Twins remove statue of former owner due to racist remarks

The Minnesota Twins have announced they have removed the statue of former team owner Calvin Griffith from outside of Target Field due to racist comments he made.

"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," the team said in a statement. "His disparaging words displayed a blatant intolerance and disregard for the Black community that are the antithesis of what the Minnesota Twins stand for and value."

While speaking at a Lions Club dinner in Waseca, Minnesota in 1978, Griffith made several shockingly racist remarks about the team's players and the Twins' reason for being in Minnesota.

"I'll tell you why we came to Minnesota," Griffith said. "It was when we found out you only had 15,000 blacks here. Black people don't go to ballgames, but they'll fill up a rassling ring and put up such a chant it'll scare you to death. We came here because you've got good, hardworking white people here."

The Twins' decision comes in the wake of nationwide protests of racial inequality that were sparked by the death of George Floyd.

"Our decision to memorialize Calvin Griffith with a statue reflects an ignorance on our part of systemic racism present in 1978, 2010 and today. We apologize for our failure to adequately recognize how the statue was viewed and the pain it caused for many people — both inside the Twins organization and across Twins Territory. We cannot remove Calvin Griffith from the history of the Minnesota Twins, but we believe removal of this statue is an important and necessary step in our ongoing commitment to provide a Target Field experience where every fan and employee feels safe and welcome. Past, present or future, there is no place for racism, inequality and injustice in Twins Territory."