Last week, the Pohlad family made it official: they’re not selling the Twins. After nearly a year of dangling the idea that ownership might finally change hands, they announced they’ll stay on as principal owners and only sell a portion of the team to minority investors. For Twins fans, that shifts everything. A new question is front and center now: if the Pohlads aren’t going anywhere, should we still go to games, knowing it means putting money in their pockets?
It’s hard to think of an ownership group that inspires less confidence. The Pohlads have made it clear, over and over, that their priority isn’t building a winner—it’s protecting the bottom line. They’ve had decades to prove otherwise, and they haven’t. Look no further than this year’s trade deadline, when the front office appeared to be under a mandate to shed payroll. To many fans, the fire sale appeared not to be about making the team better; it was about cutting costs. In the wake of the announcement about the future of the team, fans got empty corporate doublespeak from Joe Pohlad. It’s clear where their values are.
That leaves fans with a tough choice. On the surface, boycotting games feels like the natural response. Why give money to billionaires who refuse to invest in the team at a competitive level? But here’s the reality: In all likelihood, the owners will take lower attendance as an excuse to justify slashing payroll even further. They’ll claim revenue is down, and instead of responding by making the team more competitive to draw fans back, they’ll lean on the same tired logic. Cut costs, keep profits steady, and let the product suffer. It’s not a cycle we should accept. It’s a cycle they’ll exploit.
Now, that doesn’t mean fans who walk away are wrong. If you’ve had enough and you cancel Twins.TV, stop buying tickets, or simply check out altogether, nobody can blame you. Ownership has earned every bit of the frustration it gets. There’s no “wrong” way to show displeasure with how this team has been run, as long as what you’re doing is motivated by the protection of your own time, rather than the notion that you can influence the Pohlads.
But if you still want to go to the ballpark, you shouldn’t feel guilty about it, or let others make you feel bad. Going to Target Field doesn’t mean you’re supporting the Pohlads. It means you’re taking back something that already belongs to us. The stadium was built with public money. It’s not their private playground. It’s Minnesota’s ballpark, and it’s where our connection to this team lives, no matter how poorly it’s managed at the top.
Being there also doesn’t have to mean sitting quietly. Fans have power, and it comes from showing up, making noise, and refusing to let ownership own the narrative. Boo when payroll is slashed. Chant when frustration boils over. The Pohlads may hold the title of “owners,” but they don’t own what really matters: the passion, the culture, and the heartbeat of Twins baseball. Just make whatever you do is an authentic and reasonable reaction to what you see out there, rather than either a forced gesture or an unconsidered reflex.
This team isn’t just a business, it’s part of Minnesota’s fabric. It’s the memories of 1987 and 1991, it’s Joe Mauer’s debut, it’s Game 163, it’s Byron Buxton making highlight-reel catches. It’s fathers and daughters, friends on a summer night, the joy of a walk-off win or the shared groan of a bullpen collapse. Those belong to us. Giving them up doesn’t punish the Pohlads. It just gives them more power.
So yes, if you want to go, go. Don’t let ownership steal the joy of baseball from you. Don’t hand billionaires the satisfaction of taking away nights at Target Field with your family, your friends, and your community. This isn’t just their team. It’s ours.