ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Twins announced Friday morning that they will remove the statue of former owner Calvin Griffith from their home stadium due to racist statements.
Griffith owned the team from 1955-1984, and is responsible for bringing the Washington Senators to Minnesota in 1961, creating the Twins.
Target Field opened with the statue in place in 2010, as the Twins celebrated their 50th season. The team said in a press release that they wished to pay tribute to moments in Twins' history, including the former owner.
The press release reads, in part:
"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. 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.
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.”
Rod Carew, who played with the Twins in the 1960s and '70s under Griffith, says that while the comments made in Waseca in 1978 were irresponsible, wrong and hurtful, he didn't think Griffith was a racist.
Carew said he couldn't apologize for what was said in 1978, and that at the time he remembers being angry and disappointed. But he says 40 years later, he looks back on his relationship with Griffith with additional context and perspective.
"In my view, Calvin made a horrible mistake while giving that speech in 1978. I have no idea what happened that day, but who among us has not made a mistake? I know Calvin paid a heavy price for those comments and I believe his thoughts on race evolved over time," Carew wrote in a statement.
