TOLD YOU SO, KINDA: Last October, when the Pohlads put the Twins on the market, I wrote that seeking a buyer wasn’t the same as selling the team. “Will the Pohlads really sell the Twins? There's a difference between reaching a decision "to explore selling the Twins" and actually doing so, a distinction lost in some of the early news reports.” Clearly, there were obstacles. The reportedly firm $1.7 billion price tag and assuming one of the highest debt loads in MLB (about $400 million) were issues. Joe Pohlad’s desire to remain with the team under new ownership didn’t help. Commission Rob Manfred stated the obvious during the All-Star break when he said he knew things that we didn’t.
BUT: There was another distinction lost, this time in Manfred’s words. Here’s the full quote: “I know some things that you don’t know. I can tell you with a lot of confidence that there will be a transaction there, and it will be consistent with the kind of pricing that has taken place. There will be a transaction. We just need to be patient while they rework.”
SO THERE: Yes, there was a transaction in progress. No, it wasn’t the Pohlads selling the team. What many of us thought was obvious, that the trade-deadline salary dump was intended to make the team more attractive to new owners, morphed into a strategy that made the team more attractive to new partners.
GETTING RIGHT TO IT: Via Dan Hayes and Brittany Ghiroli at The Athletic. In breaking down Wednesday’s news, this is head, shoulders and torso the most comprehensive reporting. It includes mention of a potential buyer who was “blindsided” by the news and Joe Pohlad’s declaration that his family “are the right people to keep control of the debt-ridden franchise.” MONEY QUOTE from Joe Pohlad: “When that right opportunity comes along, you take it. We found this was the best one, the right one for our family. When you find good people to work with, you want to do that. We’ve owned this franchise for 40 years. It’s a really difficult thing to part with. We feel we’re the right people to lead this organization, to own this franchise. With these two new partners, they’re going to add a lot to how we think about this organization both in the short and long term.”
HOW MUCH WAS SOLD? We don’t know for sure. But a business-savvy friend suggested that the transaction will bring in enough money to cover the debt and the interest that would be due this year. That would amount to about 25% of the franchise, based on a $1.7 billion price tag.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN: From the Athletic’s story: “The two new minority groups, who were both referred to as limited partners, have not yet been revealed. But the financial infusion they’ll bring should make an impact. In that realm, paying off a considerable amount of debt immediately puts the organization in a healthier position, though the decision-makers remain unchanged.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/deal0814
PITCH: I’m reluctant to tell you how to spend your money. I’d rather save that advice for the Pohlads. But the $9.99 I’m spending for a year of the Athletic is a steal. Work the web and find a discount.
DOING SOME MATH. Via Bobby Nightengale at Star Tribune. VERBATIM: “Patriarch Carl Pohlad, Joe’s grandfather, purchased the Twins in 1984 for $44 million, or around $137 million in today’s dollars when adjusted for inflation. Bringing in minority investors allows the Pohlad family — Carl Pohlad’s three sons and seven grandchildren — to ‘tap into the hidden profits’ of the ballclub’s massive appreciation since it was bought 41 years ago, said Victor Matheson, a professor and sports economist at the College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts. Smaller, family-owned teams such as the Twins can be ‘asset rich and cash poor,’ Matheson said. The stock sale ‘allows the Pohlads to really capitalize on this asset. It allows them to cash out part of the value of the asset without relinquishing control.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/sale0814
WHAT NOW? The Pohlads have a mess of their own making. They tore something apart and now must do their own rebuilding — of the team and with fans.
BIG PICTURE: Via Mike Hughlett and Bill Lukitsch at Star Tribune. If you’re watching this play out without knowing a whole lot about how baseball compares to other pro sports (or just try to avoid the economics in favor of loving the game), this is a good explainer. It’s strongest words come from author and former Washington Post writer Jane Leavy. VERBATIM: “‘You have to be really brilliant to figure out a way to put together a team that you can keep together long enough to succeed without the benefit of being able to buy anything you want,’ Leavy said. MLB, unlike other pro sports, has no salary cap, which also tends to hurt smaller teams. It does penalize the largest spending teams with a so-called luxury tax when they exceed a certain salary threshold. Some of the money goes toward a discretionary fund tied to the league’s larger revenue sharing plan. But those penalties are widely viewed as the cost of doing business for clubs with deep pockets.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/bigpicture0814
WHAT NOW II?: When people asked, I told them I expected that “new owners” would replace Derek Falvey’s baseball management team. I expected it to happen quickly, but also said that a new owner could hear out Falvey on how he would rebuild the team given added resources — and maybe give his group a season to show results. Something like that is more likely now. But Pohlad, Falvey and the new partners are going to have to work very, very hard to sell that to a fan base that ranges, with few exceptions, from angry to apathetic.
POHLADS OWE THE PEOPLE: Joe Pohlad has largely stayed out of public view this season. He now has to come forward quickly and publicly to explain how things will change. His family’s letter to fans Wednesday and Falvey’s letter after the trade deadline were weak sauce that only made things worse. Transparency has never been the strong suit of the Twins and it’s one of the things that needs to change. Unscripted town halls would be a good way to start. The Twins have a pretty good venue to hold them, right?
END TAKE: There have already been missteps in how this news was framed by the Twins, most notably the “I don’t think we could have imagined a better outcome” quote from Joe Pohlad. It shouldn’t take much imagination to recognize that’s 180 degrees from what most fans are feeling.
ON THE FIELD: Do not be fooled into thinking that many of the players currently wearing Twins uniforms are “auditioning” for roles on the team in 2026 and beyond. They are placeholders while most of the players acquired in the trade-deadline dismantling work on their games in the minors. The worst thing the Twins could do — on the field, anyway — is to bring up players who have things they still need to work on. The majors is not a place for “development.” EXERCISE: Make your list of “placeholders” from the current roster. If those players are on the 2026 roster, it will be a sign that even more has gone wrong. (My list includes 11 of the 26 players, and I’m showing grace to two others.)
READINGS:
Jim Souhan at Star Tribune: “If the Pohlads care about their family name and reputation, if they want to receive credit for running a stable organization, they have one obvious move to make: Rebuild the bullpen before Opening Day, and sign a slugger or two who will take pressure off the Twins’ young hitters. Otherwise, this fan base will blame every loss, perhaps even every strikeout, on ownership.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/souhan0814
Judd Zulgad at SKOR North: “As fans watched the Twins get off to a miserable start, go back into the tank in June and then incredibly jettison 11 players in a 96-hour period at the trade deadline, there remained hope that this baseball nightmare soon would be over. We should have known better.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/judd0814
Aaron Gleeman at the Athletic: “Perhaps it was naïve to assume new billionaires would have been any better, but at least there was some upside in the uncertainty. Sometimes choosing Door No. 2 makes sense, even without knowing what’s behind it, because Door No. 1 is so unappealing.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/gleeman0814
John Shipley at Pioneer Press: “Starting in 2002, the Twins have been in the playoffs — division winner or wild card slot — 10 times. That’s almost every other year. On the other hand, they have lost quickly in all but the first and last of those appearances. . . . Those are 23 long years of competitive baseball followed by losing baseball, a common, queasy about-face. That loop has played out again when the Twins made the postseason, the brief euphoria of making the playoffs quickly dashed by some internal inadequacy. Whether it was pitching, hitting or injuries didn’t matter. Twins fans knew the real culprit was the miserly ownership of local billionaires. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/shipley0814
ON A HAPPIER NOTE: You were worried about how the Lynx would fare with Napheesa Collier sidelined with the ankle injury that will keep her out for at least a couple more weeks? I’ll assume your fears have settled a bit with their 3-0 record since the injury, including games on the road in Seattle and New York. The win vs. the Liberty was especially satisfying, being in their arena and with two big improvements from the first Lynx-Liberty game. (1) Dijonai Carrington continues to toughen the defense and contribute on offense. (2) Backup center Maria Kliundikova, who played less than a minute in the first Lynx-Liberty game, was a shutdown defender in the rematch with four blocks and two steals in 23 minutes. Also, Alanna Smith blocked three shots in each of the Liberty games and bailed out the offense on a subpar night against Washington with 25 points, including 10 of 15 field goals. SIMPLY PUT: Players are stepping up. The Lynx clinched a playoff berth when the Sparks lost to the Liberty on Tuesday.
LOOKING AHEAD: Lynx-Liberty III is Saturday at Target Center (1 p.m., CBS). KEEP IN MIND: For the Lynx, this is the second of three straight games against the Liberty. For the Liberty, its part of a five-game run that included a win at Los Angeles on Tuesday and a loss at Las Vegas on Wednesday. No sympathy needs to be extended, though. the Lynx had a rough part of their schedule, with 10 games in 18 days from late June through mid-July. They also have the toughest remaining schedule based on the current records of their opponents.
TICKETS: The 200 level is open for Saturday’s game with the lower level almost entirely sold and few secondary market tickets available. BUY: https://fluence-media.co/lynxlibs0814. FEVER UPDATE: Seats in the top row of the lower level for next Sunday’s game against Indiana have dropped from $400 last week to $240 now under the Lynx’s dynamic pricing plan.
PINK-HAIRED COACH? Via Andrew Dukowitz at Zone Coverage. Cheryl Reeve said she’ll do it — matching Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman as best she can — under one condition. “Championship, there it is, they don’t even know that, I’ve never told them that. So let them know “Cheryl said I’ll do whatever to my hair.” VIDEO: https://fluence-media.co/pink0814
DON’T SLEEP ON THIS ONE: The Lynx play at Atlanta next Thursday. The Dream just took over second place from New York and has split two games with the Lynx, including Minnesota’s only home loss of the season. STANDINGS: https://fluence-media.co/standings0814
COURT RULES FOR FLORES: Via ESPN. A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a discrimination lawsuit filed by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores against the NFL and three of its teams can proceed. VERBATIM: “The NFL can be put on trial over civil claims that Brian Flores and other Black coaches face discrimination, finding insurmountable flaws with a league arbitration process that would permit commissioner Roger Goodell to serve as arbitrator. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld Judge Valerie Caproni's ruling that Flores can proceed with claims against the league and three teams: the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants and the Houston Texans.”
BACKGROUND: “In February 2022, Flores sued the league and several teams, saying the league was ‘rife with racism,’ particularly in its hiring and promotion of Black coaches. Other coaches later joined the lawsuit as plaintiffs. After filing his lawsuit, Flores said he believed he was risking the coaching career he loves by suing the NFL, but he said it was worth it for generations to come if he could succeed in challenging systemic racism in the league.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/flores0814
ON THE FIELD: Via Matthew Coller at Purple Insider. The first of two days of joint practices between the Vikings at Patriots in Eagan returned mixed results on everything from J.J. McCarthy to the Vikings as a whole. VERBATIM: “McCarthy opened practice 6-for-6 with several A+ throws, including a 20-yard out route to Jordan Addison that had great anticipation and ball location. He also had a tight-window throw to Jeshaun Jones, who got a handful of first-team reps. The seventh pass was a jump ball that gave Addison a chance to catch it but it was broken up. And then McCarthy had his worst moment of the day: He totally airmailed a pass to a wide open Jalen Nailor, which was picked off by the Patriots. That sequence pretty well encapsulated McCarthy’s camp. He’s been more accurate than not and found the right receivers and executed the offense well but the bouts with accuracy have cost him some easy completion.”
BRADBURY’S REVENGE: Via Mark Craig at Star Tribune. After being released by the Vikings and joining New England, center Garrett Bradbury was happy with his team’s play. VERBATIM: It was one joint practice in mid-August, but go ahead and tip your cap to Patriots center and Vikings castoff Bradbury for literally being in the middle of a New England offense that won Wednesday’s tussle against Brian Flores and a vaunted Vikings defense that’s been making life pretty much miserable for J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota offense this summer. ‘When we blocked it up, there were some big home runs,’ Bradbury said on a day when Patriots second-year quarterback Drake Maye looked especially sharp behind good protection that Bradbury helped set.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/scrimmage0814
NEXT? After today’s joint practice, the Vikings and Patriots play at noon Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. (FOX9, KFAN, SiriusXM). The final preseason game is a week from Friday at Tennessee.
TWO-WAY PERICH: Via Andy Greder at Pioneer Press. One fun bit of speculation as the Gophers prepare for their football season opener in two weeks is wondering how much will we see standout safety Koi Perich play on offense. Coach P.J. Fleck isn’t letting on. Don’t look for it being a most-of-the-time thing in the manner of Travis Hunter, the Colorado standout who graduated last year. VERBATIM: “Fleck has said Perich’s role on offense will be not a ‘gimmick,’ but how engrained Perich will be in the Gophers’ game plans remains up in the air. ‘I don’t know how many offensive snaps it will be because it all depends on what he can handle,’ Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh said. “It’s a job-based offense. . . . And Koi will have a specific job within the offense.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/koi0814
UPSET THE DUCKS? Via James Crepea at The Oregonian. It’s the first time Minnesota will play at Oregon, one of the Big Ten’s football favorites, and there’s been chatter about an interesting schedule wrinkle. First off, it’s a Friday night game and it comes after the Ducks play at Iowa on the previous Saturday. Meanwhile, the Gophers will be coming off a bye week. It’s one of three Big Ten games this year in which a West Coast team will be returning from a road trip to host a visitor freshened by a week off. UPSET POTENTIAL? “Oregon coach Dan Lanning said, ‘If you’re aware of it, you communicate it and don’t make the moment bigger than the moment — go play the game not the occasion, we’ll be fine.’ “ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/upset0814
NOTHINGBURGERS: Another round of gripes surfaced on Sunday about announcers not treating Minnesota teams with the respect they deserve. Lynx fans continue getting annoyed by ESPN’s lead WNBA team of Ryan Ruocco and Rebecca Lobo for supposedly favoring the Liberty over the Lynx and with Royals announcer Ryan Lefebvre, doing play-by-play on Roku’s Twins-Kansas City broadcast, for not showing appropriate enthusiasm for Luke Keaschall’s game-winning home run.
MY TAKES: Ruocco and Lobo make games more fun and are appropriately enthusiastic about everything in a goofy aunt-and-uncle way. In our house, the main question is how many phone books the 5-foot-10 Ruocco needs to look almost as tall as the 6-foot-4 Lobo when they’re sitting side-by-side. As for Lefebvre, think of that call as compensation for the overexcitement that pops up on Twins.TV. Understated? Yes. Disrespectful? Don’t be silly.
GOPHERS SOCCER STARTS: No. 24 ranked Minnesota opens its season at home vs. Brigham Young tonight at 7 p.m. and hosts St. Thomas at 7 p.m. Sunday. Both matches are on BIG+. The Gophers finished 14-5-3 last season, advancing to the third round of the NCAA tournament before losing 3-0 to North Carolina, which went on to win its 23rd national title. TICKETS: https://fluence-media.co/soccertix0814
SHAVER TO STRIB: Via Star Tribune. The Star Tribune’s new high school web section — Strib Varsity — went live Monday and the biggest news was hiring former KARE anchor and sports director Randy Shaver to reprise his live Thursday and Friday night football show, which will be streamed on the web site. The debut is set for August 28 at 9:30 p.m. In addition to moving veteran staffers Marcus Fuller and Joe Christensen from their previous roles focusing primarily on college sports, the Strib hired the former sports director at WDIO in Duluth, Alicia Tipcke, as a video reporter. Many of the features of the Star Tribune’s previous coverage, most notably the high school sports hubs, are getting a refresh. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/varsity0814
I SEE WHAT THEY DID: You can subscribe to the Star Tribune on the web for $24 every four weeks or $260 per year and get complete access to varsity. Or you can subscribe to Strib Varsity for $24 every four weeks or $260 per year and get complete access to startribune.com. The “choice” is yours. Earlier this week, there was a $50 per year promo rate on both of those web pages, but that was gone on Wednesday.
GIG ECOMONY: Via Emmy Martin at Strib Varsity. Hoping for more stories like this one, about how the gig economy operates in high school and rec sports. It features Joe Rydel, a lower school teacher in Coon Rapids. VERBATIM: “These days, the 28-year-old spends his weekdays teaching fifth grade at Morris Bye Elementary in Coon Rapids. But when the school bell rings and summer rolls around, he’s behind the plate, calling balls and strikes at games. Come winter, he trades the diamond for the mat, refereeing high school wrestling. “It keeps me busy and out of trouble,” Rydel joked. . . . Rydel’s side gigs are a helpful supplement to his teaching income. At about $150 per game, and with roughly 100 games a year, he earns around $15,000 from umpiring alone — plus another $5,000 from wrestling season.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/gig0814
LEGEND DIES, STORIES FLOW: Via Jace Frederick at Pioneer Press. George Thole, who won 285 games and four state titles at Stillwater from 1971-1999, died last week. His son takes readers on the field and into his father’s head. VERBATIM: “People often ask Eric Thole why his father didn’t coach in college, or even the pros. ‘I think high school matched his skillset, because it’s molding young men,’ said Eric, who was a star quarterback under his dad. ‘It wasn’t the Xs and the Os, but my dad could get a kid to run through a brick wall for him. He knew the mind of a 17-year-old boy pretty much better than anybody I’ve ever met.’ ”
BONUS THOLE: “Eric recalled a coaches clinic, which was largely attended by those in the high school ranks. Then Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick spoke during the proceedings and got deep in the weeds on formations, personnel and the scripting of plays. Soon after, it was Thole’s turn to speak. He got on stage and . . . noted he was more ‘worried about my quarterback because his girlfriend just dumped him.’ ” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/thole0814
AUGUST HOLIDAY SHOPPING: Via Robbyinc.com. Former Twins field reporter Robby Incmikowski, who covered the team for 12 years before stops in Pittsburgh and Texas, has written a coffee table book, Sacred Grounds, with stories and photos from the 30 current MLB parks. The pre-order price is $55. VERBATIM: “This all started in 2017 when I bought a digital camera before Opening Day at Fenway — just to grab a few fun photos. One thing led to another, and . . . well, here we are. I’ve now taken thousands of behind-the-scenes photos from all 30 MLB ballparks (plus the Hall of Fame), and interviewed over 115 people: players, fans, vendors, bar owners, broadcasters—you name it. Every park has a story. Actually, dozens of them. And Sacred Grounds is my way of taking you on a full-access tour of the quirks, history, beauty, and heart of each one.” ORDER: https://fluence-media.co/robby0814
TOWNBALL OPENS: The state amateur tournament opens Friday night with 7:30 p.m. games at all four sites: Brownton, Hutchinson, Gaylord and Glencoe. Host Brownton plays in one of those openers against the Howard lake Orphans. TWO CUBS TO FOLLOW: The No. 1 team in Class C — smaller towns, larger following, best atmosphere — is the Courtland Cubs. (Courtland is that small town of about 750 people that you pass through quickly on the road from Mankato to New Ulm.) They play in Hutchinson at 1:30 p.m. Sunday against Pine Island. The Quamba Cubs, who bring a tale of past futility (including an 89-game losing streak) and current triumph, play Cologne at 4 p.m. Sunday in Brownton. BRACKETS, TICKETS, STREAMING: https://fluence-media.co/townball0814
REUSSE ROAD TRIP: Via Patrick Reusse at Star Tribune. The columnist is Minnesota’s highest-profile townball chronicler and made a road trip to Quamba this week. VERBATIM: “Now that the Quamba Cubs have joined the Opole Bears and the Hawley Hawks as first-time qualifiers for the Minnesota Baseball Association’s 2025 state tournament, the amateur baseball principals in this town of 107 residents have been receiving inquiries from various media.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/quamba0814
PARTY GOLF IN LAKE ELMO: Via Mary Devine at Pioneer Press. A combination restaurant and golf simulator is scheduled to open later this year in the building that used to house the Machine Shed restaurant. ParT Barn will have nine simulators and offer memberships, according to restaurant executive Alex Eder. VERBATIM: “We’re kind of that country-club vibe, but with that party-atmosphere mix. We’re building a strong membership base for people who want to play truly great golf. This is a step above your typical golf-simulator spot.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/golf0814
PLEASE READ THIS: Via Dan Wetzel at ESPN. As high school sports start up for another season, I came across this chilling story from Wetzel, an enormously talented writer whose work I follow. It’s a tragic and cautionary tale about the internet, teenagers and the need to always be on guard. VERBATIM: “(The) predatory web has snared victims from all kinds of backgrounds. But growing numbers of young, male athletes are particularly vulnerable because of both their elevated social status locally and the desire to project a perfect image for potential college recruitment, according to Abbigail Beccaccio, the chief of the FBI's Child Exploitation Operational Unit.
QUOTE: "If you look at our numbers and you look at how the bad actors are targeting victims, your school athletes are going to have a larger [online] footprint," Beccaccio said. "It is going to make them more vulnerable to these types of targeted attacks. They have more to lose than another individual. . . . They're looking at being scouted. They're putting videos of their [highlights] out on social media." Since 2021, online sextortion has led to tens of thousands of cases and more than $65 million in losses, according to the FBI. More tragically, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reports, it has led to over three dozen suicides. And that's just the ones they know about. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/web0814
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