Carl Pohlad always knew what his baseball team was up to -- "We never made a transaction involving our 25-man roster without running it by him," former general manager Terry Ryan said -- but he never meddled in player decisions, suggested trades or pushed for lineup changes.
That's the model that Pohlad's oldest son, Jim, intends to follow now that he's in charge of the Twins. "Just like his father, Jim has said he wants the focus to be on putting a team on the field that is competitive, and doing so in a fiscally responsible way," Twins president Dave St. Peter said.
The team's emphasis on scouting and building through the farm system isn't likely to change, he added.
In fact, the change from Carl Pohlad, who died Jan. 5 at the age of 93, to his 55-year-old son will be subtle, probably even imperceptible, to fans of the team that the billionaire businessman bought in 1984.
Jim Pohlad, oldest of three brothers, has been working by his father's side for more than a decade and took on greater responsibility in the team's day-to-day operations as his father's heath declined the last two years.
"We work together. We keep him informed, so he's aware of everything that's going on," said Bill Smith, who succeeded Ryan as Twins' general manager a year ago. "He's much like his father -- they don't micromanage any of their businesses."
Jim Pohlad has been closely monitoring the progress of Target Field, which will open in 2010, and sat in on the team's offseason meetings in November. But he prefers to remain behind the scenes.
"He makes the ultimate call on a lot of issues," St. Peter said. "But he certainly doesn't seek out the limelight. He's even chosen not to have a title."
