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.

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.

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.”