Kare11
MLB Commissioner weighs in on Twins broadcast debacle
Commissioner Rob Manfred says the MLB can solve the team’s issues, but it could come at a steep price for the team.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins have produced a lot of compelling storylines during the first half of the season, but for many frustrated fans the season boils down to a single headline.
“The team is having a good season and no one can watch it,” said Bobby Nightengale, Minnesota Twins Reporter for the StarTribune. “It just impacts so many people.”
On Tuesday, Nightengale asked MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred about the ongoing drama between Bally Sports and regional cable providers such as Comcast, which is keeping the Twins from being seen by many fans. Manfred told him, and other baseball writers that a league-produced broadcast could help solve the problem.
“Manfred said it’s up to the Twins to make their decision, but he kind of made the case for why you would want to do it the MLB’s way,” Nightengale said. “(The Twins) would get the streaming rights to games and fans in (the Twin Cities) would be able to watch when it’s not on cable. The reach would be a lot better, fans would have a lot more access, but the team would get less money out of it.”
According to Michael Rand, the StarTribune’s Digital Sports Senior Writer, the money would likely be a whole lot less than some fans might realize.
“The Twins, even in 2023, were getting like $55 million from their local TV contract,” Rand said. “We don’t know the number this year. We assume it’s less than that, but it’s still more than what major league baseball would be able to offer them through MLB TV.”
In his most recent article, Rand points out that the league’s current platform isn’t exactly paying off for the teams that have lost their regional providers. According to Manfred, the San Diego Padres have amassed the most season streaming subscribers, but even if the nearly 40,000 fans are paying $100 to stream games online that’s still only generating $4 million.
“It kind of leaves the teams in a bad spot where you can either make more money or you can make your fans happy, but you can’t do both right now. It doesn’t feel like much of a choice to me if, if those are the choices,” Rand said.
Nightengale told KARE 11 he doesn’t think any of this will change for fans by the end of the year.
“I’m not very confident that things will change. Bally Sports’ parent company, Diamond Sports Group, does have a bankruptcy hearing at the end of the month that could change something,” Nightengale said.
“I think if we get something from that (hearing) where it says, yes, you are a viable entity going forward, then I could see at some point this season,” Rand said. “Maybe not too far into the second half of the season for the Twins, you could have games back on Comcast.”
If that doesn’t happen, Rand believes the choice is clear for next year, even if the team has to take less money and risk angering a fan base with a lower payroll.
“You can overcome people upset about decisions or even some bad seasons if people are still engaged,” Rand said. “But if they become disengaged, it’s harder to get them reengage, and that is the challenge that they’re gonna have going forward.”
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a plan to shut down the Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) on Thursday.
The resolution comes after decades of protests against the massive North Loop trash incinerator that burns roughly 365,000 tons of garbage a year.
“Today is a big step towards protecting the health of our communities and addressing longstanding environmental injustices that disproportionately impact communities of color,” said councilmember Robin Wonsley, in a statement.
The resolution calls for the incinerator to be permanently closed by Dec 31, 2027 and for the entire facility to be shut down by Dec 31, 2033.
The council argues that the HERC must be closed to comply with the city’s zero waste policy, which was passed back in 2017.
In October 2023, the Hennepin County Board signed off on a plan to close the HERC between 2028 and 2040, depending on how quickly the county can transition into a zero-waste system.
Of the garbage burned at the HERC, 75% comes from the city of Minneapolis. The other 25% comes from a dozen other cities in the area. The HERC produces enough energy to power more than 25,000 homes and half the buildings in downtown Minneapolis.
At a City Council Meeting on Oct. 10, Jenni Lansing with the City of Minneapolis Health Department provided analysis on the air pollution impacts of HERC. She said the health department supports working towards a zero-waste future and the ultimate closure of HERC, but said closing it now is not the solution.
“Overall emissions in Hennepin County are dominated by on-road and non-road, mobile and nonpoint sources, and these sources drive the cancer and non-cancer risks to health in Minneapolis,” Lansing said.
Hennepin County defines zero waste as preventing 90% or more of all discarded materials from being landfilled or incinerated.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
The snow is really coming down in some places with Maple Lake getting 3.5″ so far.
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — The wettest Halloween storm ever — is making mischief before little trick-or-treaters hit their neighborhood’s slushy streets.
Officials are reporting several power outages and car spin-outs.
There have been over 14,000 power outages, according to Xcel Energy.
The Minnesota State Patrol has responded to 169 crashes and 94 vehicles off the road, as of 2. pm. Thursday.
Meteorologist Beny Dery said an additional 1 to 2″ of snow is possible before things taper off this evening.
So far some of the totals around town are: 3.5″ Maple Lake, 3.0″ Buffalo, 2.5″ Dassel, 2.4″ Windom, 2.0″ St. Bonifacious, 1.5″ Maple Plain and 1.5″ in Bethel.
The snow is expected to let up from west to east and should wrap up for the metro between 5 to 6 p.m.
Last week, prosecutors charged John Sawchak with attempted 2nd-degree murder and other felony charges after he allegedly shot his neighbor Davis Moturi.
MINNEAPOLIS — Following the shooting between two neighbors, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to request that the city’s auditor conduct an independent investigation into the incidents and cases between Davis Moturi and John Sawchak.
Moturi was allegedly shot by his neighbor, Sawchak, on Wednesday, Oct. 23 but Minneapolis police did not arrest Sawchak until days later.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara defended not arresting Sawchak sooner, calling it a “high-risk” situation. O’Hara later said the victim, who had complained about harassment from Sawchak for months, was failed by police. Sawchak was arrested this past weekend after an hours-long standoff.
Moturi suffered a fractured spine, two broken ribs, and a concussion in the shooting. “Mr. Moturi’s life matters and I’m sorry that for nearly a year, MPD did not treat it like it did,” said Council Member Robin Wonsley in a news release, “Today’s vote affirms that the City Council is committed to taking meaningful actions towards accountability and restoration, starting with this independent review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey released this statement:
“Mayor Frey fully supports an independent review of this incident. The mayor and City are committed to always doing better, and this means closely examining past actions and finding where there may be ways to improve and grow. The mayor extends his condolences to Davis Moturi, his wife, Caroline, and their family and friends. The safety of our residents is a top priority and any form of violence or hate speech is completely unacceptable and does not align with who we are as a community. Brian O’Hara will continue to be the Minneapolis Police Chief.”
