News
Twins, Best Buy partner for Target Field
Minnesota-based firm is third of club's founding partners
As part of the partnership, Best Buy will provide 600 televisions for Target Field. (Wayne Kryduba)
By Tyler Mason / MLB.com
09/29/09 4:14 PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS -- One of Minnesota's largest companies will now become one of the largest sponsors of the new Target Field. The Minnesota Twins on Tuesday announced a seven-year partnership with Best Buy, one of the founding partners of the Twins' new ballpark. "The Twins are proud of our continuing partnership with Best Buy and we're excited they will be joining us as we make our move into Target Field," said Eric Curry, Twins vice president of corporate partnerships. "It's a brand I admire enormously," Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn said of the Twins. "I admire the quality the Twins brand stands for. I admire the experience for the fans that the Twins brand represents. And I admire the great effort that organization puts out year over year in putting together teams that we can be really proud to get behind." As part of the partnership, the Twins will purchase over 600 TVs from Best Buy, which will be used throughout Target Field. Twins president Dave St. Peter said those TVs will do much more than just broadcast what's happening on the field. "They're certainly going to be aimed at keeping fans informed even when perhaps they may be away from the action, in the concourse or one of the clubs or what have you," St. Peter said. "Certainly, there will be a variety of different things that we're going to use the TVs to convey to fans. It won't be exclusively game action." Throughout the ballpark, Best Buy will also have numerous "fan experience" areas, which will allow the company to showcase different products and technologies. Best Buy becomes the third founding partner of Target Field, joining U.S. Bank and Treasure Island Resort and Casino -- all three of which are Minnesota-based. That connection between the Twins and local companies is something St. Peter said his organization takes great pride in. "Over time, we've worked hard to build strong, deep relationships with Minnesota legacy companies," St. Peter said. "Certainly, near the top of that list, Best Buy fits within that realm. They've been doing business here for a long, long time. Former Twins Ron Coomer, Corey Koskie and Terry Steinbach, along with mascot T.C. Bear, joined Curry and St. Peter at the Best Buy headquarters and presented Dunn with a custom Twins No. 10 jersey, signifying the opening of Target Field next year in April 2010. Or, as St. Peter more specifically put it, "in just about 197 days, two hours and 15 minutes, but who's counting?" "We couldn't be more pleased to be working with folks who not only understand the Twins' value," St. Peter said, "but, frankly, cheer for the Twins every day and live and die on every pitch just like the rest of us." That was evident during Tuesday's announcement, which happened to fall during the first game of the Twins' doubleheader with the Tigers, leading several Best Buy employees in attendance to check their phones for score updates. "I'm sure they'd rather be glued to a television set right now, as I would be," Dunn said of the Twins employees on hand to his Best Buy staffers. "Wouldn't you? Seems like a bit of a no-brainer."Tyler Mason is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
