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Rain and cool temperatures didn't keep several thousand Twins fans from gathering at the Metrodome to support the future of the team. At a rally coordinated by the grassroots organization Keep the Twins at Home, fans expressed support for Major League Baseball in the state.

	Former outfielder Tony Oliva told the crowd that he's surprised the Major League Baseball would consider cutting the Twins. Oliva said the upper Midwest has shown it supports quality baseball. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

Fans wore Twins hats and jackets and held up signs attacking Twins owner Carl Pohlad and Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig. Since baseball's owners announced two weeks ago that they would eliminate two teams before the start of next season, Twins fans, local business leaders and lawmakers have worked on a variety of strategies for keeping the team in the state.

Lawmakers have begun to revisit a five-year-old stadium issue, lawsuits have been filed and a petition drive has been started to urge baseball officials to keep the team in the state.

Fans ranging from 13-year-olds to senior citizens took turns at a microphone expressing support for the Twins, and shock that the team could be eliminated as early as next month.

Sally Mars said one of the reasons she chose to move to Minneapolis over other cities 15 years ago was because it had Major League Baseball. She has Twins season tickets and got married in the Metrodome.

"I ask you Mr. Pohlad, Mr. Selig, all you powerful men who have known the privilege and the responsibility of safeguarding and sponsoring one of America's great icons. One that's no less sacred than our national monuments or our treasured parks. I ask you and I plead with you, please don't taint our grandparents memories and please don't break our children's hearts," Mars said.

In addition to fans and broadcasters, current and retired Twins players joined the state's politicians to show support for the team.

	Event organizer Paul Ridgeway says his group has collected 58,000 signatures from people who want to convince Major League Baseball's owners that the region supports the team. He's confident they'll collect over 100,000 signatures to hand deliver to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in early December. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

Former outfielder Tony Oliva told the crowd that he's surprised the Major League Baseball would consider cutting the Twins. Oliva said the upper Midwest has shown it supports quality baseball.

"The fans here in Minnesota and around the Midwest, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin deserve the best. We have to keep the Minnesota Twins here in Minnesota. I don't want to go anyplace else. If the Minnesota Twins go, I go too. It's all over for me and baseball, and I want to stay in baseball for a long time," Oliva said.

Event organizer Paul Ridgeway says his group has collected 58,000 signatures from people who want to convince Major League Baseball's owners that the region supports the team. He's confident they'll collect over 100,000 signatures to hand deliver to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig in early December.

Ridgeway hopes the petition drive and recent efforts at the state Capitol will persuade Selig to reconsider. "I think those things show baseball that, one: we're taking some action and movement, but also that this groundswell of support statewide is extraordinary," he said.

Efforts to build the Twins a new stadium have fallen short in the past five years and polls show that citizens don't support significant public financing for a stadium.

	Twins General Manager Terry Ryan was among the thousands of people who attended the rally. Ryan says the team and its employees are still preparing for next season. He says the rally will be another way to show Major League Baseball that Minnesotans appreciate their team. (MPR Photo/Tom Scheck)

Minneapolis Mayor-elect R.T. Rybak joined St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, St. Paul Mayor-elect Randy Kelly and U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., at the rally. Rybak says city and state lawmakers need to come up with an effective way to mix private and public money to build the team a new stadium.

"There's a lot of innovative solutions out there. Great work has been done, especially with the idea of creating the ballpark in a more urban way so I think what we need to do is stop looking at these old models for stadiums. Stop looking at these old models of a few political leaders and a few business leaders moving in one direction and start respecting this new ballpark strategy that brings a broader group along," Rybak said.

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan was among the thousands of people who attended the rally. Ryan says the team and its employees are still preparing for next season. He says the rally will be another way to show Major League Baseball that Minnesotans appreciate their team.

"I don't doubt that this is going to get national exposure and there are going to be a lot of people who are going to see this on TV and in the papers tomorrow and realize that we aren't going to let this team go without a battle," Ryan said.

A statewide stadium task force, assembled by House Speaker Steve Sviggum, Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe and Gov. Ventura will have its first meeting on Tuesday.