Comments on: Twins cutting payroll by $15 million in third year at Target Field

By: JBerardi

JBerardi — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:26:13 +0000

Way to help the cause, buddy.

By: wonkypenguin

wonkypenguin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:01:37 +0000

This has to win for worst comparison of the day, right?

By: wonkypenguin

wonkypenguin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:00:32 +0000

Agreed with this. I’m against taxpayer funded stadiums altogether. BUT whether it is some sort of perception error on my part, I cannot possibly see justifying a stadium that is used 8 times a year. Why they couldn’t have decided to share the U of M stadium (if they insist they have to play outdoors and remove the home field advantage of the dome) that was just built? Then the thing would have been used, what? 14 times a year instead?

I love Target Field and the fact that we get outdoor baseball here, but it just doesn’t make any economic sense.

By: dickclydesdale

dickclydesdale — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:23:54 +0000

The pirates of the american league. Losers!

By: JB (the original)

JB (the original) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 03:12:07 +0000

If the park had more seats…..
as it was, they made the decision to sell 100′s (1000′s?) of “standing room” tickets to the balance of the games midway through the 1st season to help meet demand (and improve the profit margins as well). People were pissed at the fact they couldn’t even get tickets from the Twins at all and all the aftermarket “resellers” were naming whatever price they wanted.

By: greatminnesotasportsmind

greatminnesotasportsmind — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:34:15 +0000

That’s bullsh!t. You said a new stadium would bring a bigger payroll. For 2 tracking years?!? After raising prices last year to watch a Jap who can’t hit, run, or throw? Players like Tosoni and Butera? The least you can do is raise another 10 million. Your family is the richest family in baseball. Stop sitting on your profits from 9 dollar Budwater and spend it on making our team better. Twins have and always will be a cheap worthless a$$ team. Screw you all.

By: Bryz

Bryz — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:05:02 +0000

The 1st year at Target Field they could have sold twice the tickets they did….

They sold out nearly every game. How could this have been possible?

By: WhenMattStairsIsKing

WhenMattStairsIsKing — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:56:18 +0000

You had me until the Cubs comment.

By: CJ

CJ — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:35:43 +0000

Clearly they can’t remain competitive in their current stadium, it’s must be time to build a new stadium on the taxpayer’s dime to give the team a boost.

That always works!

By: paperlions

paperlions — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:58:12 +0000

Yes, but pretty much all stadium deals that include public money are bad deals for the local economy….voters (and even fans) are starting to realize this…the differences between the sport are almost irrelevant when it comes to voter opinions…if they are going to raise taxes…why not use those tax dollars to support something useful to those paying the bills, instead of as welfare for billionaires? Throw in the fact that football teams play 8 home games year and such facilities are not particularly useful for other events….and you have a hard sell in this economic climate.

By: SmackSaw

SmackSaw — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:43:53 +0000

Minnesota hates ponying big money for pro sports. The list is long and about to get longer. The Twins will wallow for years until they get a fresh supply of players of players produced.

By: El Jefe

El Jefe — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:43:09 +0000

Challenge accepted. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/03/2012-mlb-free-agents.html How about half of that list. Not to mention Swarzak, Hendriks, Bromberg, Manship and others in the minors. I know, I know, the minors are not the majors. But If the Twins are truly in cost-cutting mode then the minor league players will become major league players sooner rather than later.

And I’m not suggesting we drop Baker, Pavano and Liriano for nothing. I’m sure we could get at least one reliable starter in return for trading one of those guys.

By: sknut

sknut — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:49:48 +0000

@Paperlions

Football and baseball are different, with the salary cap its easy to tell if your owner is being cheap and one thing you can say about the Wilfs is they haven’t been cheap.

I can’t get too worked up about this, I would rather have them spend the money the right way then just throwing it away. Of course when one guy makes 23 million that handicaps the construction of the rest of the roster a bit. If they take a step back to move forward I am ok with that. At least now I have more confidence in how the money will be spent.

By: Cris E

Cris E — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:42:51 +0000

League average-ish starters that can eat innings aren’t as common or cheap as you think. The main reason you seem so willing to dump the guys listed above is because they aren’t healthy, consistent or cheap, yet somehow you want to go grab another basket of the same thing. Pavano makes $10m because he’s been taking the ball for 200 IP the past few years and performing OK. Liriano is far better than average… some days, and Baker is good when he isn’t hurt. They all have flaws, but so do all the guys that are good enough to sign but aren’t #1 or #2 starters. Go find another heap of #4 guys that are cheaper and healthier and as good as these, I’ll wait.

Frankly I’d see what the market for Liriano is, and Slowey is enough of an over-thinker that I might try to find someone so smart that they can fix him. But the money to be saved is coming from the bullpen (Nathan and Capps). I expect them to get Nathan back at a lower rate — they might be able move him down $4m in exchange for more years with a fat buy-out option at the end.

By: paperlions

paperlions — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:37:09 +0000

I’m sure this is exactly the kind of thing that will enthuse voters to support using more tax dollars to build the Vikings a new stadium.

By: 78mu

78mu — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:32:31 +0000

This is another example of why taxpayers should not spend money for billionaire owners and millionaire players.

Besides, if total revenues and payroll are so important to a team’s success, how do the Florida Marlins have two championships in less than 20 years while the Cubs have zero in 100.

By: El Jefe

El Jefe — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:27:58 +0000

Honestly I’m not that worried. I see contracts that could be easily shed in the starting rotation. Pavano, Liriano, Baker and Slowey could all be traded away (or in Slowey’s case non-tendered). Granted this leaves the rotation rather thin but those players are all 3-5 starters anyways and there are always 3-5 starters out there willing to sign for cheap.

By: JBerardi

JBerardi — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:14:08 +0000

If you mean they should have called his bluff… yeah.

By: JBerardi

JBerardi — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:12:38 +0000

Yeah, the taxpayers didn't pony up $400 million for Target Field just so for Twins ownership to turn around and not turn a massive profit off of it. What a terrible investment that would be. Now, when does the dividend get paid, again?

By: kopy

kopy — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:10:01 +0000

No.

By: SmackSaw

SmackSaw — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:55:19 +0000

They’ve reverted back to being the Twins. Shoulda listened to Pohlad and contracted.

By: pkiguy22

pkiguy22 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:45:06 +0000

Honestly, I don’t see much out there in the FA market that would really help this team out. The farm system needs some help and the current MLB team needs too much help that can’t be fixed by a few FA signings.

If anyone could turn this team around in a few years, it is Ryan.

By: JB (the original)

JB (the original) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:30:50 +0000

Not too surprising really. The 1st year at Target Field they could have sold twice the tickets they did (and as it was most all the games were sold out, and the scalpers were in heaven) and the team played fairly well. Then, based on that, they essentially sold out 2011 **before the season started** based on how 2010′s team performed and the newness of Target Field. Well, after the injuries, poor play, poor player pickups, etc. people stayed away in droves by the middle of last season. Even though the tickets were mostly all sold, I’m sure the souvenir and concessions aspects of the business took a big hit. With the Twins run as a ‘stand-alone’ business where the Administration and Player Payroll split the previous years revenues 50/50, it was pretty obvious that the payroll would come down quite a bit. You have to remember as well, that the Twins went outside their ‘comfort level’ going to $115M in the 1st place. They were aiming to be in the $105-$110M range.