Minnesota Twins Daily Clips Thursday, January 7, 2016

 Twins hope Park follows in Kang's footsteps. MLB.com (Bollinger) p. 1  Twins' time to shine on HOF ballot on its way. MLB.com (Beck) p. 2  Wetmore: Re-signing means Royals on paper look better than Twins. ESPN 1500 (Wetmore) p. 2  Picks to click: Breakout hitters for 2016. ESPN (Kahrl) p. 3  Twins’ Park aims to boost ‘Korean pride’ while abroad. Korea Joongang Daily (Kyung-don) p. 5  Park hopes Korean fans will start the day watching his game. Korea Times (Byung-yeul) p. 6  Park Byung-ho Makes ESPN Breakout Hitters List. The Chosun Ilbo p. 7  With launch of hip-hop station, Pohlad says Go Media 'all-in' on millennials. Minnesota Post (Lambert) p. 7

Twins hope Park follows in Kang's footsteps

Rhett Bollinger | MLB.com | January 6, 2016

When Twins manager Paul Molitor saw Pirates shortstop Jung Ho Kang in , he saw a hitter who was still adjusting to a new league after his time in the Korean Organization.

But when the Twins played the Pirates in late May and late July, Kang looked like a different player, as he hit .474 with two homers and three RBIs in four games against Minnesota. So Molitor is hoping for a similar transition for Byung Ho Park, who was signed by the Twins this offseason to a four-year deal worth $12 million after they submitted the winning bid to Nexen for $12.85 million.

"When I saw [Kang] last spring, he looked like he was fairly beatable as a hitter, but when we saw him in the summer, he had done what he needed to do to put together productive, competitive at-bats," Molitor said. "So I don't know how those two will relate over time, but I think there has to be some type of comparison there."

Park and Kang were teammates with Nexen from 2011-14, and both were coming off huge seasons before heading to the Majors. Park hit .343/.436/.714 with 53 homers, 35 doubles and 146 RBIs in 140 games in 2015, while Kang hit .356/.459/.739 with 40 homers, 36 doubles and 117 RBIs in 117 games in '14.

Kang went on to hit .287/.355/.461 with 15 homers, 24 doubles and 58 RBIs in 126 games as a rookie with Pittsburgh last season en route to finishing third in the balloting for National League Rookie of the Year. Kang, though, started slow, posting a .732 OPS in the first half before turning it on the second half with a .913 OPS.

So the Twins are willing to be patient with Park, as they know he'll be adjusting to plenty in the United States, both on and off the field.

"I could be wrong, but I expect there to be a little bit of a transition period," Molitor said. "I think that our scouts understand bat speed, eye-to-hand coordination, pitch recognition abilities, even if velocities and breaking pitches are not Major League quality. But that takes a while to make that adjustment, just like a guy coming up from Double-A or -A."

Molitor said his coaching staff will monitor Park throughout Spring Training to see how ready he is for the Majors. He's hopeful Park will be able to be the designated hitter on Opening Day, but admitted it's hard to predict how he'll handle the move to the Majors.

"It will be important to make sure that we stay in his ear this spring about not worrying about any frustration with whatever adjustment period he has to go through," Molitor said. "I think we are going to need to be patient with him. If he's ready to go as an everyday guy come Opening Day, that would be fantastic, and if he needs a little time to kind of pick matchups a little bit more favorable and those type of things until we get him going, that's fine."

Twins' time to shine on HOF ballot on its way

Jason Beck | MLB.com | January 6, 2016

The Twins didn't exactly have a lot of suspense going in this year's Hall of Fame results. Luis Castillo, who played two of his 15 Major League seasons in Minnesota, did not receive a vote in his only year on the ballot.

The time for Twins greats is coming. It won't be right away.

Former Twins infielder Orlando Cabrera jumps onto the ballot next year, and Jim Thome -- who hit 37 of his 612 career home runs in a Twins uniform over two seasons -- becomes eligible for election two years from now. Newly retired , who began and ended his illustrious career in Minnesota as one of the most popular players in franchise history, has a five-year wait before he becomes eligible.

They'll be among the most memorable figures from the Twins' near decade-long reign of contention in the American Leauge Central to be considered for Cooperstown. But they'll have to wait their turn.

Castillo, too, was part of that reign, albeit briefly. The Dominican-born speedster was a big acquisition for Minnesota when he was traded to the Twins before the 2006 season. His 25 stolen bases led the team that year, and his 173 hits trailed only Justin Morneau and . He batted .337 over his final 48 games that season, playing a major role as the sparkplug in the Twins' season-ending charge to take the division title. On a Hall of Fame ballot crowded with more highly regarded candidates than many writers had slots to fit them, Castillo didn't stand a chance.

Wetmore: Re-signing Alex Gordon means Royals on paper look better than Twins

Derek Wetmore | ESPN 1500 | January 6, 2016

The Kansas City Royals on Wednesday secured star outfielder Alex Gordon to a four-year contract, and in doing so, solidified their spot as the toast of the American League Central.

They lost Johnny Cueto (Giants) and Ben Zobrist (Cubs) this winter, but retaining Gordon means they’ll still have the core of their World Series team back this year. And keep in mind, they only received about eight weeks of regular-season production from those two players in 2015, and won 95 games all the same.

The Gordon signing means the Twins and the rest of the AL Central will be back to playing catch-up.

Yes, we could debate about how good of a player Alex Gordon will be in four years, when his reported four-year, $72 million deal reaches its conclusion, but he’s good right now. Across the past five seasons, Gordon has hit .281/.359/.450, with 89 home runs and 362 RBIs. He’s a real weapon in Kansas City’s lineup, especially considering the fact that he’s seen by many as the premier defense left fielder in all of baseball.

And sure, Kansas City could still use some help in their starting rotation, but it’s not as if the gap was narrow between the Royals and the next-best AL Central team, the Twins. K.C. was a full 12 wins better in the standings and outperformed the second-place Twins by 87 runs in run differential.

Just look at the head-to-head comparison by position group. On paper, anyway, the Twins still have some ground to make up. The following groupings aren’t my roster projections (the first edition will come out later this month). They’re simply based on the current depth charts on each team’s website.

Infielders:

Royals: Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar, Christian Colon, Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez

Twins: , Eduardo Escobar, Brian Dozier, Joe Mauer, Kurt Suzuki or John Ryan Murphy

Advantage: Royals 2

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DH:

Royals: Kendrys Morales

Twins: Byung Ho Park

Advantage: Probably Royals

Park very well could outperform Morales in 2016, but I’m leaning more conservatively toward the known commodity, freely admitting that I don’t have enough information on Park to make a fair head-to-head comparison. —

Pitching: Between the two starting staffs, I’m tempted to give the nod to the Twins because they have more mid-rotation and top-end arms, but the Royals still have a potentially great bullpen even without Greg Holland and Ryan Madson. —

Outfield:

Royals: , , Alex Gordon

Twins: Byron Buxton (or Danny Santana or other), Miguel Sano and

Advantage: Royals.

In a few years, once we see Buxton’s abilities in the Majors and we know whether or not Sano can play in the outfield, this grouping might heavily favor the Twins. For now, Gordon and Cain are stars and give the advantage to the Royals.

And don’t forget about the White Sox, Tigers and Indians, either. Who’s to say they won’t improve upon their 2015 win total?

The point here is that for 2016, the Twins will need plenty of things to go their way to make up the 12-win gap to catch the Royals.

Picks to click: Breakout hitters for 2016

Christina Kahrl | ESPN | January 5, 2016

As far as picks to click in 2016, we did the pitchers over the weekend, so now let's take a look at the hitters. Much like the pitchers, last year’s hitters picks to click involved some big hits -- thank you, , Eric Hosmer and Xander Bogaerts -- and perhaps let's not dwell on how things didn't work out so well with Oswaldo Arcia and Michael Saunders. Keeping in mind that we'll have no carry-overs or repeats from last year, who have I got this year?

1. Miguel Sano, : .916 career OPS | 2016 Bill James .905, Steamer .848

Sano is just a half-season into his big league career, but he made an immediate impression last year while coming back from a 2014 season lost to an elbow injury. After belting 15 homers in Double-A to earn a promotion, Sano hit 18 homers to help keep the Twins in the American League wild-card hunt down the stretch. So that's already a big splash from a player who has populated top 10 prospects lists for several years, but it prefigured even more to come. How much more? I'm tabbing Sano as the top breakout hitter in baseball because he'll be just 23 years old in 2016 and already has a shot at winning the AL crown.

How good is that shot? Even Steamer's comparatively conservative projection puts Sano at 34 homers, with leading the way with 37 blasts. Taking it up a notch, Bill James' projection for Baseball Info Solutions pegs him at 37, behind Trout and Jose Bautista with 39 apiece, and Chris Davis with 40 if he's a member of the Baltimore Orioles. But Davis isn't an Oriole (yet), Bautista is headed into his age-35 season and has had a number of injury- marred seasons, and Trout might get pitched around a lot in a thin Los Angeles Angels lineup.

So, while the 2014 injury delayed his arrival, Sano is just beginning to come into his own. He won't just be the centerpiece in a much-improved Twins lineup, he'll be an instant MVP candidate. And if I'm going to pick anybody to win the American League home run crown in 2016, I'm picking Sano, here and now. 3

2. Jorge Soler, Chicago Cubs: .758 career OPS | 2016 James .837, Steamer .764

A year ago, Soler was a Cuban import pegged for a huge rookie season after slugging .700 in the minors in 2014. But his 2015 season ended up being a disappointment because he never really got on track, first losing a month midyear to a sprained ankle, then most of a second month down the stretch to a strained oblique that threatened to end his season. But Soler followed that up with a torrid October, tearing up the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets and reminding everyone why the Cubs paid $30 million for him in the first place. The Cubs obviously recognize what they have, keeping him in the face of ubiquitous offseason speculation that he'd be dealt, and should reap the benefits of that commitment in the next five seasons. Sixty extra-base hits and a .500 should both be in reach, starting now.

3. Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves: .832 career OPS | 2016 James .862, Steamer .854

Looking at just OPS, I'm sure that the numbers don't seem very much like a breakout, especially since Freeman looks like a fairly well-known quantity at this point of his career. Nevertheless, 2016 will be a big year for Freeman. He's seen his OPS slip in consecutive seasons after his huge 2013 campaign (.897 OPS), but he managed a .195 isolated slugging rate -- almost a career high -- last year despite losing time (and power) to persistent wrist problems, in addition to losing time to an oblique strain. If he was capable of nearly showing off career-best slugging despite a power-sapping wrist injury, what do you think he's capable of when he's healthy? Freeman is only going to be 26 years old in 2016, in the prime of his career. Expect career highs in the power department on top of his exceptional plate coverage; a bad Braves team might limit him to down-ballot consideration in the National League MVP vote.

4. , San Diego Padres: .734 career OPS | 2016 James .825, Steamer .761

We've been waiting on Myers to finally bust out for a while, what with his staggered arrival in 2013 before winning AL Rookie of the Year with the Tampa Bay Rays, and then losing big chunks of both of the past two seasons with wrist problems, breaking his right wrist in an outfield collision in 2014, then needing mid-season surgery on his left wrist to remove a bone spur. As noted before with Freeman, wrist injuries can be devastating for power hitters, but 2016 should be Myers' chance to finally put up a healthy season for the first time since that Rookie of the Year campaign and tap into the power that made him a top-tier prospect. Given that opportunity and a chance to settle in at first base, he'll finally deliver the first of a few 30-homer seasons.

5. Maikel Franco, Philadelphia Phillies: .773 career OPS | 2016 James .794, Steamer .778

Speaking of interrupted introductions, Franco gave the Phillies a half-season taste of what they'll be getting from the hot corner for years to come, slugging .497 in 80 games after getting his own service time-minded call-up in late May, and then losing a month to a wrist injury, but he's already showing that he's fine during winter ball in the Dominican. Healthy, Franco will rip 60 extra-base hits and give Phillies fans something to cheer about beyond getting to see Aaron Nola pitch every five days or so.

6. Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants: .783 career OPS | 2016 James .749, Steamer .717

I looked in the aggregate, and the projection systems are pegging Panik to lose ground. So what's he doing here? Because Matt Duffy wasn't the only Giants infielder showing an unexpected power spike last year, putting up .143 isolated slugging and eight homers in just 100 games before his season-ending back injury. I'm willing to argue that, like Duffy, Panik also achieved a new level of performance: He boosted his walk rate as well as his power, cut his , and provided top-notch defense at second base. That's a guy you want more of and in 2016, the Giants should get it, blowing those projections away as he joins Duffy and Brandon Crawford in an infield populated by reliably improving yet surprisingly underrated homegrown products.

7. Randal Grichuk, St. Louis Cardinals: .827 career OPS | 2016 James .790, Steamer .741

This is more of a counting stats pick, because Grichuk broke out last year in a part-time role with the Cardinals, ripping 47 extra-base hits in just 103 games. That wasn't growth so much as a reminder that sometimes talents have the tools to succeed, even if getting on base consistently isn't one of their skills. Grichuk might struggle to get his OBP far beyond .300, but with full-time play, he should be good for up to 30 home runs plus Gold-Glove-worthy defense to help keep him in the lineup. Put all of that together and you've got a really good win-now player on one of the game's perennial win-now franchises.

8. Domingo Santana, Milwaukee Brewers: .702 career OPS | 2016 James .821, Steamer .760

A big part of the payoff in last summer's trade that put current center field star Carlos Gomez in Houston, Santana might be stretched defensively in center field, but he may be as ready as he'll ever be right now. Even allowing for the PCL's hitter-friendly ballparks, you're talking about a guy with a .921 OPS in almost a thousand at-bats at Triple-A -- and that was all as a 21- and 22-year-old. There are question marks to erase because there's still a lot of swing-and- miss in his swing (especially against off-speed and breaking stuff), and his combination of size (standing 6-foot-5) and a plus throwing arm ultimately profiles as a better fit in right field than center. But somebody has to play between Ryan Braun and Khris Davis. The Brewers aren't going anywhere in the meantime,

4 and Miller Park is one of the friendliest parks to right-handed power hitters. Having already expended his rookie eligibility, Santana will be an eminently playable sophomore, with the upside possibility of a 20-homer season from a man up the middle.

9. Jarrod Dyson, Kansas City Royals: .664 career OPS | 2016 James .650, Steamer .640

Dyson is no spring chicken, having already turned 31, but it looks like the Royals are finally going to give him a shot at a full-time role. Unlike most everyone else on this list, that won't lead to breakout power or big-time counting stats in almost every department, but his glove alone might be worth two wins and his baserunning might net him a stolen-base crown with 50 or more bags. And if any team is willing to challenge convention and let him try, even starting from a traditionally offense-oriented lineup slot like left field, it's probably the Royals.

10. Byung Ho Park, Twins: .951 career OPS in Korea

OK, I know, I'm breaking my own rule on not picking rookies for this. And Park had not yet come stateside from the Nexen Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization, so you won't find a projection for him in this year's Bill James Handbook. But after seeing what Jung Ho Kang did with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year (delivering an .816 OPS), it's hard not to expect similarly big things from a guy who hit 52 and 53 homers in the past two years respectively for Nexen. When I asked ESPN Insider's Dan Szymborski for a peek at what ZiPS might project, an OPS around .800 and 27 home runs was on the table, which is well worth talking about here. Between Park and Byron Buxton, the Twins should have a tandem with the talent between them to take home the AL's Rookie of the Year award in 2016.

Additional power picks: A healthy Mark Trumbo should be good for 30 home runs in Baltimore. Brett Lawrie does an exceptional job putting balls in the air and into the seats in left field. Now that he has a great target in the Cell's short porch, he'll never have a better opportunity to put up his first 20-homer season than in his first year with the Chicago White Sox.

Twins’ Park aims to boost ‘Korean pride’ while abroad

Joo Kyung-don | Korea Joongang Daily | January 7, 2016

Newly minted Minnesota Twins player Park Byung-ho said he expects strong competition from other Korean players in (MLB) and hopes they can work together to boost Korean pride in the United States.

Park, 29, signed a four-year deal worth $12 million with the Twins last month. He held a press conference in Seoul on Thursday before going to the United States next week for spring training.

The Twins start their MLB season on April 5 (Korean time) against the Baltimore Orioles, which were recently joined by Korean outfielder Kim Hyun-soo. The 27-year-old outfielder signed a two-year contract worth $7 million with the Orioles last month after becoming a free agent from the Korean Series champion Doosan Bears.

“I felt good when I heard about the season opener and meeting with Kim Hyun-soo. I’m happy that we can play together with Korean pride. If my team asks about Kim’s weaknesses, I’ll answer that he has none,” Park said, laughing.

Park and Kim join existing Korean major leaguers - Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Choo Shin-soo of the Texas Rangers and Kang Jung-ho of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Among them, Park, Kim and Choo are to meet frequently during the season, as their teams are in the American League.

Park, who is expected to play as a designated hitter for the Twins, said that he hopes their performance in the MLB could energize the Korean people and motivate other Korean players to aim for the big leagues.

“In Korea, since the major league games will be broadcast in the morning, I believe many people will watch the games,” he said. “Just like I began my day when I was a kid by watching Park Chan-ho’s games in the morning, Korean players and I will try to perform well so that our Korean fans can start their days nicely.”

Park, who made his pro debut with the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2005, said that there isn’t a specific MLB team he wants to face, but he did mention the Los Angeles Dodgers’ CY Young Award-winning left-hander Clayton Kershaw.

“I had a lot of questions about Kershaw for Kang after he got a hit from him,” Park said. “Although I won’t face Kershaw [since he is in the National League], I want to see his pitches.”

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Park’s former teammate Kang earned the nickname “King Kang” with the Pirates after his impressive rookie year performance. Park, who topped in home runs and RBIs in the KBO for the last four years, said he wants to be called “Park Bang,” a nickname which Korean fans have given him for his powerful batting.

The three-time KBO Golden Glove winner hinted that he may want to come back to the KBO before he retires to wrap up his career.

“If I am satisfied with my performance and have good results in the United States, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to return to Korea and wrap up my career,” he said. “Of course, the team that I’d join once I return is the Nexen Heroes.”

Park hopes Korean fans will start the day watching his game

Baek Byung-yeul | Korea Times | January 7, 2016

New Minnesota Twins player Park Byung-ho hopes Korean fans can start a day watching him play in the United States during this upcoming season.

At a press conference, announcing his contract with the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Thursday, Park made a firm resolution to do his best as a rookie baseballer.

"In the past, many Koreans started their day with watching Park Chan-ho throwing in the big league. Like him, I will also do my best for Korean fans to start a good day with watching Korean major leaguers playing," Park told reporters at the Grand Hilton Seoul hotel, adding that most MLB games are available via Korean TV channels in the morning time due to the time difference.

The Korean slugger signed a four-year, $12 million contract with the Twins last month. Following his former teammate Kang Jung-ho who made a four year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates early last year, the 29-year-old became the second Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) position player to sign a MLB contract through posting.

This was Park's first official meeting with the Korean media. After taking part in the Premier 12 baseball tourney in November last year, Park visited the U.S. to finalize his contract. He had a press meeting with the U.S. media at the Target Field, a home park for the Twins, on Dec. 3.

"This is Park Byung-ho who joined the Minnesota Twins," Park said, "every staff member of the Twins welcomed me and promised me to help me to get adjust to the club as soon as possible."

"Some of staff members called me ‘Park Bang' after searching my nickname in Korea. I don't feel special but I welcome them calling me out like that," he said.

Sharing his impression of the Target Field, Park said the size of the ball park is similar to that of the Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul.

"My first impression was that the Target Field was so beautiful. Though I haven't practiced there yet, the size of the ball park was very similar to the Jamsil," he said.

"When I visited Minneapolis, the weather was like in Seoul. The staff members asked me what the weather like in Minnesota. Though I don't really enjoy the cold weather, I will do my best to quickly adjust to the environment," he said.

Playing in the KBO for nine seasons, Park has established himself with his batting power, hitting 210 home runs. When he spent five seasons with the LG Twins of the KBO, he failed to live up to his immense power potential, earning only 24 home runs. But after being traded to the Nexen Heroes in 2011, he realized his full potential, hitting 185 homers.

Park pledged that he would also continue to display his batting power in the big leagues.

"My biggest mission in the MLB is to display what I have inside as much as possible. As I know the Twins has high expectations for me, I also want to come up their expectations. I will do my best to become a power hitter," he said.

Park also introduced what his former teammate Kang Jung-ho advised him after the contract. "Kang advised me not to try to change my batting form, adding my body will respond automatically after a month."

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A total of five Korean players have joined the MLB ― the Texas Rangers outfielder Choo Shin-soo; the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin; the Pirates infielder Kang; and the Baltimore Orioles outfielder Kim Hyun-soo, another latest Korean major leaguer who finalized a two-year, S7 million contract with the Orioles last month.

Especially, Park and Kim are attracting keen attention among Koreans as their teams are scheduled to have an opening match on April 4. To the question what if his teammates ask about Kim's weakness, Park answered "I would like say he doesn't have any weak point."

Park Byung-ho Makes ESPN Breakout Hitters List

The Chosun Ilbo | January 7, 2016

Park Byung-ho was ranked 10th in the list of "breakout hitters for 2016" by ESPN on Tuesday.

Park, who will make his Major League debut for the Minnesota Twins this year, was the only rookie to make the top 10 list.

"After seeing what [Kang Jung-ho] did with the Pittsburgh Pirates last year (delivering an .816 OPS), it's hard not to expect similarly big things from a guy who hit 52 and 53 homers in the past two years respectively for Nexen," ESPN said. "Between Park and Byron Buxton, the Twins should have a tandem with the talent between them to take home the AL's Rookie of the Year award in 2016."

Miguel Sano of the Minnesota Twins ranked top on the list.

With launch of hip-hop station, Pohlad says Go Media 'all-in' on millennials

Brian Lambert | Minnesota Post | January 7, 2016

A conversation with Joe Pohlad, CEO of Go Media, pretty much always cuts to the bottom line: “We’re all about millennials.”

While news that Pohlad’s company was launching an all hip-­hop music format on it's new station, Go 95.3 FM, may have been met with a collective shrug among those of you who are, shall we say, of the pre-­Kendrick Lamar era, there was palpable excitement among a, uh, younger demographic.

To read some of the coverage, though, you’d think Minneapolis­-St.Paul was some kind of hip-hop-less black hole, despite the presence of two other stations, The Vibe 105, owned by Cumulus Media, a major radio player, and “Hot 102.5” owned by iHeartMedia (formerly Clear Channel, but still controlled by the Mitt Romney-founded Bain Capital, because nothing says hip­-hop like Mitt Romney).

Moreover, the Pohlads have been in the hip-­hop game before, with sister station GO 96.3 (back when it was known as B96), but abandoned it for programming thought to be better suited to match the Twins games that tend to dominate their schedule six months of the year.

With all that, my questions for Pohlad were these:

Given the abundant personal technology obsessively manipulated by so many millennials, what convinced him that there was sufficient revenue stream from the demographic to sustain the format and balance the books on their $8 million investment in the 95.3 signal, which they bought from Praise Broadcasting, a local religious group?

And, what if any other formats did they consider? Specifically, since no other player in the Twin Cities market has bothered to challenge Minnesota Public Radio for older, up­scale adults’ attention and dollars, why not take a shot at a news-talk format that might peel away some of that audience?

After all, last summer the Pohlad’s bought Rick Kupchella’s Bring Me the News. It isn’t hard to imagine a highly-­localized hybrid of news matched with a broad, eclectic spectrum of talk that isn’t another “low­-sloping forehead” (™ David Carr) hyper-­partisan political rant channel, but that brings a few notes of levity and impertinence that MPR tends to avoid like cardinal sins.

“We did look at a lot of other formats,” said Pohlad. “But our mission, our plan, is and has been to provide a service to millennials. After looking at all the options, that was the group we decided to continue to target. And target with the content they want in the forms they want, which we’re doing with now with both Go 96 and Go 95.”

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Pohlad’s basic pitch is that “no one else is playing these two formats,” meaning, again, alternative pop and hip­-hop. The parsing there is that The Vibe and Hot 102 are dedicated to “old-school” hip-­hop not the newer and more local stuff Go 95.3 will be playing; and that Go 96’s alternative format is, well, not the same as MPR’s The Current.

“Basically we’re trying to be all-in on millennials,” he said. “Yes, Spotify and Apple Music are out there, and we know our audience is using them. But we believe we’ll draw them to us by offering services that they can’t, namely a local connection.”

To that end, he said, the Bring Me the News component will undergo some more “tweaking” to satisfy the millennial appetite for news and information, which one hopes is something more intellectually fulfilling than, “How to Make My Butt Look Better in These Jeans.”

So, okay, Pohlad believes there’s enough millennial appetite (i.e. enough millennials still listening to terrestrial radio) to support his investment in another hip­-hop station. But what about taking a shot at MPR’s far better-­heeled crowd? “Well, like I say, we looked at a lot of other formats, but our focus is millennials. A format like you’re talking about is interesting and, frankly, could still be an opportunity. But for us, hip-hop is a better match with Go 96 and the Twins. We truly believe there is a good revenue opportunity with hip-hop.”

In the coverage greeting the arrival of Go 95.3, there seemed to be a suggestion that there would be separate set of station-­promoted concerts for its new hip-­hop brand. “I don’t know where they got that,” says Pohlad, who says he is more interested in a larger summer fest, another Go Fest — likely at Target Field again — blending both alternative and hip hop.

MPR is very tight-­lipped about the financial performance of its events, but a persistent rumor is that last year’s Rock the Garden bash, put on by The Current and the Walker Art Center, did not meet the station’s expectations, money­wise. This couples with complaints from millennials that I know that there simply wasn’t enough star power in the line­up to warrant the trek and ticket price.

If the presence of a hot, big name act is what’s missing, people tend to say: “Hey, the Pohlads have dough, why don’t they pop for a major act?”

“Well,” Pohlad laughs, “I hear that. But this is still a business, where you set a budget and you go about hitting that budget. There’s a lot of competition for summer festivals. But we’re happy with Go Fest. We think it’ll be better than ever next summer.”

Which I guess is a way of saying: “Don’t expect Kendrick Lamar.”

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