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Posted November 27, 2006
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Twins President
Started at Bottom
Four years ago this week
Dave St. Peter,
then age 35, was named president of the Minnesota Twins. In 17 years
with the organization he has advanced from intern to president and
helped steer the franchise through difficult times while winning
division championships and seeing the dream of a new stadium become
reality.
Not bad for a guy from Bismarck, North Dakota
who doesn’t turn 40 until January, majored in public relations in
college and never aspired to be president of a major league baseball
team (most baseball presidents have backgrounds in business, law or
finance). His “dream job” was to become the sports information director
at a college.
Instead of being on a
college campus, St. Peter works about 365 days a year for the Twins
overseeing strategic business planning and various departments including
ticket sales, marketing, broadcasting, stadium operations and finance.
Twice during the last four years the Twins have been honored as the
Organization of the Year by Baseball America. The Atlanta Sports Council
recognized the Twins as the Professional
Sports Organization of the Year in 2002. St. Peter has been included on
lists of who’s who among leaders under 40 years old.
In the late 1980s he landed an internship
with the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL. From there he accepted an
internship with the Twins. While still an intern he was presented a
challenge and opportunity by the Twins. Although he aspired to work for
the team in public relations, he was offered a job managing the Twins’
retail store at the Hub Shopping Center in Richfield.
St. Peter describes his willingness to accept
the position as the “best decision” he ever made. He went to the Hub
with the attitude of showing the organization he deserved a public
relations position in the team’s Metrodome offices. Directing a retail
operation provided valuable experience in management, staffing and
customer relations.
The retail experience
advanced his career with the Twins, earning his way into a public
relations position. St. Peter said the organization’s willingness to
promote from within has contributed to his advancement over the years,
too.
“When a front office person leaves, we have a
tendency not to go outside the organization. …and in some ways my
success with the Twins is all about that,” he said during a recent
interview with Sports Headliners.
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“When a front office person leaves, we have a
tendency not to go outside the organization. …and in some ways my
success with the Twins is all about that.”
Dave St. Peter
Photo Courtesy of Minnesota Twins
Dave St. Peter
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Twins Know
About ‘Crisis Du Jour’
In January 1999 St. Peter was named senior
vice president of business affairs and that was his introduction to
having the franchise’s “revenue side” report to him. The experience of
transitioning from public relations to a comprehensive business position
was challenging and a “learning opportunity,” but it was also a
troubling time for the franchise. The team was drawing about one
million fans per year, the player payroll was low and the team’s
campaign for a new stadium was going nowhere.
St. Peter credits difficult times with
helping shape his career and move up the organizational ladder. He
spoke about “crisis du jour” during the last 10 years. “We’ve had a lot
of great times but we’ve had some challenging times with the failed
stadium effort, with potential relocation of the franchise, with
obviously the contraction issue,” he said. “I think we all collectively
as an organization have bonded together. And I want to believe that we
have been able to provide strong leadership and kind of keep the ship
afloat from an operational perspective. I don’t think there is any
question that this has helped me as an individual grow, as an employee
and also as a leader. …”
You don’t talk to St. Peter without hearing
about people in the Twins organization. He praises the baseball and
business staffs, and acknowledges mentors
Jerry Bell
(former
president who promoted St. Peter in 1999) and former manager
Tom
Kelly who helped teach him what it takes “to be successful in
baseball.” They and others generously shared their wisdom and
expertise.
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Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins
Tom Kelly
St. Peter praises the baseball and
business staffs, and acknowledges mentors Jerry Bell and former manager Tom
Kelly who helped teach him what it takes “to be successful in
baseball.”
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Baseball Jobs
Demand Work Ethic
Colleagues and mentors,
a willingness to learn and take on new challenges and capitalize on the
organization’s policy to promote from within has fueled St. Peter’s rise
to becoming one of only 30 individuals who are presidents of major
league baseball teams, but so, too, is an extraordinary work ethic. His
enthusiasm to work virtually every day of the year, either at the dome,
his home or while traveling is not something he boasts about or even
says is unique among people in the baseball workforce. Baseball begins
on the field in spring training in February
and the season and playoffs last into October. People on the business
side of the game often log even longer hours in the off-season when
there is even more work to do than during the season.
“If you work in baseball, you better bring
work ethic,” St. Peter said. “Because if you don’t, you won’t last long.
This (baseball) is a monster. It’s not the country club of the NFL, or
even the world of the NBA or the NHL. That’s not to knock those
(organizations); it’s just that this is a much bigger commitment time
wise. I always tell young people if you are going
to get into baseball, you need to make sacrifices, and they kind of look
at me funny. And I have to describe to them what it means, but you do
have to spend time away from family, friends and things that you want to
do. …”
On request he speaks about his career to
individuals and to groups every year and has a frustration with the
sense of entitlement many young people have, a feeling they are owed a
rewarding and enjoyable job. “I don’t know if people are willing to go
out and run the Hub Pro Shop to get where they want to be, and that’s
what I preach to people,” St. Peter said. “You get to where you want to
be (but) you’re not going to come through the front door, or a side
door. It’s probably going to be the back door. You’re going to have to
keep your head down, keep working hard and have faith in your skills.” |
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Twins
Jerry Bell
“You get to where you
want to be (but) you’re not going to come through the front door, or a
side door."
Dave St. Peter
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Challenge to Balance Work
& Family
St. Peter and wife Joanie have three
young children. He struggles with balancing his life with the Twins and
family life. “That is my biggest challenge, is trying to maintain any
level of family balance. …We try to preach that around here but I am not
very good at practicing it.”
St. Peter approaches his work with humility
and a commitment that he represents Twins fans. According to St.
Peter’s view, the Twins aren’t his team, or owner Carl Pohlad’s.
“Millions of people consider the Twins their team,” he said. “I view it
(the franchise) as a public trust.”
Being president of the Twins is seen as a
privilege. “There are only 30 jobs as presidents of major league
teams,” St. Peter said. “There are millions of people who would trade
what they are doing to have a chance to do what I do and I never forget
that.”
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“That is my
biggest challenge, is trying to maintain any level of family balance.
…We try to preach that around here but I am not very good at practicing
it.”
Dave St. Peter
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