POPULAR TWINS

Signs of increased Twins popularity over the past 10 years:

2010 ESPN fan survey: Ranked 14th among 122 major professional franchises and fourth in MLB, and Target Field ranked first out of 122 major professional venues in terms of stadium experience.

Ticket sales: Season-ticket base capped at 25,000 full-season equivalents. Team will rank in top five in MLB in season-ticket sales; should have nearly 3 million tickets sold before home opener; and will sell out every Grapefruit League game this spring.

Local TV: Fox Sports North averaged an 8.7 rating in 2010 (second in MLB to the Phillies); team averaged 152,000 households in 2010 (fourth in MLB).

Local radio: 88 network affiliates are third-most in MLB.

Merchandise: Sales rank among the top clubs in MLB (according to Twins).

Revenue sharing: Have changed from a revenue-sharing receiver to a revenue-sharing payer. Sources: ESPN and the Twins