OUTTA THERE

Minnesota Twins Take Down Statute of Ex-Owner Over Racist Comment

In 1978, Calvin Griffith said he brought the team to the state because there were so few Black people.

The Minnesota Twins have removed the statue of ex-owner Calvin Griffith, who once infamously said he brought the team to the state because of its low Black population. “We came here because you’ve got good, hardworking, white people here,” Griffith told a Lions Club in 1978. In a statement Friday, the Twins said it was taking down the statue outside Target Field because “while we acknowledge the prominent role Calvin Griffith played in our history, we cannot remain silent and continue ignoring the racist comments he made in Waseca in 1978.” Griffith also disparaged Hall of Famer Rod Carew in the speech, but Carew said in a statement he long ago forgave Griffith and does not believe he was a racist.