor if you don't have baseball as far as attracting conventions and that type of thing.
FRED SAM LAZARO: But now, Pohlad says it's Minnesota's turn to hold up its end of the bargain to patronize the ball games.
CARL POHLAD: Mr. Ueberroth, when he was here, the baseball commissioner simply made the statement that an area must remember that they also owe the ball team some support, as well as a team owing something to the community.
FRED SAM LAZARO: Pohlad says surveys indicate some 50% to 60% of the attendance at Twins games last season came from outside the Twin Cities Metropolitan area. Findings that are the impetus for reviving the winter road show that will take key Twins figures to 36 cities across Minnesota this month.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER: Minnesota has a proud baseball tradition, and in 1984, a new tradition began when the Twins were bought by local businessmen.
FRED SAM LAZARO: Some 160 hardcore baseball enthusiasts of all ages turned out for the first stop of the winter tour, Duluth. For $12, they got dinner, a fast-paced film highlighting the 1984 season, a rare, intimate audience with stars Kent Hrbek and John Butcher, big names behind the scene like Pohlad and team president Howard Fox, and a chance to view in person the voice of the Twins broadcaster Joe Angel.
JOE ANGEL: Kent Hrbek. This year may be 35 times. When you come up to hit, I'd love to say wave it bye-bye. All right. Herbie.
FRED SAM LAZARO: With talent like Hrbek, Puckett, Hatcher, and Gayetty, Smithson, Butcher, Viola, and Davis, Angel said Minnesota must rank as a top contender to go all the way in 1985.
JOE ANGEL: If you take a look at the American League western division, teams seem to be going in the wrong direction. Look at California. They let go of somebody like Fred Lynn, who is one of the outstanding players in the American League. They are now without Don Ozzie, who, at least for the second half of the year last year, was maybe their best pitcher.
The Oakland A's let go of their best player, Rickey Henderson. They let go of their best reliever in Bill Caudill. They also let go of their best starting pitcher in Ray Burris. So that's a ball club that has a long way to go. They have a bunch of youngsters on the ball club now. Maybe down the line they might be a contending club, but next year, it doesn't seem likely for them.
I think Kansas City is a club that really came on strong in the second half of the year last year. So I think Kansas City and the Twins are going to have a very interesting season next year.
FRED SAM LAZARO: Twins managers themselves evaded questions about acquiring talent from other clubs or about possible trades or changes in the team for '85. President Howard Fox said he is confident Pohlad would provide the financial wherewithal for any changes deemed necessary. But he added you can't buy a winning team.
Speeches at the evening gathering were short. Team officials preferred to let film from their best season in years do most of the talking. But the message underlying throughout was clear and repeated. Pitcher John Butcher.
JOHN BUTCHER: I think the more people we can get out of the ballpark, the more exciting we're going to be. So I really like to appreciate you all [? seeing ?] out the ballpark, and thank you very much for having me, Duluth.
FRED SAM LAZARO: Other speakers from the Twins organization took time to detail various discounts, incentives, and packages being offered group ticket buyers. Good, wholesome, affordable family entertainment, said Pohlad, who told the group he wants a Duluth night at the dome next season with at least 5,000 fans from the city. A local ticket outlet, he added, will be established in February.
But the key factor, Pohlad conceded, will be the performance of his team. If the sales pitch seemed incessant, few in the audience of loyal Twins fans seemed to mind. For them, it was a way to get back into the mood, and no better opportunity to get Kent Hrbek to sign the abundant supply of posters, calendars, and pictures that was distributed.
SPEAKER: We are just so pleased to see them come to the out-of-state again. I suppose, though, yeah. There are a number of years when the Twins were taking their show on the road during the hot stove league time, the winter time, and it's just really refreshing to see him back out again. It gets the juices flowing in January. We need a baseball fix at this time of the year.
SPEAKER: Personally, I enjoyed it. I talked to Kent Hrbek for about three seconds because there were a lot of other people around that wanted to shake hands with him. Yeah, I think there is. I think there's still that magic about reaching out and shaking hands with someone who makes a million a year or who spends a million in a day or $20 million in a couple of days. Yeah, there's some magic behind that.
FRED SAM LAZARO: This is Fred Sam Lazaro reporting.
SPEAKER: I can't wish you good luck.
KENT HRBEK Thank you very much.
SPEAKER: I'll be watching.
SPEAKER: Boy, I tell you, my son really likes you [? but ?] he's shy.
KENT HRBEK: Picture?
SPEAKER: Yeah.
KENT HRBEK: What's your name?
MICKEY: Mickey.
KENT HRBEK: Mickey. Oh, Mickey, you're so fine.
SPEAKER: He's the one that asked you about how you got to be so good.
KENT HRBEK: Yeah.
SPEAKER: He's seen you hit those two shots against [? wit ?] against the Angels last year.
KENT HRBEK: Oh yeah.
SPEAKER: Beautiful shot.
KENT HRBEK: Yeah, what's your name?
SPEAKER: Just Jenny.
KENT HRBEK: Jenny.
SPEAKER: Put this up in his room. He'll love it.
SPEAKER: Yeah. Mine too.
SPEAKER: Shake his hand. Shake his hand.
KENT HRBEK: Anybody see our owner around here yet?
SPEAKER: I'd like to shake hands with the winner.
KENT HRBEK: Thank you very much, sir. Thank you.
SPEAKER: I like my picture taken.
SPEAKER: Every time I look at the date. I can see your name.
SPEAKER: No, we're not done yet. We're going to go over by that picture there.
KENT HRBEK: There you go.
SPEAKER: Thank you, dear.
KENT HRBEK: You're welcome.
SPEAKER: Remember, pitching is a big part of the game, too.
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