Article: Rock Cats Hot Stove Luncheon

[Twins Fan From Afar]

You can view the page at http://twinsdaily.com/content.php/2617-Rock-Cats-Hot-Stove-Luncheon

[BigSkyTwinsFan]

Really appreciate these kind of articles. Thanks Andrew!

[Thrylos]

Good stuff.

 

This is a really interesting thing that Steil said:

One thing Steil said that annoyed me -- and he basically opened up his keynote with this: "We're not a big market team. You're not gonna see us handing out a $100 million contract."

 

Because it is dead wrong

Last time I checked the Twins have handed out a contact almost twice that much (8 years, $184 million) a few seasons back.

 

Really bizarre and uninformed statement to say the least...

[Twins Fan From Afar]

Good stuff.

 

This is a really interesting thing that Steil said:

 

 

Because it is dead wrong

Last time I checked the Twins have handed out a contact almost twice that much (8 years, $184 million) a few seasons back.

 

Really bizarre and uninformed statement to say the least...

 

Steil's larger point, which is correct, and appropriate for the audience (primarily New Britain fans -- who are not necessarily big Twins fans), was that the players you see in NB in 2014 are the same guys that will be wearing major league uniforms in 2014, 2015 and beyond. And that, for the Twins, they heavily rely on their farm system.

 

I have no problems with either of those statements.

 

I am just so tired of the "not a big market" line. I don't expect MN to be the Yankees, Red Sox or Dodgers, but that doesn't mean they can't hand out a very large contract when appropriate, or that they can't be in the upper 1/3 or 1/4 of payroll spending if they're trying to make a run.

[Thrylos]

I am just so tired of the "not a big market" line. I don't expect MN to be the Yankees, Red Sox or Dodgers, but that doesn't mean they can't hand out a very large contract when appropriate, or that they can't be in the upper 1/3 or 1/4 of payroll spending if they're trying to make a run.

 

Agreed. That's kinda iffy. The Twins' market is the 13th largest Metropolitan Area in the States , with 3,759,978 people as of the 2010 Census and has the fifth highest household income for Metro areas in the US with $54,304. Compare that with Seattle (3,554,760 people and $50,733 household income) and what the Mariners are paying for contracts these days, and that kind of rhetoric does not stand too much

[Seth Stohs]

Then look at the TV revenues...

[Thrylos]

Then look at the TV revenues...

 

Well... I can turn that around and say that if Seattle, which is a smaller and less wealthy market than the Twin Cities according to factual data, can get more TV revenue, someone in the Twins' front office is not doing their job.

[johnnydakota]

Well... I can turn that around and say that if Seattle, which is a smaller and less wealthy market than the Twin Cities according to factual data, can get more TV revenue, someone in the Twins' front office is not doing their job.

 

oble likes, Im hoping when our reginal contract runs out we will get a better deal

[johnnydakota]

oble likes, Im hoping when our reginal contract runs out we will get a better deal

 

 

Bad keyboard, it should read Double likes, Im hoping when the regional contract runs out,we get a better deal

[BigTrane]

Well... I can turn that around and say that if Seattle, which is a smaller and less wealthy market than the Twin Cities according to factual data, can get more TV revenue, someone in the Twins' front office is not doing their job.

 

Just curious to see a head-to-head comparison of the 2 clubs' TV deals. Actually, I'd love to see an overall comparison of all TV deals. Aren't the Phillies a big-market club with a bad deal, and the Astros basically SOL more because of the cable cos. than their competitiveness?

 

Couple of things might be worth factoring in:

- Vancouver (600k pop) must add to the fanbase, but I don't know if they get games on TV there- would love to know. Stands to add to ticket revenue, at the least.

- Ms are owned by Nintendo- that's how you spell 'truly deep pockets'.

[Thrylos]

Aren't the Phillies a big-market club with a bad deal.

 

This off-season they signed a 25-year $2.5 Billion dollar deal so, not really

[clutterheart]

Great post.

Interesting they expect 1/2 the team return. Im looking forward to seeing which pitchers from High A make the jump

I like that the Twins are in the NE for the AAA & AA. I really hope they stay there.

It gives their players experience playing in colder weather, the ball parks are generally neutral so stats are more meaningful and they have active local media to cover the games.

[Jim Crikket]

The TV revenue thing has been beat to death over the years. My recollection is that it's not just a matter of population comparisons that's led to the Twins having lower regional rights fees. But apparently people in the Minnesota TV market spend less time watching TV than those in many other markets of a similar size. Fewer eyes on TV per capita means lower rights fees.

 

Some markets also have multiple regional sports channels, which leads to bidding. Since FSN has no concerns about being outbid by another carrier, they can get away with paying less. It would appear that the only way the Twins will overcome that factor will be to stick their toes back in to the pool and either start their own cable channel or partner with one.

 

I bitch a lot about the blackout stuff, but that's all a part of the Twins having to pretty much go along with whatever FSN wants in order to get as much money from them as possible.

 

This is all just a long way of saying the regional TV rights are going to play an increasing role in determining the "haves" vs the "have nots" in an era when pretty much everyone has new/renovated stadiums. And as long as MLB allows each team to keep 100% of their own rights fees, the Twins are likely to slip lower and lower on the MLB revenue list in the future.