Carl Pohlad had watched the Twins fall to 71-91 and attendance decrease by nearly 400,000 in 1986, his second full season as the team's owner. He decided to shake up the organization.

Pohlad gave Andy MacPhail the title of general manager and control of the baseball operation in November 1986. Two months later, he named Jerry Bell to head the business operation as team president. Bell had been serving as executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, the Twins' landlord at the Metrodome.

What was discovered in looking back to Bell's hiring is that he was more than the person who cut the deal with Fort Myers for spring training, more than the person who lowered the volume in the stadium debate and helped find the Target Field solution.

Bell was also a clairvoyant in forecasting baseball. On Feb. 24, 1987, he was quoted thusly in the Star Tribune:

"I'm more optimistic about winning this year than I was before I came here. I'm a strong believer you must have a good attitude to succeed in anything. I think the trade for Jeff Reardon improved the attitude of our whole ballclub."

Lo and behold, Reardon was on the Metrodome mound on Oct. 25, 1987, when St. Louis' Willie McGee hit a chopper to third, and Gary Gaetti threw across the diamond to his pal Kent Hrbek, and the Twins won the World Series.

That was Jerry Bell through his long run with the Twins. Sneaky smart.

He came home from the Navy and found work maintaining athletic fields and other facilities for the city of North St. Paul. He had a good attitude raking fields, and a good attitude when told to find the Twins a spring training replacement for the abomination that was Orlando's Tinker Field, and maintained an irrationally good attitude in the anti-stadium atmosphere of the early 2000s, when given his most important Twins assignment:

"Get us a ballpark."

That ballpark is Target Field, and on Sunday, Jerry Bell will be installed as a member of the Twins Hall of Fame. It's an honor well-earned and a triumph for Everyman — from raking baseball fields to helping assure Major League Baseball's future in Minnesota.

Read Reusse's blog at startribune.com/patrick.

PLUS THREE

Annual complaints about absentees from Twins Hall:

Cesar Tovar: Seven outstansing seasons as primary leadoff hitter (1966-72). In 1967, he played 164 games (two ties), starting 70 in outfield, 92 in infield and finishing seventh in AL MVP voting. Huge oversight.

Halsey Hall: Most colorful sports announcer in state history. On Twins radio and TV from 1961 through 1973. Abomination he's not in.

Ray Scott: Spent the first six seasons (1961-66) on Twins' play-by-play and none better. Listen to Ray setting up Harmon Killebrew's home run before All-Star break in '65. Chills.