How Can the Twins Win Back Fans and Fix their PR Issues?

[S Bart]

3 hours ago, jctwins said:

They brought Latroy in as well, presumably to burn up some of the strict 30 minutes they allowed (and abided by). I fully realize he has nothing to gain by ripping ownership, but he went out of his way to I think genuinely thank me, and I think he was giving me a bit of a wink that "you're not wrong".

Thanks for the kind words. It was slightly awkward, but I was going to be damned if I sat there for 30 minutes and not one serious exchange was had.

You are the man!! Wish I could buy you a beer.

[S Bart]

Curious about attendance tonight..

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, S Bart said:

Curious about attendance tonight..

10,000 or less. People can put the blame on multiple factors like early fall temps, school starting, etc. but none of that would come into play if the Twins were a competitive team. I hope leadership realizes how catastrophic 2026 could be if they don’t get in front of this right now with the fan base. 

[IndyTwinsFan]

11 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

10,000 or less. People can put the blame on multiple factors like early fall temps, school starting, etc. but none of that would come into play if the Twins were a competitive team. I hope leadership realizes how catastrophic 2026 could be if they don’t get in front of this right now with the fan base. 

That's implying that they even care.  I think that most of us here are in agreement on the fact that they don't care and they don't care if the fans know it. 

Money rules for the Pohlads and nothing else even comes close.

[lecroy24fan]

2 hours ago, S Bart said:

Curious about attendance tonight..

11,904

[Vanimal46]

4 minutes ago, lecroy24fan said:

11,904

Paid for tickets, sure. Real butts in seats? Maybe 5,000. 

[jctwins]

9 hours ago, IndyTwinsFan said:

That's implying that they even care.  I think that most of us here are in agreement on the fact that they don't care and they don't care if the fans know it. 

Money rules for the Pohlads and nothing else even comes close.

With the “money rules” logic that is what makes this mismanagement so damn frustrating. The dumbasses don’t realize this is costing them far more than it’s saving.

[Major League Ready]

They are not winning back fans until they start winning.  Let’s define winning.  An 85-win team does not inspire fans to come out.  A team that inspires belief they have a real shot brings people out.  An athletic team that makes great defensive plays and runs the bases provides an extra degree of excitement.  

The above is not happening in 2026 unless they trade away Most of their top 10 prospects.  They would keep Keaschall and Zebby because they need a 3rd playoff starter so the plan demands Zebby grows up quickly.   They will also need to spend their absolute limit.  I would give that plan a 30-35% chance of winning a playoff series or two but the odds would still be against getting to the WS.  The post 2027 implications are probably that it take 4-5 years to build back to a good team.  

Now imagine a meeting between the FO and ownership where they layout option 1 which by the way requires them to make a minimal profit or break-even.  Option 2 is spend 2026 building the kind of exciting team people will come out and watch.  They transition from current OFers to some combination of Buxton / Jenkins and a couple of Rodriguez / Roden / GG / Rosario / Fedko.  Of course, this group is far more exciting with more upside.  They transition Culpepper to SS.  2026 is also used to transition multiple prospects who are now starting to the BP.  BTW ownership, under this plan you make a solid profit and exit 2027 (if there is a season) with a great young team with a shot at true contention for 5+ years.  

Ownership then asks how many successful teams with our level of revenue have been built following strategy #1.  Falvey answers “none in the past 20 years.  How about option #2.  Falvey answers “this blueprint or some form has been used in 90% of all successful teams”.   My guess is that this meeting took place in some form.  Which path do you take if you are ownership.
 

[shimrod]

14 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Which path do you take if you are ownership.

I think they've chosen path three. Assume 2027 season doesn't happen. Cut to the bone, write off 2026 and 2027, start your plan 2 under a new CBA. 

[Dimo49]

Twins do not bane protests at Target Field, unless foul language is used, and they definitely do not remove protesters from the stadium.

[Riverbrian]

Winning ultimately is the primary vehicle to fixing the current issues but winning alone won't do it. 

Marketing and PR? Both are important because we are all capable of being manipulated and that is why marketing and PR departments exist in the first place. I use the word manipulated not in the negative sense that is associated with the word. I mean manipulated in the sense that is what Marketing and Public Relations is at it's core. It's manipulation and if the organization finds itself in a position where marketing isn't working and public relations is in a negative hole, they need some fresh blood with fresh ideas. I don't have the answers like more bobblehead giveaways or something stupid like that but I think we can all agree that marketing isn't currently working and PR is at low point. 

Post trade deadline... which is also post fan attitude collapse (I know that we've been collapsing for awhile now). I'm hearing the same ads that I heard back in April. The context has changed drastically. There should be new production to reflect the new reality to help guide the organization out of this hole.  

But, ultimately... We need better players that fans appreciate watching play the game, players that the fans will be proud to buy a jersey with their name and number on the back. And Ultimately, they will need a team that is contention in as many Septembers as they can muster. 

  

[TheLeviathan]

I don't even think winning fixes this.  Let's say they go out and have a top 5 record next season by the All-Star game.  I don't think the attendance will have shifted at all by July.  The issues are deeper.

Fans feel double betrayed - betrayed by the payroll slash in 2023 and betrayed by the "We're selling the team!.......Psyche!" move during a horrible season.

It's going to take a total reversal in behavior at the ownership level, for a sustained period of time, or it won't matter.  Or just sell the damn team.

[jctwins]

4 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

I don't even think winning fixes this.  Let's say they go out and have a top 5 record next season by the All-Star game.  I don't think the attendance will have shifted at all by July.  The issues are deeper.

Fans feel double betrayed - betrayed by the payroll slash in 2023 and betrayed by the "We're selling the team!.......Psyche!" move during a horrible season.

It's going to take a total reversal in behavior at the ownership level, for a sustained period of time, or it won't matter.  Or just sell the damn team.

I agree with this.

[lecroy24fan]

Everything in the org is a disaster at this point. As a season ticket holder (very much in doubt to continue) I can tell you they striped the benefits to bare bones this year. Yes I got 5% more in my discounts, but they took away the benefits you sign up for a chance to get before the season starts. No more chances of a Chalk Talk, STH bobblehead, autograph signings, raising the Twins flag, on field experiences, etc. Now for any of those you either have to spend the points from the My Twins Membership thing, and anyone with a non-STH account can also get those perks. 

PR is the absolute worst I've ever seen in baseball, with maybe the exception of John Fisher and the A's. Not a single one person i the org has PR skills. Not one. They need to hire a PR professional to work with them.

On field product speaks for itself. As mentioned previously in this thread winning won't change the fans perception. 

I don't know that there is one answer that can repair the relationship with fans. Well yes I do know what would work but they ain't selling the team. 

[jctwins]

1 hour ago, lecroy24fan said:

Everything in the org is a disaster at this point. As a season ticket holder (very much in doubt to continue) I can tell you they striped the benefits to bare bones this year. Yes I got 5% more in my discounts, but they took away the benefits you sign up for a chance to get before the season starts. No more chances of a Chalk Talk, STH bobblehead, autograph signings, raising the Twins flag, on field experiences, etc. Now for any of those you either have to spend the points from the My Twins Membership thing, and anyone with a non-STH account can also get those perks. 

PR is the absolute worst I've ever seen in baseball, with maybe the exception of John Fisher and the A's. Not a single one person i the org has PR skills. Not one. They need to hire a PR professional to work with them.

On field product speaks for itself. As mentioned previously in this thread winning won't change the fans perception. 

I don't know that there is one answer that can repair the relationship with fans. Well yes I do know what would work but they ain't selling the team. 

There is a lot to criticize, and I enjoy doing so, but I actually think the MyRewards got this about right. It rewards either coming to games or spending money. As a STH that can't go to a ton of games, but spends quite a bit when I do, it balances against those that come to a lot of games, and don't spend as much per game. It also avoids them randomly contacting me to do stuff I have no interest in, that some perceive as a benefit.

[lecroy24fan]

2 hours ago, jctwins said:

There is a lot to criticize, and I enjoy doing so, but I actually think the MyRewards got this about right. It rewards either coming to games or spending money. As a STH that can't go to a ton of games, but spends quite a bit when I do, it balances against those that come to a lot of games, and don't spend as much per game. It also avoids them randomly contacting me to do stuff I have no interest in, that some perceive as a benefit.

There was stuff that didn't interest me either. Being a STH should have perks not available to everyone. Unfortunately we no longer have that.

[Irishman]

Ownership, FO, manager and coaching staff are dumber than the 1st grade students.  They have no clue managing the team.

[TwinsAlmostWin]

Yeah I don't see a way forward either. The problem is Twins fans know what they are going to get from the Pohlads, and aren't o.k. with it anymore. In the past, Twins fans used to cling to competing for division titles, taking our chances in the playoffs, losing and looking forward to next year. But now, Twins fans fully understand the Pohlad's do not care about winning which makes the fan/ownership relationship personal - why should Twins fans give the Pohlads what they want (money) if they aren't going to even try and give Twins fans what we want (a WS). 

Fans are done with the Pohalds, and honestly any PR that comes out will just be viewed as more Pohlad BS, which will further alienate fans. 

It's truly time to sell the team. 

[Vanimal46]

When do you ever see 98% of a group agree on one thing? The Pohlads united all of us against them. 

[Mike Sixel]

42 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

When do you ever see 98% of a group agree on one thing? The Pohlads united all of us against them. 

Never? 

As to the OP, I don't think they can, unless they just start winning somehow..... Next year. Nothing they can do this year realistically, especially with the NFL back. 

 

[DocBauer]

Only ONE way to keep fans. (Excluding really dumb and potential AI emails sent out to the public).

Spend!

The debt is gone, or mostly gone, depending how they want to disperse the sudden $400-500M they just received. 

The debt is now cleared. The $130M payroll this season put the Twins in the bottom 3rd of all of MLB.

DON'T trade Lopez or Ryan.

DO give the FO $25-30M to spend on a BAT, probably a 1B like Naylor. Then a few $M on 2-3 arms for the pen. You STILL have only a $120M payroll. Less than last/this season.

That's for ownership. If you're Falvey, get your crap together and STOP with your BS fear of prospects. KEEP your rotation intact and promote the talent you have on hand and get the fans excited! Follow the Brewers more and let Rodriguez, Jenkins, K Rodriguez, Fedko, Gonzalez sink or swim and rotate if needed, but give the fans an actual reason to want to watch the team!

Talk in depth with your scouts and find good reasons to spend the $ given to you. Maybe add a quality 1B and a couple interesting BP arms that might turn out to close games.

You know what draws fans? A fun and winning team.

[Parfigliano]

On 9/4/2025 at 7:11 AM, shimrod said:

I think they've chosen path three. Assume 2027 season doesn't happen. Cut to the bone, write off 2026 and 2027, start your plan 2 under a new CBA. 

Bingo!!!!

[MGX]

There is one clear way to fix the issue - sell the team. Anything short of this is problematic. The fans have had enough of the Pohlads BS & I don't see them coming back unless the team is sold. 

Sadly, I think everything we've seen is only part of the reset. This organization is being fully reset to sell the team. They ran into issues in their attempt to sell this past year(because they're out of touch) thinking new owners would give them the sales price they wanted & take on the debt. This typical of the Pohlads who are completely out of touch with the fan base.

The bad thing is they could compete as soon as next season with competent management in place. I mean at all levels, from ownership to the FO to the on field manager. Looking at our current management I hold very little hope they will compete & expect more of a reset next season. 

It's amazing that they can't see the potential for profits if they would invest in the team. They own an entertainment business & are unwilling to invest in providing the best entertainers they can get. I'd think that should be a priority in this business if you want to maximize profitability.  

The bottom line for me is the team needs to sold & it can't happen fast enough.

[ashbury]

6 hours ago, MGX said:

It's amazing that they can't see the potential for profits if they would invest in the team. 

They did invest when they signed Correa the first time.  Attendance per game jumped from 19th in the majors the year before... down to 20th in the majors in 2022.

They doubled down on the same investment and signed Correa again, to a more ironclad contract.  Attendance jumped... all the way back to 19th.

Do you suppose the business-minded folks in the ownership team took note of this experiment and made a judgment about the market they are serving?

[MGX]

1 hour ago, ashbury said:

They did invest when they signed Correa the first time.  Attendance per game jumped from 19th in the majors the year before... down to 20th in the majors in 2022.

They doubled down on the same investment and signed Correa again, to a more ironclad contract.  Attendance jumped... all the way back to 19th.

Do you suppose the business-minded folks in the ownership team took note of this experiment and made a judgment about the market they are serving?

So signing 1 player is enough of an investment in the team??? It's not to me, invest to put an entertaining, competitive team on the field consistently & see what happens. When the Twins have had consistent success in the past they've had good attendance. Investing in one player after more than a decade with very little in the way of competitive baseball teams isn't enough IMO.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

On 9/4/2025 at 9:12 AM, Dimo49 said:

Twins do not bane protests at Target Field, unless foul language is used, and they definitely do not remove protesters from the stadium.

Oh no, never

https://www.fox9.com/sports/twins-fan-allegedly-banned-1-year-from-target-field-defund-pohlads-sign

[ashbury]

3 hours ago, MGX said:

So signing 1 player is enough of an investment in the team??? 

Ask the Pohlads.  I just provided a data point you can think about. 

How much IS enough?  Keep adding dollar increments until we're up with the Dodgers? 

Where is your data for what an incremental dollar of payroll returns in revenue?  Do you know what an S-shaped curve is, or a hockey stick graph?

There are days of the week where I say, it takes money to make money.  Today is apparently not the right day, sorry.