Not to nit-pick, but it was in 2011 that they had a payroll north of $110M, and they lost 99 games that year, so it's not all about the money spent on payroll. I would also say that the Twins "dominance" in the 2000s was as much a product of the poor shape of the other franchises as it was due to excellence in the Twins; when you consider that their poor post-season record is more understandable (although no less disappointing). Bottom line - baseball is a business, and owners will spend money only to the point that it generates a profit (nor do I think they should be expected to go beyond that point). I think for a mid-market franchise such as the Twin Cities that means we can reasonably expect to challenge for the division crown each year, but we can't expect to dominate, nor should there be expectations of world series crowns. Every once in a while we might gel beyond our natural ability and surprise people, but we will never be Boston or the Yankees.