Though they acknowledge the value of the Minnesota Twins franchise and its rich tradition in the state, local lawmakers doubt they can do anything to protect the team from contraction.

Sunday, November 11, 2001

Though they acknowledge the value of the Minnesota Twins franchise and its rich tradition in the state, local lawmakers doubt they can do anything to protect the team from contraction.

&uot;Personally, I’ve been a big fan of the Twins,&uot; said Sen. Grace Schwab. &uot;I would hate to see the team gone from Minnesota.&uot;

But Schwab (R-Albert Lea) doubts the legislature could do anything to save the team if Major League Baseball decides to eliminate the franchise.

&uot;It would take a special session, and I doubt the governor would call one,&uot; she said.

Though many in the state would be devastated by the elimination of the Twins, Schwab said building a new stadium, a demand of the franchise for several years, is not on her list of priorities.

&uot;It’s not even on my radar,&uot; she said. &uot;With all that this area has been through in the last year – flooding, the Glenville tornado, the big fires in Albert Lea and Hollandale – we’ve got other more important concerns.&uot;

Rep. Dan Dorman (R-Albert Lea) said a special session would probably be a waste of time. He wonders if baseball is serious about contraction, or is the issue simply a bluff to force a new stadium deal on the state.

&uot;I’m not sure this is a franchise that even wants to be saved if there’s any truth to the contraction talks,&uot; he said.

Though the Twins had a winning season in 2001 and have good prospects for another competitive team next year, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig contends the team cannot compete financially.

Rep. Rob Leighton (DFL-Austin) described Selig as &uot;the Grinch who wants to steal the Twins.&uot; Other legislators across the state are urging Twins owner Carl Pohlad to resist the contraction notion. But most lawmakers are still against any taxpayer-sponsored bailout.

&uot;This is one area where I agree with Gov. (Jesse) Ventura. We don’t build new schools every 10 or 20 years. We shouldn’t be building new stadiums either,&uot; Schwab said.

Dorman said if the contraction talks are serious, baseball will have the deal finished by the end of the year – too late for any legislative action during the bonding session.

&uot;People can’t help but being skeptical about this. The whole North Carolina-relocation ploy was only a few years ago,&uot; he said. &uot;If the Twins are still around when the session convenes, we’ll see what kind of legislation surfaces.&uot;

Both Schwab and Dorman have received a few scattered phone calls and e-mails from Twins supporters urging some intervention, most constituents have other concerns.

&uot;Taxes, education, health care and roads – those are the issues on the minds of the voters,&uot; Schwab said. &uot;The Twins are a private business. I’d rather not participate in some type of public welfare for Carl Pohlad.&uot;

Meanwhile, many from Minnesota’s U.S. congressional delegation are taking the threat sersiously by trying to block the planned contraction. Senators Paul Wellstone and Mark Dayton are planning to introduce legislation to revoke the federal anti-trust exemption for the league. They’ve asked President George Bush, a former owner of the Texas Rangers, to support them.

Rep. Gil Gutknecht has also jumped in the fray. In an open letter last week, he asked Carl and Eloise Pohlad to preserve the franchise and keep the Twins in Minnesota, despite the promise of a huge payoff from the league.

&uot;Please don’t do this. If you really want to save the Twins, you can,&uot; Gutknecht wrote. &uot;Show the world the size of your hearts. Let them know that it wasn’t just Herby and Kirby that gave up more money to stay in Minnesota.&uot;