Twins president Dave St. Peter told Sports Headliners via e-mail the Twins have sold about 2,000 new season tickets for 2007, already exceeding the number of new season tickets sold for the 2006 season. He predicts the Twins will sell over 10,000 season tickets, perhaps an increase of 2,500 over 2006. He expects a season ticket renewal rate of over 90% . St. Peter attributes increased interest to the team’s on-field performance and new ball park scheduled to open in 2010. (Season tickets are tickets purchased for the entire season, or partial season ticket packages combined together to count for season tickets).
TwinsFest will be January 26-28 at the Metrodome and “50 current, former and future players” will attend to meet the public, according to the Twins Web site. Although subject to change, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are among the players scheduled. TwinsFest will be the first opportunity for fans to purchase single game tickets. Tickets to the event can be purchased via the Twins web site. TwinsFest generates revenues for the Twins Community Fund.
A New York Times article predicts that former Twin Doug Mientkiewicz, recently signed to a one year contract with the Yankees, will play first base, allowing slugger Jason Giambi to become a designated hitter. Mientkiewicz, who played for the Red Sox, Mets and Royals since leaving the Twins, won a Gold Glove in 2001 with Minnesota. The Yankees are excited about what he can bring defensively to the team.
Coach Mo Forte, a former Gopher player and assistant coach whose Arkansas at Pine Bluff team competed against Tarvaris Jackson when Jackson was in college, thinks the Vikings future quarterback is “going to be good.” He described Jackson as a “tremendous athlete” who will benefit from more game experience, film work and coaching.
Sporting News speculates that if Southern California football coach Pete Carroll, a former Viking assistant coach, leaves for the NFL his replacement could be Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio, the former Southern Cal and Viking player.