Today we mourn the loss of a true curmudgeon. An avaricious, miserly old toad who did his level best to strongarm an entire state's worth of sports fans.
Mr. Pohlad, I'm sorry to say that you will not be missed.
Actually, that's not entirely accurate. You will be missed by very few. Among them, Commissioner/ Spawn of Satan Bud Selig. Pohlad was one of Selig's evilest and most trusted cronies. The two were like-minded in a number of ways. Mostly with regard to how to maximize profits.
Where will Selig get his sweet, sweet warbdrobe upgrades now, I ask?
Like Selig, Pohlad was a living testament to the ills of professional sports. He wasthe wealthiest owner in MLB, valued at $3.1 billion by Forbes last year.
And what did he do with that wealth?
Offer his team up to the sacrificial alter of contraction? Check.
Try to extort funding for a new stadium out of the State of Minnesota? Check.
Keep the Twins payroll among the lowest in the league? Check.
Granted the Twins still performed quite well from time to time. But imagine what they might have done with an owner whose wallet wasn't riveted shut. Imagine having a billionaire owner who actually gave a crap about the sport. Or winning. Or ANYTHING besides making more money for himself.
If you hadn't died, Mr. Pohlad, I would have introduced you to Mark Cuban.
Putting aside the morally questionable way he built his fortune in the first place, Pholad was a terrible owner. Not just for the team or the state or its fans, but for the game. His M.O. of "do as little as possible to make as much as possible" is so Scrooge-like it's a cliche. But being cliche never bothered him much.
I'm happy for the Twins and for their fans. With this changing of the guard, maybe some life can be brought back to Minnesota. Maybe we'll see what the franchise is truly capable of.
And so with condolences to the dreadful Commissioner who, let's be honest, can always find another rich a-hoIe to pal around with, I say good-bye and good riddance.
Irina Shayk
DeLeah Caro
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Comments (10) Add A Comment
Maybe I am interpreting too much from your words. Correct me if I am wrong but somehow I get the impression that you did not care much for Pohlad.
Appleseed
Detroit, MI
Total Comments (943)
Pohlad. He gone.
Mondo Jay
Fan Nation, HQ
Total Comments (10715)
Scrooge with a funny "don't yaaa know" accent.
Sad for his family, happy for Twin fans.
Good post.
Mac Brody-Out for a…
Sj, CA
Total Comments (10376)
Great post, Porkins. Owners that can't or won't spend money piss me off. Owners that won't spend money are the worst kind. If you're not going to pay for your fanbase that puts the billions in your pocket, then let somebody in that will. Of course, they wouldn't dare let Mark Cuban own a baseball team. It should be a federal crime to hijack a team the way that these guys do. We have the Monforts in Colorado, and they're the same way. It's despicable.
wtnelson = Big Chief
Fort Collins , CO
Total Comments (3581)
Great "tribute" to the man.
Redwing19
Halifax, NS
Total Comments (35094)
To his credit, he did give multi-millions of dollars to charity. He was a pretty good guy, but he was a pretty frustrating baseball owner. I never like to see people die, though...
0x NBA/NFL Champion
Saint Paul, MN
Total Comments (5075)
First of all, the mere fact that you're glad someone died makes me sick. Second of all, you're from North Carolina? What the hell do you know of Pohlad's personality or what he did for the community. He actually kept the team in Minnesota so might want to get your facts straight. And you're a Reds fan who are responsible for the biggest cheater in MLB history (great for the game of baseball right?) Lets take a look at what the Twins have done under Pohlad's ownership...
45 players made the all start line-up
A.L West Titles: 1987, 1991
A.L Central Titles: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006
World Series Titles: 1987, 1991
1988- first American league team to draw over 3 million fans in the history of baseball
But you're right it's a great thing that Pohlad died because he really was a cancer to the Twins. You're a moron.
kooper1313
New Richmond , WI
Total Comments (27)
Kooper, just because I live in NC doesn't mean I'm from here, nor does it mean I don't know anything about the Twins.
Pohlad was widely regarded as one of the cheapest owners in the game despite being among the wealthiest. The successes that the club enjoyed were largely despite his efforts, not because of them. Don't attribute their accomplishments to Carl.
Your attempted shot at Pete Rose is completely irrelevant. I'm sorry if you don't agree with my blog, but being pissy about it doesn't change anything.
Take off your homer glasses and calm down.
Porkins: F U to…
The Triangle, NC
Total Comments (28958)
Sounds like you covered everything however Pohlad was the owner of a baseball team no different than owning a corporation, his job was to make money regardless if he likes or cares about baseball. Just because he did not spend his money on high priced players means nothing and the extorting money from minnesota for a new stadium was never proved. I hope you say the same thing about Steinbrenner who succeeded in doing just that in new york with their new stadium. Spending money does not equal a world series win! I happen to agree with most of what you are saying it would be amazing to have owners who actually cared about the game but at the end of the day it is a business.
SingingSensation
Los Angeles , CA
Total Comments (295)
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