![Fans cheer on Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez while he throws to a batter with two strikes in the third inning during Game 1 of the Wild Card series, Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minn. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/6MAZS4N4SO52CCSYXTPU62GFDU.jpg?&w=1080)
Of the disappointments Twins fans like to voice in complaining about their favorite team, this one is heard often: I thought things were going to be different once Target Field opened, but instead it’s been more of the same.
Those who envisioned a mostly full ballpark and a competitive payroll to match have seen neither materialize consistently.
Attendance has either flatlined or dwindled in many of the seasons since Target Field opened in 2010, as demonstrated in this big-picture Minnesota Star Tribune look at fans during the 16-year history of the ballpark.
I talked about that piece during Tuesday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
At the outset of today’s 10 things to know, I want to dive into a little more detail on what I consider the three biggest missed opportunities that have driven attendance struggles at Target Field:
- The ballpark opened. And then the Twins stunk: The first year at Target Field couldn’t have gone much better (outside of yet another postseason loss to the Yankees). The Twins won 94 games with a deep roster, attendance topped 3 million fans, and almost everyone agreed the ballpark was beautiful. It was their sixth AL Central title in nine years, and there was no reason to believe the good times would end. And then the baseball product fell off a cliff. Owing to major injuries (Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau at the top of the list), underperformance and a lack of minor league reinforcements, the Twins won just 63 games in 2011. That started a six-year run of mostly awful baseball. By the end of that stretch in 2016, the Twins were averaging 15,000 fewer fans per game than when Target Field opened in 2010, and attendance has never really fully recovered. Being so bad for so long killed enthusiasm for anyone who actually loved baseball, as it does pretty much anywhere.
- The Bomba Squad sparked joy. And then COVID-19 happened: The Twins have only topped 2.3 million fans once in the last 12 seasons. That was in 2019, when they smacked an MLB-record 307 home runs and won 101 games. They should have been primed to capitalize with more season tickets and big crowds in 2020, but ... a global pandemic shut down sports for months. When they came back, it was to an empty ballpark in a truncated 60-game season. And by the time fans were let back in the stands again, the Twins had taken another downturn (73 wins in 2021, 78 wins in 2022).
- They finally won a playoff series. And then they slashed payroll: The Twins broke a historic playoff drought by winning a postseason series in 2023. Target Field was rocking during the playoffs. But with TV revenue declining, ownership cut payroll before the 2024 season. It angered fans and eventually caught up to the on-field product during a 12-27 finish to the season. Instead of capitalizing on their success, the Twins turned their own fans against them. They still haven’t recovered, and they won’t until the Pohlad family sells the team AND the on-field product improves.
- It should be pointed out: Payroll is not always a straight line to success. The Brewers, who are spending less than the Twins this season, have the best record in baseball.
- A common thread through a lot of the Twins’ misery over the years is the Yankees. That proved true again Monday, with Minnesota losing 6-2 at Yankee Stadium after an encouraging stretch of post-trade deadline play.
- Also on Tuesday’s podcast, Star Tribune Vikings writer Emily Leiker joined me for a look ahead to a big week of joint practices with the Patriots.
- If that’s not enough Vikings content for you, check out this Q&A with our beat writers.
- It would have been hard for you to miss it, but I’ll point it out just in case: The Star Tribune launched Strib Varsity, our new destination for high school sports.
- The Wolves landed another Christmas game, this time against the Nuggets. It’s another sign of where the franchise is now, and I’m sure we’ll see more of that when the full schedule is released Thursday.
- This sobering story about sextortion of young male athletes by ESPN’s Dan Wetzel is a must-read.
