A year after doing a near-total overhaul of their roster, and obsessing for four months over a Johan Santana trade, the Twins enter the offseason with far less work to do on a team that nearly won the AL Central. 

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 

--SS Nick Punto's grandparents are from Italy, which makes him eligible to play for its national team in the World Baseball Classic. 

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 

--SS Nick Punto's grandparents are from Italy, which makes him eligible to play for its national team in the World Baseball Classic. 

from Negro Leagues Baseball Museum 

Carl Pohlad made thousands of shrewd decisions during a career that earned him vast wealth. 

I was absolutely dumbfounded when I read Tom Powers' column about Carl Pohlad ("Twins owner put dealmaking ahead of just about everything," Jan. 

Carl Pohlad rose to the pinnacle of the business world, earning billions and gaining a measure of fame as owner of the Minnesota Twins. 

--1B Justin Morneau became only the third baseball player to be selected Canadian Athlete of the Year when the nation's sports writers and broadcasters' voting was announced Dec. 

A year after doing a near-total overhaul of their roster, and obsessing for four months over a Johan Santana trade, the Twins enter the offseason with far less work to do on a team that nearly won the AL Central. 

--1B Justin Morneau became only the third baseball player to be selected Canadian Athlete of the Year when the nation's sports writers and broadcasters' voting was announced Dec. 

A year after doing a near-total overhaul of their roster, and obsessing for four months over a Johan Santana trade, the Twins enter the offseason with far less work to do on a team that nearly won the AL Central. 

He's a catcher, so Joe Mauer has learned to live with lingering aches and pains. 

He's a catcher, so Joe Mauer has learned to live with lingering aches and pains.