Minneapolis, MN (My Sportsbook) -
Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad died Monday at the age of 93.
Pohlad had owned the ball club since acquiring it in 1984 from the team's initial owner, Calvin Griffith, who potentially could have moved the Twins from Minnesota. Instead, Pohlad stepped in to buy the team and saw it win a pair of World Series titles -- in 1987 and 1991.
The billionaire businessman nearly sold the team, to North Carolina businessman Don Beaver, in the offseason following the 1997 campaign. But the deal was not finalized, and the Pohlad-owned Twins remained in Minnesota through the turn of the century -- despite being considered for contraction by MLB in 2001, and despite a decade-long ordeal of coming to an agreement to build a new ballpark.
"Since the day Carl Pohlad entered Major League Baseball, he made significant contributions to our game," Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "He has been a true leader in our sport for the past 25 years. His devotion to the Minnesota Twins, the Twin Cities and Major League Baseball was remarkable.
"In my long career, I have never met a more loyal and caring human being. We will miss Carl and all of baseball joins me in sending our deepest condolences to the Pohlad family for the loss of our friend and partner."
Target Field, which will replace the Metrodome, is scheduled to open in 2010.
"Earlier today, our father, Carl Pohlad, passed away at his home in Edina," Jim, Bob and Bill Pohlad, the three sons of Carl Pohlad said in a statement. "All of us, along with our wives, many of his grandchildren and caregivers were with him when he died, as we had been for many days.
"Carl was the leader of our family as well as the founder and leader of our family businesses. We've loved and respected him and are enormously proud of his accomplishments. And we will all miss him deeply.
"We greatly appreciate the support and prayers of our friends, colleagues and the community. We especially appreciate the support of our employees throughout the Pohlad family of companies at this difficult time. We want to assure everyone that we will continue Dad's work and his legacy - just as he would have wanted and as he has prepared us to do."
